Designation of National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 29, 2012, as a Fee-Free Day at the Bureau of Land Management Recreation and Visitor Sites and Use of the 2012 Fee-Free Coupon to Recognize National Public Land Day Volunteers
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENTWASHINGTON, D.C. 20240http://www.blm.govSeptember 18, 2012In Reply Refer To: 8300 (250/420) PEMS TRANSMISSION 09/19/2012Information Bulletin No. 2012-102To: All Washington Office and Field Office OfficialsFrom: Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and PlanningSubject: Designation of National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 29, 2012, as a "Fee-Free" Day at the Bureau of Land Management Recreation and Visitor Sites and Use of the 2012 "“Fee-Free Coupon" to Recognize National Public Land Day VolunteersNational Public Lands Day (NPLD) will be celebrated Saturday, September 29, 2012, as a “fee-free" day for visitors to all Department of the Interior recreation and visitor sites. Site entrance/standard amenity and individual day-use fees only will be waived on this day; however, other fees, such as those for group day use, overnight camping, and cabin rentals, will remain in effect.Fee-Free Coupons for NPLD Volunteers Five of the federal NPLD participating agencies (Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), in conjunction with the Take Pride in America program and the National Environmental Education Foundation, will present "fee-free coupons" to NPLD volunteers in recognition of their invaluable service to our Nation's public lands. The 2012 coupon will entitle the recipient and their family or vehicle companions to one “fee-free" day at a participating Federal recreation or visitor site of their choice within one calendar year beginning September 29, 2012. A facsimile of the 2012 coupon is provided for your reference (Attachment 1).Coupons will be issued to those volunteers who are 16 years of age or older participating in a registered NPLD event. Event coordinators will fill in the volunteer's name on the coupon and inform them that the coupon is valid for use at any of the participating agencies' recreation fee sites. If the volunteer intends to use the coupon at an unstaffed U.S. Forest Service recreation fee site (e.g., trailhead, day-use site), the volunteer should use the coupon as one would cash, and exchange it for a daily pass using the established self-registration process at the site. If there is no alternative, the volunteer may fill in the date, and place the coupon on the dashboard of their vehicle. The coupons are non-transferable, and if lost, will not be replaced.Coupon Distribution and Presentation Supplies of fee-free coupons have been distributed directly to all of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) NPLD site coordinators, (see Attachment 2 for names and locations) by the National Environmental Education Foundation. Site coordinators should note in their records the number of coupons received as well as the number distributed to NPLD volunteers. Volunteers at sites with NPLD events on dates other than September 29, 2012, are also eligible to receive coupons in recognition of their contributions.The coupon supply must be under the control of the site coordinator or their designee, as non-monetary recognition items must be accurately accounted for. After completion of an NPLD event, any surplus fee-free coupons should be bundled, clearly labeled as "unused" and mailed to Bibi Booth at BLM Education, Interpretation & Partnerships (WO-420), 1849 C Street, NW, MSM-2134, Washington, D.C. 20240.Coupon Redemption at BLM SitesFee-free coupons will be accepted at any fee site where the America the Beautiful -- National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes (Interagency Pass Annual, Senior, and Access), Golden Age, Golden Access passports, or daily/annual site passes are accepted. At the time of redemption, the holder of the coupon must surrender it to the appropriate BLM recreation or visitor site staff member, who then must record it as "one coupon redeemed." After September 29, 2012, used coupons should be bundled, clearly labeled as “redeemed," and mailed to Bibi Booth at the address above.Please share this information with your field employees, particularly those who are directly involved in NPLD, such as NPLD site coordinators (Attachment 2) and State Volunteer Coordinators (Attachment 3).NPLD Public Outreach We also request you promote both “fee-free NPLD" and the NPLD volunteer recognition fee-free coupon via news releases and web postings to encourage local residents and visitors to volunteer at one of the BLMs many 2012 NPLD events. Interested persons may be directed to the national NPLD website at http://www.publiclandsday.org or referred to local NPLD site coordinators.Thank you for your cooperation. For more information, you may contact Bibi Booth, Division of Education, Interpretation & Partnerships, at 202-912-7451, or Anthony Bobo, BLM National Recreation Fee Program Manager, at 202-912-7248.Signed by: Edwin L. Roberson, Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and PlanningAuthenticated by: Robert M. Williams Division of IRM Governance, WO-5603 Attachments1 -- 2012 NPLD “Fee-Free Coupon" (1 p)2 -- NPLD 2012 Site Coordinator/Project Chart (5 pp)3 -- Contact Information for BLM State Volunteer Coordinators (1 p)