Darlene Hooley: “Mr. Chairman, I join with my colleague from Oregon in his concern about extending this so-called pilot program that…”

“Mr. Chairman, I join with my colleague from Oregon in his concern about extending this so-called pilot program that charges due fees for patrons who recreate in our national forests and our national parks and use the Bureau of Land Management lands and Fish and Wildlife Services' wildlife refuges. I have to tell my colleagues that when the subject of pilot projects comes up in my State, people sort of roll their eyes and they go, ``Is that Washington-speak for a program that we say we will evaluate and it is supposed to go away but never goes away?'' This user demonstration fee program is a perfect example of why so many of my constituents distrust what we do in Washington, D.C. Again, this program was scheduled to last no more than 3 years. It was to be used in a limited number of sites. These tests were there to provide us with a snapshot view of what happens when we do a pilot program: What does this look like? What are the things good about it, what are the things wrong about it? But since the time that this pilot program was initiated, it is like somebody added a little bit of yeast and a little bit of sugar and it has just grown and grown and grown. They probably put it in a hot oven, too. Now it is used in over 100 sites and it is a program that is so confusing. I mean if we want to go and use the bathroom, we have to buy a 3-day pass. I support the parks, and I know we have huge needs in our parks.…”