Designation of National Public Lands Day (NPLD), Saturday, September 24, 2016, as a Fee-Free Day at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Recreation and Visitor Sites; Use of 2016 Fee-Free Coupons to Recognize NPLD Volunteers

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C.  20240
September 2, 2016

                                                                       
In Reply Refer To:
1114 (420) P
 
EMS Transmission 09/06/2016
Information Bulletin No. 2016-075
 
To:                   All Field Office Officials
 
From:              Acting Assistant Director, National Conservation Lands and Community Partnerships
 
Subject:          Designation of National Public Lands Day (NPLD), Saturday, September 24, 2016, as a “Fee-Free” Day at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Recreation and Visitor Sites; Use of 2016 “Fee-Free Coupon” to Recognize NPLD Volunteers
 
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) will be celebrated on Saturday, September 24, 2016, 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; other fees, such as those for group day use, overnight camping, individual special recreation permits, and cabin rentals, will remain in effect.
 
Fee-Free Coupons for NPLD Volunteers
Participating Federal land management agencies (Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Defense), in conjunction with 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.  Each 2016 coupon will entitle the recipient and his/her family or vehicle companions to one “fee-free” day at any participating Federal recreation or visitor site within one calendar year, beginning on September 25, 2016.  A facsimile of a fee-free coupon is provided for your reference (Attachment 1).
 
Coupons will be issued to volunteers 16 years of age or older participating in a registered NPLD event. Event coordinators should print the volunteer’s name on the coupon and inform him/her 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 Federal 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 his/her vehicle. The coupons are non-transferable and, if lost, will not be replaced. 
 
Coupon Distribution and Presentation
Supplies of fee-free coupons will be distributed directly to all of the BLM’s NPLD site coordinators 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 24, 2016, are also eligible to receive coupons in recognition of their contributions.
 
The coupon supply must be under the continuous control of the site coordinator or his/her designee, as non-monetary recognition items must be accurately accounted for and secured. After completion of an NPLD event, any surplus fee-free coupons should be bundled, clearly labeled as “unused,” and mailed to Linda Schnee at:  BLM Division of Education, Interpretation & Partnerships (WO-420), 1849 C Street, N.W., LM2134, Washington, D.C. 20240. 
 
Coupon Redemption at BLM Sites
Fee-free coupons will be accepted at any fee site where America the Beautiful-National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes (Interagency Pass Annual, Senior, Fourth Grade, Military, and Access), and/or daily/annual site passes are accepted.  At the time of redemption, the holder of the coupon must surrender it to the appropriate recreation or visitor site staff member, who must then record it as “one coupon redeemed.”
 
Please share this information with your field employees, particularly Recreation staff and those who are directly involved in NPLD, such as NPLD site coordinators and State Volunteer Coordinators (see Attachment 2).
 
NPLD Public Outreach
We also request that 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 BLM’s many 2016 NPLD events. Interested persons may be directed to the national NPLD website https://www.neefusa.org/public-lands-day or referred to local BLM NPLD site coordinators.
 
Thank you for your cooperation. For more information, please feel free to contact Linda Schnee, BLM National Volunteer Program Lead, at lschnee@blm.gov or (202) 912-7453, or Peggi Brooks of the Division of Recreation and Visitor Services at pbrooks@blm.gov or (202) 912-7254.

Signed by:                                                                                    Authenticated by:

Christopher J. McAlear                                                                  Catherine Emmett
Acting Assistant Director,                                                              WO-870, IT Policy and Planning
National Conservation Lands and Community Partnerships
 
2 Attachments
     1 – 2016 NPLD “Fee-Free Coupon” Facsimile (1 p)
     2 – Contact Information for BLM State Volunteer Coordinators (1 p)