Forest Service Continues Efforts To Let The Market Set Campground Fees

The Forest Service has been steadily issuing notices of fee increases at campgrounds operated by the agency based on analyses of fees at comparable nearby campsites, demonstrating the agency’s recognition of the need to set prices based on the applicable market.  The most recent notice was issued by the Coconino National Forest which proposed to increase fees at two campgrounds to $10 per night.  The campgrounds in the Coconino have vault toilets, cooking grills, a parking area and picnic tables, but they do not have water, utility hookups or campground hosts.   In its notice, the agency stated that the fees were based on a “market assessment” of nearby similar campgrounds that showed the fees were “reasonable and typical of similar sites in the area.”  The fees will be used for the continued operation, maintenance and improvements of the sites