Annual Meeting

Hello fellow MRFHA Members ~

Please join us on Saturday, July 2nd for our annual meeting, 1:00 PM at the Camp Sherman Community Hall. We hope to see you there!

Best,
MRFHA Board

Happy New Year to All - The latest from C2 via Pete Bailey

Greetings Cabin Owners,

We have come far, but we still have much work to do in the new 112th Congress. Mr. Aubrey King, our Washington DC Representative, has provided an update (below) on the status of the Cabin Fee Act in Congress. The update is also provided as an attachment that includes the email addresses for all the co-sponsors of H.R.4888 and S.3929 for reference.

Two other thoughts. We will be requesting continued grassroots support from you and your cabin neighbors in the next few weeks and months. Broad participation remains essential to ultimate success this year. Please be ready to do your part when requested. Also, you will be receiving another request for financial support of Coalition 2 and NFH efforts.

We offer a sincere thank you to all those who have made recent donations. Our success depends on our combined work together, and your involvement is much appreciated! Please share this document with all your cabin friends.


Pete Bailey
NFH Director & C2 Legislative Contact chair
253-383-2388 Home Office



Aubrey’s Report:

The Cabin Fee Act made significant progress in the 111th Congress following its initial introduction as H.R. 4888 by Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA) March 19, 2010. Following a successful hearing by the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands in April and a favorable mark-up by the full Natural Resources Committee in July, the bill received a critical positive verdict of "zero budget impact" from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in November. A companion bill was introduced September 29, 2010, by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) as S. 3929. Unfortunately, time ran out before the CFA could be enacted into law. Both House and Senate bills received strong bipartisan support. Concurrent efforts to obtain a legislative moratorium on 2011 cabin fee increases were frustrated when Congress failed to pass comprehensive appropriations legislation for FY 2011 and instead approved only a "clean" (no amendments) short term Continuing Resolution to fund the Federal government until March 4, 2011.

With the start of the 112th Congress, there is reason to believe the prospects for the Cabin Fee Act are very good. In the House, last year's CFA champion, Rep. Hastings, is now the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, and is committed to give the CFA early and positive consideration. The important House Interior Appropriations Committee is now chaired by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), who is a strong supporter of the bill. In the Senate, we expect Senator Tester to introduce a CFA companion early in the year and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), chairman of the Senate Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee, to support the bill and hold an early subcommittee hearing.

In the meantime, the Forest Service has decided not to send out cabin fee bills for amounts greater than those paid in 2010 until more is known about what the new Congress wants to do. This means that there will be no higher fee bills until at least after March 4th. The NFH and the C2 Coalition is working to ensure that Congress either enacts a moratorium or other legislation before March 4th to block higher 2011 fee bills and to advance the Cabin Fee Act measurably towards passage and enactment into law.

The key major steps for the CFA in 2011:

(1) Have Congress enact a 2011 fee moratorium or, at least direct the FS not to send out higher fee bills until after mid-year to provide time for the CFA to move through Congress;

(2) Work with Chairman Hastings to obtain early passage of the CFA in the House of Representatives, including holding a successful House hearing if necessary;

(3) Work with Senator Tester to introduce a companion CFA early in the session and work with Chairman Wyden to obtain a successful Senate hearing on the CFA as early in the session as possible;


(4) Work to get a favorable Senate Energy and Natural Resources mark-up of the CFA with Senate passage by the fall and subsequent enactment.

A strategy of success will include at least the following elements:

(1) Obtain as many as possible of the 28 House cosponsors of H.R. 4888 (listed below) to cosponsor the new 2011 CFA (only Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), who retired, and, most tragically, Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), are not available to cosponsor the bill in the 112th Congress);

(2) Obtain more Senate cosponsors beyond the six who cosponsored the bill when it was introduced late in the 111th Congress (listed below);

(3) Avoid if at all possible any changes in the 2010 bill that would require a reanalysis by the CBO, which could delay the bill for month;


(4) Continue to obtain strong grassroots cabin owner support to communicate to Congress the absolute need to enact the CFA in 2011 or risk dramatically escalating cabin fees that will forever reduce and transform the cabin program so that it will no longer be the outstanding provider of multi-generational, middle-class family recreation that it is now and has been historically.

Metolius River Fish Habitat Project will Temporarily Close Recreation Areas

Deschutes National Forest

Media Release

Sisters, OR - Several popular recreation areas along the Metolius River will be closed to the public from October 19 – 22 while a helicopter place trees into the River.

A five-mile stretch of the Metolius River from Jack Creek to Lower Bridge will be closed to the public for safety during the helicopter placement of over 100 trees to restore fish habitat without disturbance to the stream bank.

The Forest Service is closing the work area to all public access including hiking, boating, and fishing on the river while the project is in operation. The helicopter used in the placement of logs will create downdrafts that can be hazardous to people in the area. Lower Canyon Creek Campground, Allen Springs Campground and Lower Bridge Campgrounds will also be closed during this time. Although there is private land in the area, the helicopter will not fly over houses when placing the trees, and there will be no restrictions on access to private lands.

Trees and logs will be placed along three reaches of the river near Canyon Creek, Allen Springs Campground and Pioneer Ford Campground approximately 3 miles north of Camp Sherman. “The project will restore large tree structure to this section of the Metolius River and will create pool habitat and cover for redband trout, bull trout and Chinook salmon,” says Mike Riehle, project lead and Fisheries Biologist for the Sisters Ranger District. “Compared to historic conditions, the Metolius River is low in the number of large logs. This habitat restoration will improve the rearing habitat for rearing juvenile salmon as they are reintroduced above Pelton Round Butte Dams,”

The project is also sponsored by the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council. The Council has partnered with the Forest Service to restore fish habitat in the Metolius basin using grants from the Forest Service, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Portland General Electric and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon.

