http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/06/07/end-of-school-year-marks-the-start-of-recreation-season/ Ramona's Community Paper Since 1886 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:22:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/06/07/end-of-school-year-marks-the-start-of-recreation-season/#comment-328938 Peter Sat, 09 Jun 2012 16:34:55 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=14507#comment-328938 Anyone visiting the Cleveland National Forest is not required to purchase a Forest Service "Adventure Pass." Earlier this year, the 9th Circuit Court ordered Forest Service officials to stop charging HIRA access fees. The court told the Forest Service that they could charge for use of developed campgrounds, developed picnic areas and similar developed areas, but they could not charge somebody simply for being near (or far from) such a place. To circumvent the court’s ruling Forest Service officials in Washington DC have instituted a system whereby they no longer issue citations to those refusing to pay their illegal HIRA fees (because a citation can be challenged in court). Instead they have contrived something called a “Notice of Required Fee” or NRF. Because NRFs have no legal standing they don’t have to be paid and –especially important to the bureaucracy- they cannot be challenged in court. In doing this Forest Service officials are fully aware that most people will treat a NRF as a citation and pay what they’ve been duped into believing is a fine…for having done something which is neither wrong nor illegal. Anyone visiting the Cleveland National Forest is not required to purchase a Forest Service "Adventure Pass." Earlier this year, the 9th Circuit Court ordered Forest Service officials to stop charging HIRA access fees. The court told the Forest Service that they could charge for use of developed campgrounds, developed picnic areas and similar developed areas, but they could not charge somebody simply for being near (or far from) such a place. To circumvent the court’s ruling Forest Service officials in Washington DC have instituted a system whereby they no longer issue citations to those refusing to pay their illegal HIRA fees (because a citation can be challenged in court). Instead they have contrived something called a “Notice of Required Fee” or NRF. Because NRFs have no legal standing they don’t have to be paid and –especially important to the bureaucracy- they cannot be challenged in court. In doing this Forest Service officials are fully aware that most people will treat a NRF as a citation and pay what they’ve been duped into believing is a fine…for having done something which is neither wrong nor illegal.

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