Adventure Pass Fees Waived in Mtns Near Banning, Beaumont on Sept. 29

Adventure Pass fees will not be required Saturday Sept. 29 in the San Bernardino National Forest on both sides of the San Gorgonio Pass, a spokeswoman for the Forest Service said Wednesday.

The parking fees are being waived to recognize National Public Lands Day.

"Other fees, such as those in campgrounds, reservation, and group sites, are still required," forest spokeswoman Carol Underhill said in a statement. "Visitors who accidentally use their daily Adventure Pass on a fee-free day may have it replaced free-of-charge."

The focus of National Public Lands Day is "to instill a sense of shared stewardship and educate the public about the importance of natural resources," Underhill said.

The San Bernardino National Forest covers more than 1,000 square miles in three mountain ranges in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and it includes numerous attractions near Banning, Beaumont and the rest of the Pass.

A pdf map of the forest is attached to this report.

Local volunteer activities in the San Bernardino National Forest on Sept. 29 include:

Santa Ana River Trail - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Maintain trail and learn about local recreation and volunteer opportunities. Hosted by the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association and REI. For more information, please contact SGWA at (909) 382-2906 or sgwa@earthlink.net.

Cactus Flats Staging Area near Big Bear - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Plant native vegetation at the Cactus Flats Staging Area. Hosted by the San Bernardino National Forest Association.  For more information, please contact Juli Goss at (909) 382-2826 or jgoss@nationalforestassociation.org.

Lytle Creek - 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Clean up trash and graffiti. Remove debris from the stream beds. For more information, please contact Jennifer Jenkins (909) 382-2763.

Visit http://www.publiclandsday.org for more information on these and other local events.

"The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations," Underhill said.

"The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world," Underhill said. "Forest Service lands contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $27 billion per year."

For more information about fee-free days and the recreation fee program on Southern California national forests, visit the Adventure Pass website at  www.fs.usda.gov/adventurepass.

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