Visitors Can Enjoy More Access to National Forests

June 21, 2016

IMG_1737The U.S. Forest Service will make it easier for outfitters, guides, schools, non-profit organizations and other partners to take groups out to enjoy outdoor activities on national forests and grasslands.

By streamlining the approach to special-use permitting for national forests and grasslands, these areas will be even more accessible.

More than 160 million people visit national forest and grasslands annually. Forest Service recreation special use permits provide organized access for service providers who take groups of people to national forests and grasslands to experience outdoor recreation, while allowing the Forest Service to manage visitor volume in specific locations and protect resources.

Outdoor recreation on these public lands contributes more than $13 billion dollars to the national economy and supports more than 205,000 jobs annually.

For an overview of recreational activities available in the Ocala National Forest, don’t miss the July 2016 issue of FloridAgriculture magazine.