Porterville, CA, July 11, 2013 - Sequoia National Forest officials are seeking public comments on proposed changes to the Lake Isabella Recreation Fee Area.

The Sequoia National Forest is proposing to reduce the size of the Lake Isabella recreation fee area and split it into three fee sites, at Auxiliary Dam, Old Isabella, and South Fork. Recreation fees will not change and the Southern Sierra Pass and America the Beautiful-the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass (Annual, Senior, Access, Volunteer, and Military) will continue to be accepted at these sites.

In June 2011, the Forest Service conducted a national review of the 97 fee areas on National Forest System lands. As a result of the review, the Forest Service plans to remove the fee area designations for 73 fee areas and reduce the boundaries for the remaining 24 fee areas across the nation. This proposal for the Lake Isabella recreation fee area is consistent with the results of the national review.

This proposed change to the Lake Isabella recreation fee area will be presented to a citizen's advisory committee, called the California Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (R-RAC). Committee members represent a broad array of recreation interest groups. The public is welcome to attend and comment at all R-RAC meetings. The next R-RAC meeting is expected to be held in July 30, 2013. More information about the R-RAC, including meeting dates and locations can be found at: California R-RAC.

If adopted, it is anticipated that the proposal for the Lake Isabella recreation fee area would be implemented in the summer of 2013. In the interim, consistent with direction on implementation of the national review within the Lake Isabella recreation fee area, the Sequoia National Forest has not been issuing notices of required fees or enforcing recreation fees outside of the Auxiliary Dam, Old Isabella, and South Fork recreation sites.

Fee revenue collected at Auxiliary Dam, Old Isabella, and South Fork is used for operations and maintenance and future enhancements of these recreation sites. More information about the recreation fees and the Sequoia National Forest Recreation Program can be found in the Forest's Annual Fee Program Accomplishment Reports at: CA REA Accomplishments.

For more information about this fee proposal, please contact Mary Cole at 559-784-1500 x 1133, [email protected].

Comments may be submitted to: Sequoia National Forest, 2839 S. Newcomb, Porterville, CA 93257 Attn: Mary Cole or by email at [email protected]. Please submit comments by July 28, 2013 so comments can be compiled, analyzed, and shared with the R-RAC at their next meeting.