[at-l] Notes

[thornel@attglobal.net (W F Thorneloe)]

While the fee system is supposed to be a demonstration and only a means of 
adding to budget via user fees, it has its problems. It is unclear that the 
user fees return to fund maintenance or improvements for the site. There is 
little connection between the fees and any service rendered, much less to 
the amount of "use" implied in the fee. I believe that you are supposed to 
pay the fee even for simply driving up, parking, and taking a view before 
driving on. I can see this to some degree in the BLM parks out west where 
visitor's center and toilet facilities can be found. But Springer's bare 
dirt parking lot seems a bit extreme. Woody Gap's picnic tables and trash 
bins _might_ justify the fee, but I agree with your reaction.

BTW, did you make it down to Gooch Gap this weekend? The AJC indicates that 
the new shelter opened yesterday.

Bill...

At 12:04 AM 7/16/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>When she left she asked if I'd paid for parking there. I said "no" and she 
>said don't forget to pay. I thought "fee area" meant you paid if you were 
>planning on leaving a car and going into the woods, not just stopping and 
>waiting to pick up hikers.