Fees Waived Saturday in National Forests for Public Lands Day

Visitors to the Cleveland National Forest will be able to access any part of the preserve for free Saturday in celebration of National Public Lands Day.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, fee waivers will be in effect all day.

In Addition:

“The Trabuco Ranger District will be hosting an interpretive hike at Tin Mine Canyon and for visitors, who wish, may instead participate in trail maintenance along the 1.5 mile, one-way trail, for more information please visit the National Public Lands Day website, http://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/tin-mine-canyon.”

National Public Lands Day events are planned at federally protected sites throughout the country. The event, always held the last Saturday in September, began in 1994 as a way to encourage volunteer activity in wilderness areas.

USFS Chief Tom Tidwell said volunteers are needed to help haul away trash, clear trails and plant native trees.

“On National Public Lands Day, we welcome you to join trail maintenance projects, campouts, shoreline cleanups and much more,” Tidwell said. “Volunteering on a project on this special day will provide a rare opportunity to learn about safe outdoor recreation and natural resources conservation -- and may even offer a glimpse of wildlife that you don’t get to see every day.”

Last year, 175,000 volunteers lent a hand at 2,237 federal sites throughout the country, according to rangers.

Forest service officials noted that access to 98 percent of federally protected land is free most -- if not all -- of the time. However, a few activities require a Daily Adventure Pass.

Another fee-waiver day is planned on Nov. 11.

More information is available at http://www.publiclandsday.org.

— City News Service contributed to this report.