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Sequoia National Forest |
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What Are We Doing with Your Recreation Fees?Recreation fees collected at Camp 9, Auxiliary Dam, Old Isabella, and South Fork Recreation areas around Lake Isabella; Kennedy Meadow, Fish Creek, Troy Meadow, and Horse Meadow on the Kern Plateau; and Lower Peppermint Campground on Lloyd Meadow road are used to operate and maintain these facilities and improve visitor services in the Sequoia National Forest. The special use fees collected from outfitter guides and special recreation events, and sales of interagency passes, are used in the same ways. Look for updated information on how these fees are benefiting the public that use these sites and services.
Understanding Forest Service Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act FinancesVisitor fees for sites and services managed by the Forest Service are collected under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA). The Sequoia National Forest (Forest) retains a majority of REA fees to provide services and improvements for visitors who pay recreation fees. Following is an explanation of how REA fees retained on the Forest are accounted for in the agency financial system and reported to the public. The Forest Service uses unique management codes, called job codes, within a separate Treasury account to identify REA financial transactions at the regional office and forest level. Management codes and transaction details on financial reports enable determination of collections by district in three fee categories (Interagency Pass, Special Use, and Recreation Fee). The Interagency Pass category includes Interagency Annual and Senior Pass sales. Special Use includes outfitter and guide and special recreation event permit fees. The Recreation Fees category includes collections from the Southern Sierra Recreation Pass, campgrounds, and cabins. Effective FY 2010 REA fees are deposited for each of the three fee categories according to national direction using a standard formula of 95% to the Forest and 5% to the Regional Office. Quarterly reports posted on this website include amounts retained and expended on the Forest. The federal budget fiscal year (FY) runs from October 1 through September 30. Forest Service fees collected under the REA remain available until spent. Forest spending authority is allocated to districts based on their planned program of work and to the Supervisor's Office for forest-wide contracts that benefit more than one district. Spending is in accordance with the expenditure categories identified in REA. The Sequoia reports payments in the fiscal quarter when payments are made. Payments may not coincide with the quarter in which contracted services, such as trash collection and toilet pumping, are provided. Beginning 3rd quarter FY 2010, quarterly reports are posted in a more easily understood, user friendly format. Forest financial reports are reviewed to determine each district's quarterly collections by fee category and quarterly expenditures by REA expenditure category. The procedure uses financial reports of REA fees retained on the forest and a process consistent with national annual reporting. Forest quarterly collections, expenditures, and accomplishments are included in the Annual Pacific Southwest Region Financial and Accomplishment Report. Annual Pacific Southwest Region Financial and Accomplishment Report information is part of the REA-required Triennial Interagency Report. For more information on the Recreation Enhancement Act, visit the Forest Service website. Sequoia National Forest Quarterly ReportsIn response to public request, the Sequoia National Forest has gone above and beyond the national REA reporting requirements to develop and provide quarterly financial reports by district. These reports are made available to the public in an effort to assure transparency and provide financial accountability. Effective 3rd quarter 2010 REA collection and expenditure data for the Sequoia National Forest is formatted and displayed differently on the posted quarterly financial reports. The same financial reports and quarterly time periods were used as with previously posted reports to maintain data consistency. Changes include:
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2009 Public Meeting (1.3mb pdf) |
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Last Modified: September 14, 2011
