Oh, by the way, don't forget to pay the ranger for these simple pleasures if you happen to be driving, sniffing and listening in Los Padres National Forest in western Kern County. Los Padres is one of four Southern California national forests participating in the Adventure Pass program, which was implemented in June 1997 as a test project to gauge public support for a fund-raising scheme. Traditionally, fees are charged for more intensive use, such as boat launching and camping, where staff services and equipment may be required. Still left unregulated under the Adventure Pass program are such activities as simply driving on public roads and breathing in the forest. Perhaps some federal bureaucrats also may be eyeing these as revenue sources.
Critics contend the fees discourage low-income people from using the forest.
They also set an unreasonable price tag on activities that should be free. There is no doubt that it takes money to maintain and improve our forests. These public lands have been set aside and preserved as national treasures for generations to enjoy. But the least we should be able to expect as a return on our taxes is the opportunity to have a simple picnic in the forest without some ranger's hand reaching into our wallets. Appropriately, Kern County supervisors have joined the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in asking Congress to drop the Adventure Pass program.