An Update From the Access and Permitting Committee
The Access and Permitting Committee has been working on several projects this year on behalf of the Association. We are looking forward to continuing to serve the membership and provide support on issues related to public land access.
USFS Special Uses Modernization Project
In collaboration with the Wilderness Society, the American Alpine Club, and the American Mountain Guides Association, the Committee has been recruiting members from each organization to help engage the Forest Service on implementation of the agency’s June 2016 guidance on recreational permitting. The work team on this project has been hosting numerous webinars to help educate members from each organization to contact their local Forest Service personnel.
The goals of the project are to raise the awareness of the guidance and encourage implementation of the new guidance across the nation. The information we are learning from project member engagement with their local forests will help clarify where the guidance is being used, how it is viewed by agency personnel, and what challenges or barriers exist to implementation of the guidance. In the end, we are confident the work we are doing now with this project can help encourage a culture that values facilitated outdoor experiences in our national forests.
Additional webinars will be scheduled in the future if you are interested in participating in this project. Please contact Andy Nelson if you’d like to become involved. The more AORE members that are involved, the greater the impact our Association can have on access and permitting on our public lands.
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