I am not suggesting that us Wenders hate trees — most of us spend a lot of time in the outdoors — but the general population is certainly spending less and less time in their national forests. The US Forest Service reports that national forest visits are down by 13% from 2004 to 2007. And in Washington and Oregon, states where residents are known for loving their states’ natural beauty, visits have dropped by a shocking 27%. That’s actually the sharpest drop of any Forest Service region in the whole country. Apparently we Northwesterners need to rethink where we’re spending our free time.
Several reasons are attributed to the sharp decline. Here in the Pacific Northwest, one of those reasons might be the fee system for national forests, which includes the $30/year Northwest Forest Pass. The problem here is that forests are dependent on the revenue that comes from the fee, even though that fee may be discouraging potential visitors. Then again, are people really not enjoying the outdoors because of a $30 fee??? What does that add up to? A few lattes and a round of beer.
I’m pretty sure that we could all sacrifice for getting out in the woods more often. Because the less time we spend in these areas, the more they are at risk. As Scott Silver of Wild Wilderness puts it, “If people are really moving away from public lands, who is going to protect them?”
