I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4873 

To modify the Forest Service Recreation Residence Program as the program 

applies to units of the National Forest System derived from the public 

domain by implementing a simple, equitable, and predictable procedure 

for determining cabin user fees, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 17, 2014 

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To modify the Forest Service Recreation Residence Program 

as the program applies to units of the National Forest 

System derived from the public domain by implementing 

a simple, equitable, and predictable procedure for determining cabin user fees, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cabin Fee Act of 

5 2014’’. 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4873 IH

1 SEC. 2. CABIN USER FEES. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture (re3 ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall establish 

4 a fee in accordance with this section for the issuance of 

5 a special use permit for the use and occupancy of National 

6 Forest System land for recreational residence purposes. 

7 (b) INTERIM FEE.—During the period beginning on 

8 January 1, 2014, and ending on the last day of the cal9 endar year during which the current appraisal cycle is 

10 completed under subsection (c), the Secretary shall assess 

11 an interim annual fee for recreational residences on Na12 tional Forest System land that is an amount equal to the 

13 lesser of— 

14 (1) the fee determined under the Cabin User 

15 Fees Fairness Act (16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), subject 

16 to the requirement that any increase over the fee as17 sessed during the previous year shall be limited to 

18 not more than 25 percent; or 

19 (2) $5,600. 

20 (c) COMPLETION OF CURRENT APPRAISAL CYCLE.— 

21 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of 

22 this Act, the Secretary shall complete the current ap23 praisal cycle, including receipt of timely second appraisals, 

24 for recreational residences on National Forest System 

25 land in accordance with the Cabin User Fees Fairness Act 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4873 IH

1 of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.) (referred to in this Act 

2 as the ‘‘current appraisal cycle’’). 

3 (d) LOT VALUE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Only appraisals conducted 

5 and approved by the Secretary in accordance with 

6 the Cabin User Fee Fairness Act (16 U.S.C. 6901 

7 et seq.) during the current appraisal cycle shall be 

8 used to establish the base value assigned to the lot, 

9 subject to the adjustment in subsection (e). If a sec10 ond appraisal— 

11 (A) was approved by the Secretary, the 

12 value established by the second appraisal shall 

13 be the base value assigned to the lot; or 

14 (B) was not approved by the Secretary, the 

15 value established by the initial appraisal shall 

16 be the base value assigned to the lot. 

17 (e) ADJUSTMENT.—On the date of completion of the 

18 current appraisal cycle, and before assessing a fee under 

19 subsection (f), the Secretary shall make a 1-time adjust20 ment to the value of each appraised lot on which a rec21 reational residence is located to reflect any change in value 

22 occurring after the date of the most recent appraisal for 

23 the lot, in accordance with the 4th quarter of 2012 Na24 tional Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Housing 

25 Opportunity Index. 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4873 IH

1 (f) ANNUAL FEE.— 

2 (1) BASE.—After the date on which appraised 

3 lot values have been adjusted in accordance with 

4 subsection (e), the annual fee assessed prospectively 

5 by the Secretary for recreational residences on Na6 tional Forest System land shall be in accordance 

7 with the following tiered fee structure: 

Fee Tier 

Approximate 

Percent of Permits 

Nationally 

Fee 

Amount 

Tier 1 ................................... 6 percent .......................................... $600

Tier 2 ................................... 16 percent ........................................ $1,100

Tier 3 ................................... 26 percent ........................................ $1,600

Tier 4 ................................... 22 percent ........................................ $2,100

Tier 5 ................................... 10 percent ........................................ $2,600

Tier 6 ................................... 5 percent .......................................... $3,100

Tier 7 ................................... 5 percent .......................................... $3,600

Tier 8 ................................... 3 percent .......................................... $4,100

Tier 9 ................................... 3 percent .......................................... $4,600

Tier 10 ................................. 3 percent .......................................... $5,100

Tier 11 ................................. 1 percent .......................................... $5,600. 

8 (2) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary 

9 shall increase or decrease the annual fees set forth 

10 in the table under paragraph (1) to reflect changes 

11 in the Implicit Price Deflator for the Gross Domes12 tic Product published by the Bureau of Economic 

13 Analysis of the Department of Commerce, applied on 

14 a 5-year rolling average. 

15 (3) ACCESS AND OCCUPANCY ADJUSTMENT.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall by 

17 regulation establish criteria pursuant to which 

18 the annual fee determined in accordance with 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4873 IH

1 this section may be suspended or reduced tem2 porarily if access to, or the occupancy of, the 

3 recreational residence is significantly restricted. 

4 (B) APPEAL.—The Secretary shall by reg5 ulation grant the cabin owner the right of an 

6 administrative appeal of the determination 

7 made in accordance with section 2(e)(3)(A) 

8 whether to suspend or reduce temporarily the 

9 annual fee. 

10 (g) PERIODIC REVIEW.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date that 

12 is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this 

13 Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 

14 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and 

15 the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 

16 of Representatives a report that— 

17 (A) analyzes the annual fees set forth in 

18 the table under subsection (e) to ensure that 

19 the fees reflect fair value for the use of the land 

20 for recreational residence purposes, taking into 

21 account all use limitations and restrictions (in22 cluding any limitations and restrictions imposed 

23 by the Secretary); and 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 4873 IH

1 (B) includes any recommendations of the 

2 Secretary with respect to modifying the fee sys3 tem. 

4 (2) LIMITATION.—The use of appraisals shall 

5 not be required for any modifications to the fee sys6 tem based on the recommendations under paragraph 

7 (1)(B). 

8 SEC. 3. CABIN TRANSFER FEES. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a fee 

10 in the amount of $1,200 for the issuance of a new rec11 reational residence permit due to a change of ownership 

12 of the recreational residence. 

13 (b) ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary shall annually in14 crease or decrease the transfer fee established under sub15 section (a) to reflect changes in the Implicit Price Deflator 

16 for the Gross Domestic Product published by the Bureau 

17 of Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce, 

18 applied on a 5-year rolling average. 

19 SEC. 4. EFFECT. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act limits or re21 stricts any right, title, or interest of the United States in 

22 or to any land or resource in the National Forest System. 

23 (b) ALASKA.—The Secretary shall not establish or 

24 impose a fee or condition under this Act for permits in 

25 the State of Alaska that is inconsistent with section 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 4873 IH

1 1303(d) of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conserva2 tion Act (16 U.S.C. 3193(d)). 

3 SEC. 5. RETENTION OF FEES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning 10 years after the date 

5 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary may retain, 

6 and expend, for the purposes described in subsection (b), 

7 any fees collected under this Act without further appro8 priation. 

9 (b) USE.—Amounts made available under subsection 

10 (a) shall be used to administer the recreational residence 

11 program and other recreation programs carried out on Na12 tional Forest System land. 

13 SEC. 6. REPEAL OF CABIN USER FEES FAIRNESS ACT OF 

14 2000. 

15 Effective on the date of the assessment of annual per16 mit fees in accordance with section 2(e) (as certified to 

17 Congress by the Secretary), the Cabin User Fees Fairness 

18 Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.) is repealed. 

Æ 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS