Adventure Pass Fees Waived in Nearby Forests Sept. 29

Adventure Pass fees will not be required Saturday, Sept. 29 in the San Bernardino and Cleveland National Forests.

The parking fees are being waived to recognize National Public Lands Day.

"Other fees, such as those in campgrounds, reservation, and group sites, are still required," San Bernardino National Forest spokeswoman Carol Underhill said in a statement. "Visitors who accidentally use their daily Adventure Pass on a fee-free day may have it replaced free-of-charge."

The focus of National Public Lands Day is "to instill a sense of shared stewardship and educate the public about the importance of natural resources," Underhill said.

The Cleveland National Forest is the southern-most National Forest in California. It consists of 460,000 acres in San Diego and Riverside counties, with recreation areas south and west of Temecula and Murrieta.

The San Bernardino National Forest covers more than 1,000 square miles in three mountain ranges in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Last year’s National Public Lands Day efforts resulted in building an estimated 1,500 miles of trails; planting an estimated 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants; removing an estimated 500 tons of trash from recreation sites and contributing an estimated $17 million through volunteer services to improve public lands, according to a news release.

Volunteers opportunities are available locally Sept. 29. Visit http://www.publiclandsday.org and enter a zip code to find nearby projects.

For more information about fee-free days and the recreation fee program on Southern California national forests, visit the Adventure Pass website at  www.fs.usda.gov/adventurepass.