I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5476 

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 

SEPTEMBER 16, 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’’. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 5476 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 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 5476 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.—Only appraisals conducted and ap4 proved by the Secretary in accordance with the Cabin User 

5 Fee Fairness Act (16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) during the cur6 rent appraisal cycle shall be used to establish the base 

7 value assigned to the lot, subject to the adjustment in sub8 section (e). If a second appraisal— 

9 (1) was approved by the Secretary, the value es10 tablished by the second appraisal shall be the base 

11 value assigned to the lot; or 

12 (2) was not approved by the Secretary, the 

13 value established by the initial appraisal shall be the 

14 base value assigned to the lot. 

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

16 current appraisal cycle, and before assessing a fee under 

17 subsection (f), the Secretary shall make a 1-time adjust18 ment to the value of each appraised lot on which a rec19 reational residence is located to reflect any change in value 

20 occurring after the date of the most recent appraisal for 

21 the lot, in accordance with the 4th quarter of 2012 Na22 tional Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Housing 

23 Opportunity Index. 

24 (f) ANNUAL FEE.— 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 5476 IH

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

2 lot values have been adjusted in accordance with 

3 subsection (e), the annual fee assessed prospectively 

4 by the Secretary for recreational residences on Na5 tional Forest System land shall be in accordance 

6 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. 

7 (2) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary 

8 shall increase or decrease the annual fees set forth 

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

10 in the Implicit Price Deflator for the Gross Domes11 tic Product published by the Bureau of Economic 

12 Analysis of the Department of Commerce, applied on 

13 a 5-year rolling average. 

14 (3) ACCESS AND OCCUPANCY ADJUSTMENT.— 

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

16 regulation establish criteria pursuant to which 

17 the annual fee determined in accordance with 

18 this section may be suspended or reduced temVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 17, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5476.IH H5476

emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 5476 IH

1 porarily if access to, or the occupancy of, the 

2 recreational residence is significantly restricted. 

3 (B) APPEAL.—The Secretary shall by reg4 ulation grant the cabin owner the right of an 

5 administrative appeal of the determination 

6 made in accordance with subparagraph (A) 

7 whether to suspend or reduce temporarily the 

8 annual fee. 

9 (g) PERIODIC REVIEW.— 

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

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

12 Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 

13 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and 

14 the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 

15 of Representatives a report that— 

16 (A) analyzes the annual fees set forth in 

17 the table under subsection (f) to ensure that the 

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

19 recreational residence purposes, taking into ac20 count all use limitations and restrictions (in21 cluding any limitations and restrictions imposed 

22 by the Secretary); and 

23 (B) includes any recommendations of the 

24 Secretary with respect to modifying the fee sys25 tem. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 5476 IH

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

2 not be required for any modifications to the fee sys3 tem based on the recommendations under paragraph 

4 (1)(B). 

5 SEC. 3. CABIN TRANSFER FEES. 

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

7 in the amount of $1,200 for the issuance of a new rec8 reational residence permit due to a change of ownership 

9 of the recreational residence. 

10 (b) ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary shall annually in11 crease or decrease the transfer fee established under sub12 section (a) to reflect changes in the Implicit Price Deflator 

13 for the Gross Domestic Product published by the Bureau 

14 of Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce, 

15 applied on a 5-year rolling average. 

16 SEC. 4. EFFECT. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act limits or re18 stricts any right, title, or interest of the United States in 

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

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

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

22 the State of Alaska that is inconsistent with section 

23 1303(d) of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conserva24 tion Act (16 U.S.C. 3193(d)). 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 5476 IH

1 SEC. 5. RETENTION OF FEES. 

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

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

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

5 any fees collected under this Act without further appro6 priation. 

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

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

9 program and other recreation programs carried out on Na10 tional Forest System land. 

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

12 2000. 

13 Effective on the date of the assessment of annual per14 mit fees in accordance with section 2(f) (as certified to 

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

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

Æ 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS