Such programs obviously will compete with local outfitters, and the FS is already busy planning its advertising and promotional campaign. It is, indeed, a quality of life issue. Not only do local businesses face increased competition for tourist dollars, don't forget the Sedona District is hoping to generate over three million dollars that do not help the local tax base, but the very nature of nature is being transformed before our very eyes. And Sedona is one of the nation's hotspots. Some of the affects can be seen already.
People are scared.
They no longer view these lands as theirs. They are concerned that if they have the audacity to enjoy what their taxes provide, they will receive a ticket from the Forest Service, marking them as a criminal. No longer can the Red Rock Country be viewed as a sanctuary for all, as an invisible fence now surrounds it designed to keep out those unwilling or unable to pay. No longer is that special place an escape from the realities of consumer life, it is now part and parcel of that reality. Nowhere has the charging of fees not changed the very nature of one's experience on public lands.