PHOENIX, —The Tonto National Forest will waive fees at many popular recreation sites on Presidents’ Day, Monday, Feb. 20, 2107. Tonto National Forest offices will be closed on Presidents’ Day, but will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017.
Four fee-free days on public lands remain in 2017. The remaining 2017 fee-free days are:
– June 10: National Get Outdoors Day
– September 30: National Public Lands Day
– November 11-12: Veterans Day weekend
The fee-free program is in cooperation with other federal land management agencies under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Fees will be waived at all day-use sites including picnic grounds, shorelines and boat launches operated by the Tonto National Forest. Concessionaire-operated facilities, camping and campground fees will not be waived.
Forest officials hope these fee-free days allow people to enjoy the nearly 3 million acres of Tonto National Forest’s land held in trust for their enjoyment and use. A Tonto Pass is usually required and can be purchased at over 200 vendor locations or local Forest Service offices. Tonto Daily Pass vendor locations are available at the Tonto National Forest website, www.fs.usda.gov/tonto. For more information regarding passes, call the Tonto National Forest at 602-225-5200 during business hours.
The mission of the Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.
