[MCARC] [Fwd: Re: [repeater-builder] USFS Proposed Fee for Communications Site Owners]

[Nate Bargmann]

This is a followup to the previous message I forwarded.

73, Nate

----- Forwarded message from Michael WA7SKG <wa7skg at wa7skg.com> -----

Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2022 17:16:41 -0800
From: Michael WA7SKG <wa7skg at wa7skg.com>
To: repeater-builder at groups.io
Subject: Re: [repeater-builder] USFS Proposed Fee for Communications Site
 Owners

And for those who may be impacted by this and have not read the proposal, the
"annual programmatic administrative fee for communications use authorizations"
will be $1400/yr for wireless users. That would be for any fixed radio
facilities in USFS lands. Their study looked at all the users (that they knew
of), the majority of which are big players and they determined the fees would
be well under 1% of annual receipts earned by the facility, therefore there
was no economic impact to this new rule. Of course amateur radio facilities
would have no receipts, as they do not generate income from the facility by
Federal Law, but that was not included in the consideration.

The deadline for comments is February 22nd, 2022, so, if you have a repeater
site in USFS property, I suggest you get your comments in ASAP.

Michael WA7SKG


Steve Smith wrote on 1/6/22 4:25 PM:
> 
> I was having trouble finding the link to send my comments on this proposed
> fee, so I phoned Joey Perry from the USFS, the author of the letter
> informing us of the USDA Forest Service – Proposed Rule (Programmatic
> Administrative Fee for Communications Use Authorizations). She was most
> helpful and provided me with a direct link below to better access the
> comment area on the government site. If it doesn't work the first time you
> pull it up, you may need to refresh the page. If it still doesn't work for
> you, you can just email your comments directly to Ms. Perry at
> joey.perry at usda.gov. She said she would post any comments on this issue
> that come to her.
> 
> https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FS_FRDOC_0001-3605
> 
> Ms. Perry encouraged anyone who is negatively affected by this proposed
> fee to send in a comment with your concerns. She also indicated this is
> not a done deal and that if there is to be any consideration for
> accommodations or exemptions from this rule for amateur radio site owners,
> there will need to be information supporting that need from as many
> owners/users as possible. She especially mentioned that if your site is
> used for emergency communications of any kind, such as CERT, ARES, RACES
> or any other disaster emergency use, and the financial burden from this
> fee will preclude that continued operation, you should include that in
> your comment.
> 
> 
> Carolyn Smith
> 
> KE6HNG
> 
> 

----- End forwarded message -----

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