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SILT, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management has released a draft business plan for public review that proposes new campground fees at six campgrounds in the Colorado River Valley Field Office. The proposal will allow BLM to meet current and future maintenance and improvement costs. 

Under the proposal, the BLM would begin charging $20 a night at the newly constructed Prince Creek Campground in Pitkin County, as well as at the Catamount, Lyon’s Gulch, and Pinball campgrounds along the Colorado River in Eagle County. There is currently no fee at these sites. 

Additionally, the current $10 per night fee at Gypsum and Wolcott campgrounds along the Eagle River in Eagle County would increase to $20. The BLM would charge $4 per person at group camping sites at Gypsum, Pinball, Lyon’s Gulch and Prince Creek campgrounds. A $5 day-use fee would be charged at the Wolcott Day-Use Site on the Eagle River near Wolcott.  

“The fees collected would be used specifically to manage these sites,” said Acting Field Manager Gloria Tibbetts. “This proposed fee structure will allow the BLM to fund the necessary maintenance and improvements at these popular sites using fees paid by the people who use and enjoy these facilities.”

Releasing the business plan for public review is a first step in evaluating a fee proposal. Recreation fee increases must be reviewed by the Northwest Resource Advisory Council, which will consider the proposal at a future meeting. If approved, BLM anticipates implementing these new camping fees in summer of 2020.

To account for inflation or other economic changes, the business plan also proposes tying the new fee structure to a consumer price index. Fees would be reviewed annually against this index. Fees could be increased or decreased in $2 increments if supported by the index.

The draft business plan is available at https://go.usa.gov/xPJkm. Comments may be mailed to BLM, Campground Business Plan Comment, 2300 River Frontage Road, Silt, CO 81652 or emailed to mgurtler@blm.gov with “campground business plan comment” in the subject line.  Comments will be most helpful if received by January 25, 2019.

Recreation on BLM Colorado lands supported more than 5,000 jobs and led to $618 million in economic output during fiscal year 2017.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. 

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