[SFDXA] ARLB008 ARRL Seeks Exemption from Proposed US Forest Service Communication Facility Fees; Comment Period to be Re-Opened Through March 31

[Bill]

> Subject: ARLB008 ARRL Seeks Exemption from Proposed US Forest Service Communication Facility Fees; Comment Period to be Re-Opened Through March 31
> 
> SB QST @ ARL $ARLB008
> ARLB008 ARRL Seeks Exemption from Proposed US Forest Service
> Communication Facility Fees; Comment Period to be Re-Opened Through
> March 31
> 
> ZCZC AG08
> QST de W1AW  
> ARRL Bulletin 8  ARLB008
> From ARRL Headquarters  
> Newington CT  February 28, 2022
> To all radio amateurs 
> 
> SB QST ARL ARLB008
> ARLB008 ARRL Seeks Exemption from Proposed US Forest Service
> Communication Facility Fees; Comment Period to be Re-Opened Through
> March 31
> 
> ARRL has filed comments with the US Forest Service (USFS) seeking an
> exemption for amateur radio facilities to a proposed new 1400 dollar
> annual administrative fee. The USFS proposal resulted from
> requirements in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka "the
> Farm Bill"), which directs the Forest Service to collect fees for
> issuing communications use authorizations based on the cost to the
> agency for processing the applications, maintenance, and other
> related activities. These fees would be in addition to annual rental
> and cost-recovery fees already being collected.
> 
> ARRL's comments can be found online at,
> https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FS-2022-0001-0749 .
> 
> On February 24, the Forest Service filed a Notice in the Federal
> Register that the comment filing window will be re-opened on March 1
> and additional comments will be accepted through March 31. Any radio
> amateurs missing the first comment period or wishing to add to their
> earlier comments are encouraged to do so during this additional
> period.
> 
> "Although the discussion put forward by the Forest Service in its
> proposal focuses on commercial uses, the proposal would sweep within
> its requirements amateur radio uses that are solely noncommercial,"
> ARRL said in comments filed on February 22. "Radio amateurs
> establish and maintain facilities at certain locations for public
> service purposes with no remuneration or reimbursement. Unlike
> broadcasters and commercial wireless and fiber providers, radio
> amateurs are uniquely barred by the terms of their federal licenses
> from receiving compensation of any sort."
> 
> "Non-commercial and uncompensated communication uses by radio
> amateurs within Forest Service areas long have served the public
> interest in many ways, among them by providing the means for
> otherwise unobtainable emergency communication capabilities in times
> of need," ARRL noted. "Amateurs perform this valuable public service
> without cost to taxpayers. The importance of these capabilities
> [has] been demonstrated repeatedly. The skills of amateur operators
> have served our country well with their carefully located equipment
> when enabling exchanges of possibly life-saving messages in
> difficult terrain during forest fires, extending communications
> assistance help during hurricanes, and providing communications
> capabilities during search-and-rescue missions in remote areas."
> 
> ARRL stressed that equipment, maintenance, and other costs
> associated with amateur radio facilities on USFS lands "are borne
> solely by the volunteer radio amateurs themselves."
> 
> ARRL continued, "Commercial applicants usually request more
> extensive use of the lands administered by the Forest Service, and
> these requests necessarily result in more complex issues having to
> be considered and resolved."
> 
> "It is foreseeable that many radio amateurs providing these services
> would have to opt to withdraw and cease their work," if not exempted
> from the proposed fees, ARRL said. "In many cases the most useful
> locations for needed coverage from their stations is uniquely on
> Forest Service lands. In short, the proposal to include volunteer
> uncompensated amateur service applicants with the commercial
> wireless service and broadcast applicants is grossly inequitable.
> There is a disparity in the amount of resources necessary to
> consider applications from radio amateurs as compared to that
> required by commercial applicants."
> 
> "[O]ur best estimate is that there are fewer than 100 covered
> amateur locations, but those likely are unique and essential to
> covering forested areas in times of need, such as forest fires or
> lost hikers," ARRL said. "These dissimilarities in complexity and
> scope should be recognized in this fees proposal and amateur radio
> applications exempted."
> NNNN
> /EX
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