OIG conducted this audit to identify opportunities for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to increase its program revenues. We examined the recreation fees that BLM charges for public use of its lands to determine whether they are set at fair market value. We also tried to determine whether BLM is effectively using its authority to designate areas for camping and other forms of recreation and to collect recreation fees at those areas. We found that BLM has not maximized its opportunities to charge fees in a way that will generate revenue and protect resources.
We found that BLM is not charging recreation fees in some of its camping and day-use areas, even at sites where it could do so if a few basic amenities were added. Instead, it allows the public to use some sites at no cost even when doing so creates health and safety issues. In some cases, added revenue from the fees would pay for the initial costs of adding amenities and increase the funds for the regional offices that manage the sites. We also found that at the long-term visitor areas we visited, fees were considerably lower than those of comparable local businesses.
BLM states that the intent of its recreation fee program is to provide needed public services while protecting and enhancing public lands and recreation opportunities, and that fees should support protection of natural resources, provide for public health and safety, and facilitate access to public lands. To fulfill these goals, BLM needs to examine opportunities to enhance its amenities through visitor fees.
We made five recommendations that will help BLM increase its fee revenue and thus enhance its ability to protect and maintain its recreation areas and improve the experiences of visitors to its lands. BLM generally concurred with our recommendations and is working to implement them.