FLORENCE -- Except for some of the Forest Service people there, nobody really had anything good to say about the user fees imposed since April in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and other parts of the Siuslaw National Forest.
A cross section of central coast residents told regional and national Forest Service officials Thursday that if the fees must exist, there's plenty of room for improvement in how they're administered and collected.
And more than a few people let the officials know that when the three-year "demonstration fee project" authorized by Congress ends Sept. 30, 1999, they'd like to see the fees go away.
Thursday's "listening session" was aimed at giving the visiting officials a feel for what the public thinks of the fees.
One of the prevailing messages was: Give local people a break. The fees mean that Florence-area residents must now pay to use the Forest Service roads that provide access to most of the local beaches. Daily access fees are $3 per car. Annual passes cost $25.
Some questioned the legality of charging for access to publicly owned beaches.
"A lot of people can't afford those fees," said Terry Luther, owner of a local resale clothing business.
She suggested that free passes be given to local children, who she said have trouble finding things to do. She also recommended passes for low-income families, and said the Forest Service could consider allowing local residents free access on selected days.
Some business owners, concerned that the dunes fees would drive away visitors, suggested "that the Forest Service help them promote the area during the off-season by periodically scheduling a free day."
Another resident said the fees discourage the use of Forest Service recreation areas for community events. Still others complained that the fees are confusing -- that visitors don't understand why they have to pay to use a state park and then pay again when they want to see the sand dunes or go to the beach.
Some said visitors still don't understand that once they pay the daily fee at one site, they can visit other sites in the forest without paying.
The officials acknowledged that they have to do a better job of getting the word out. Next year, they said, people who buy annual passes will get $5 off if they have an annual state parks or BLM pass. They also said discussions are under way on creating an annual pass that would be good at any Forest Service, state, or BLM recreation area on the coast.
Forest Service officials said the remarks will be incorporated into a report that will go to Congress in January.