There’s a lesson to be learned in a lawsuit filed by a Pitkin County man against the Forest Service because he doesn’t want to pay for parking at the Maroon Bells Scenic Area.
He wants to repeal language in the user-fee program because he insists he’s not using the area’s amenities or services, the Denver Post reports.
He’s just parking his car in the lot and taking a hike across Forest Service land. He doesn’t use the visiter center so he doesn’t want to contribute to the upkeep of the area.
“Tending the tourists is great. But it seems like there are two groups of users: the ones who are accessing the backcountry without the dog and pony show and the rest,” he said. “There should be a place for dirtbag access so we can help be the stewards of the land up
there.”
We find it ironic that some people can’t seem to get enough rules, regulations and fees on other stewards of public land, usually to restrict access and use. But when faced with those same fees, in this case, $10, they crumble and file a lawsuit.
That parking lot he uses probably cost millions of dollars to construct, the forest where he hikes costs as much to manage for tourists, and he can’t be bothered with the bus system that costs a ton of money because it doesn’t fit his busy hiking schedule.
Recreation costs money, whether it’s a Broncos or Rockies game where parking costs $15 or $20, or public lands where environmentalists demand lots of bells and whistles accompany nature.
When folks insist that the government provide recreation, they should remember that it will come with a price.