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various purposes: to improve health, reduce stress, promote family togetherness, etc. 

 Our constituencies generally tell us they are v^^illing to pay a fair share for increased 

 outdoor resource related benefits so long as the additional cost/fee is utilized for the 

 intended purposes. 



This model for a user fee on recreation products is similar to the models for funding 

 hunting and fishing programs such as Federal Aid in Wildlife restoration and the Sport 

 Fish Restoration programs, which have endured for a half-century with the strong 

 support of hunters and anglers Due to competing needs of federal and state dollars 

 for other high pnority needs such as health, education, and public safety, badly 

 needed funds for recreation and conservation will likely not be forthcoming, creating a 

 monetary void which the user fee can fill 



A user fee incentive will be of immeasurable assistance as "seed money" to encourage 

 organizations and citizens to match, thereby maximizing the "bang for the buck". There 

 is much evidence across the nation with our parks of groups of citizens asking how we 

 in charge of the programs can help them to help us in turn be better stewards of their 

 natural resources This program will go a long ways toward facilitating more 

 public/private partnerships to leverage the available financing and accomplish what no 

 one group or agency can accomplish on its own 



Park visitors gravitate toward water bodies and natural areas of the parks, hoping to 

 observe fish and wildlife in their natural habitat. Not only does this activity provide 

 them the opportunity to observe , and educate themselves, but it also provides an 

 opportunity to renew the human spirit For these reasons and others, more and more 

 people are taking to the outdoors, with projected increases in activities like wildlife 

 observation and photography of about 20% from 1989 to 2000. 



Due to the large scale increases of user groups in a wide array of activities, two 

 problems have arisen: conflicts between different user groups over areas and 

 resources, and increased discontent of users from overcrowded conditions in 

 recreational areas. Both problems have resulted in limited access to areas for 

 recreation Teaming with Wildlife can provide the necessary funds to provide 

 additional recreational opportunities and alleviate these problems. 



In addition to serving as a remedy for the above mentioned problems. Teaming with 

 Wildlife also allocates money for three important purposes: conservation, recreation, 

 and education The recreation goal is simply to enhance the outdoor recreational 

 experience by providing trails and access to land and water for hikers, paddlers, 

 photographers, bird watchers, and mountain bikers. Organizations such as the 

 Wisconsin Trail Council, North Country Trail Association, West Virginia Scenic Trails 

 Association, Tenn Trails Association among others stress that trails are the most 



