RAPID CITY, S.D. – Amid a surge in the popularity of off-highway vehicle use, the Black Hills National Forest is proposing increased fees for motorized trail permits.
Forest officials announced the proposal Monday. Prices per vehicle would rise from $20 to $30 for a weekly permit, and from $25 to $50 for an annual permit.
Businesses that rent vehicles to users currently buy commercial permits for $125 annually per vehicle; under the new proposal, the commercial permit would be eliminated and replaced with a $10 daily fee on the user of the rental vehicle.
“Usage at recreation sites on the Black Hills National Forest has changed over the past 15-20 years,” said Shawn Cochran, forest supervisor, in a news release. “An increase of fees is needed to meet public expectations and the increasing demands of recreation activities across the forest.”
As recently as the early 2000s, there were few restrictions on off-road travel in the forest. Complaints about ruts and other damage to environmentally sensitive areas motivated a new travel management plan in 2010, and the issuance of motorized trail permits beginning in 2011.
That first year, the Black Hills National Forest sold 7,832 permits. The number has since risen beyond 30,000 permits annually, driven by the rising popularity of utility task vehicles, known as UTVs or side-by-sides.
The increased popularity of motorized trails has come with costs for the Forest Service, which has launched a trail ranger program and taken other actions in response to complaints about dust, noise, ruts, off-trail riding, and escaped cattle from riders failing to close gates after crossing public land that’s leased for grazing.
The proposal announced by the Forest Service also includes higher usage fees for several popular attractions. Renting the Meeker Cabin would cost $50 nightly (there is currently no fee), while the rental rate for the Summit Ridge Cabin would change from $35 to $100 nightly.
The Jenny Gulch Picnic Site and the Wrinkled Rock Climbing Area, both currently free, would each require a day fee of $5 per vehicle.
The fee proposal will be reviewed by the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board and the Wyoming Recreation Action Team, for a recommendation to the forest supervisor. If approved, fee increases would take effect next year.
