Automatic Adjustment of Minimum Special Recreation Permit Fees and Assigned Site Fees
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Washington, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov
November 21, 2017
In Reply Refer To:
2930 (250) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 12/20/2017
Instruction Memorandum No. 2018-011
Expires: 09/30/2020
To: All Washington Office and Field Office Officials
Attn: State Recreation Leads and Outdoor Recreation Planners
From: Assistant Director, Resources and Planning
Subject: Automatic Adjustment of Minimum Special Recreation Permit Fees and Assigned Site Fees
Program Area: Recreation and Visitor Services
Purpose: The purpose of this Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to establish the minimum commercial, competitive and organized group Special Recreation Permit (SRP) fees, and the minimum assigned site fee effective November 20, 2017. These fees constitute the Director’s minimum fee schedule and are in effect through February 29, 2020.
Policy/Action: The following minimum SRP and assigned site fees will take effect on November 20, 2017:
- The minimum annual SRP fee will increase from $105, to $110.
- The minimum assigned site fee will increase from $210, to $220.
- The “per person per day” fee for competitive events and organized groups will increase from $5, to $6 per day.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field offices will use November 20, 2017, as the effective date for the new minimum fees, and adjust their billing statements according to their calendar or fiscal year time frames. All permits issued prior to November 20, 2017, with an effective duration extending beyond that date must contain the new provisions. Field offices must insert this provision in all new permits meeting these criteria, and amend all permits extending beyond November 20, 2017, to include the applicable fees.
Timeframe: The new fee schedule is effective November 20, 2017, and remains in effect unless amended until March 1, 2020.
Budget Impact: The application of this policy will have no impact on the budget. The BLM expects this increase to be budget-neutral.
Background: The BLM, in concert with the U.S. Forest Service, automatically adjusts the minimum commercial and assigned site fee every 3 years. Normally this is done in March for the BLM, however in 2017 the adjustment is being made in November. In addition, the BLM adjusts the individual competitive and organized group SRP fees on the same schedule. The automatic 3-year fee adjustment policies and fee calculation methodologies were published in the Federal Register on October 19, 1989 (54 FR 42998) and July 29, 1999 (64 FR 41133). Individual state directors also have the authority to impose application fees and/or to establish higher minimum fees for SRPs as a matter of cost recovery. The minimum SRP and assigned site fees are recalculated every 3 years, using the fees for 1993 as the base year, and compounding them annually using the Gross National Product Implicit Price Deflator Index. The minimum commercial SRP fee and assigned site fee are rounded to the nearest $5. The “per person per day” fee for competitive events and group events is rounded to the nearest $1.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: This IM updates the Director’s Fee Schedule, Figure 2, contained in H-2930-1, BLM Recreation Permit and Fee Administration Handbook, Rel. 2-300 dated November 17, 2014, and replaces stated minimum SRP fees throughout the Handbook.
Coordination: The fee adjustment was coordinated with the U.S. Forest Service, and will be published in the Federal Register.
Contact: If there are any questions concerning the content of this IM, please contact Andy Tenney, Division Chief, Recreation and Visitor Services, at atenney@blm.gov, or by telephone at: 202-208-4201, or David Ballenger, Recreation Permit and Fee Program Manager, at dballeng@blm.gov, or by telephone at: 202-912-7642.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Kristin Bail Ambyr Fowler
Assistant Director Division of IT Policy and Planning (WO-870)
Resources and Planning