The next U.S. Forest Service fee-free day is Saturday, Sept. 26, in conjunction with the 22nd-annual National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands projects that ensure sustainable ecosystems and promote vibrant communities.
The San Bernardino National Forest Service is waiving fees and no Adventure Pass is required for use of standard amenity fee sites in recognition of National Public Lands Day.
The U.S. Forest Service will hold three events Saturday on the SBNF, one of which will be in the San Jacinto Ranger District.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., local district officials will partner with the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument at the Pinyon Flats Transfer Station, off Highway 74, and the Sawmill Trailhead near the Pinyon Flats Campground. They will be assisting with trail improvements, trimming plants, planting native vegetation, removing weeds, sweeping and repairing fences. An educational presentation on tool safety, leave-no-trace principles, back-country gear and Dutch-oven cooking also will be available.
The Forest Service asks those interested to RSVP Tracy at 760-833-7127.
The next fee-free day is Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers. It proved to be a huge success and became a yearly tradition, typically held on the last Saturday in September. Since the first NPLD, the event has grown by leaps and bounds. In 2014, 175,000 volunteers served at over 2,000 sites in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
On national forests, grasslands and prairies, nearly 110,000 volunteers and service members contributed 4.6 million hours on critical projects last year. Their service was valued at close to $105 million.