Call to Action: ONCE AGAIN IT IS TIME TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE CABIN FEE ACT of 2010!

Below you will find a verbatim message from Pete Bailey, NFH Director & C2 Legislative Contact chair. This message indicates a strong sense of urgency on the importance for civic action around the Cabin Fee Act of 2010. Thank you in advance for hearing and acting upon your call to duty. If you desire ease in action, please contact: meganprince@me.com for a letter requiring minimal personalization aimed to reach representatives on both the House and Senate levels. Keep in mind - if not you, than who?

Best,
Megan Prince and the MRFHA Board


LETS EACH DO OUR PART TO GET EVERYONE ON BOARD WITH THIS EFFORT! PASSAGE OF THE CABIN FEE ACT HANGS IN THE BALANCE AND THIS MAY BE OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY!

All Representatives and most Senators are home in their Districts and States between now and the elections. It is a timely opportunity for cabin owners to communicate with them expressing, as strongly as possible, the urgent need to enact the Cabin Fee Act (CFA) this year in the 111th Congress or, if necessary, to extend the moratorium.

We hope to encourage and secure passage of the Cabin Fee Act during the Lame Duck session that will follow the elections. THEREFORE WE MUST ACT! To secure the backing of your Senators and Representatives, cabin owners must demonstrate their support for the Cabin Fee Act. Send emails and make phone calls to your local offices. Better yet, go visit the office with your request for support. But, make it your message of support and request for their vote to pass the Cabin Fee Act. Personalized messages are most effective.

To assist you, attached are sample letters that you should edit, personalize and email or fax to your Senators and Representatives. You can find DC contact information by state athttp://www.nationalforesthomeowners.org/. Write a letter to Congress.

The message is straightforward, but please put the message in your own words. Points that you can include are:

(1) Too many cabin owners are now faced with unjustified, dramatically escalating fees for their cabin use, making a growing number of cabins unaffordable and even impossible to sell at any reasonable price. The continuation of the Cabin Program as a source of middle class, multi-generational family recreation is in jeopardy. The current appraisal-based fee system is inherently flawed and must be replaced.

(2) Cabin owners, working with bipartisan supporters in both Houses of Congress, have developed a solution. This solution is embodied in the Cabin Fee Act of 2010 (H.R. 4888 and S. 3929) which is expected to be found “revenue neutral” by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Cabin owners throughout the country have studied, discussed and support the Cabin Fee Act of 2010.

(3) Senators should be urged to co-sponsor S. 3929 and support its passage. Encourage them to contact Senator Tester’s office to express their support. Representatives should be urged to support an early vote of approval for H.R. 4888 in the Lame Duck session. The entire Congress should then pass the CFA into law before the Lame Duck session adjourns.

(4) If the passage of the CFA must wait until 2011, a moratorium on 2011 cabin fee increases is essential. Ask for their support of a Moratorium.

If we do not secure passage in the Lame Duck session, we face a new Congress in January. The entire process could be set back considerably. There is no assurance we will enjoy the same level of support in the next Congress. Let’s get it done NOW! Please do your part and ask your cabin neighbors to do their part, too. IT IS TIME TO ACT!

Pete
Peter D. Bailey
NFH Director & C2 Legislative Contact chair

Tester introduces legislation to rein in cabin fees on Forest Service Land

Senator’s bipartisan bill would cap fees, set deadline for completion of appraisals

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Senator Jon Tester today introduced legislation to rein in skyrocketing fee increases for cabins on U.S. Forest Service land.

Tester’s bipartisan Cabin Fee Act would address the appraisal system for cabins that has led to the significant increases in cabin fees.

A law passed in 2000 set up appraisals for cabins on Forest Service land. But unexpectedly high values from the appraisals slammed cabin owners with new fees as high as $18,000.

Tester’s measure would change the law and assign cabins to a tiered system according to appraised value, setting user fees at between $500 and $4,500. The legislation also would require that current appraisals be completed within three years.

“These cabins are passed down in hardworking Montana families from generation to generation

—and the idea of leasing these cabins was never meant to make them a commodity for only the privileged few who can afford suddenly outrageous fees,” Tester said. “My legislation would bring some relief and, finally, predictability for these families.”

Senators Max Baucus, John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, have cosponsored Tester’s bill. “This bill is common sense when it comes to preserving Montana's outdoor way of life,” Baucus said. “It will help make life easier for Montana families who have used these cabins for generations.”

“The U.S. Forest Service’s fee system is clearly broken,” Barrasso said. “Folks with family cabins in our part of the country deserve to know that they will be charged a fair and predictable fee. Our legislation will deliver increased transparency and common sense.”

Tester led the bipartisan effort last year that resulted in a one-year cap of 25 percent on cabin fee hikes while he explored legislation for a more reasonable fee structure.

A similar measure to Tester’s legislation is being considered in the House of Representatives. However, the House measure would add millions of dollars to the national deficit. Tester’s bill is expected to be “deficit-neutral” and not increase the national debt.

The Cabin Fee Act of 2010: A Statement on some Tough Issues

September 30, 2010

As volunteer leadership, representing all cabin owners across the country, the Cabin Coalition 2 group has had to address many subtle complexities and political realities in framing the Cabin Fee Act (CFA) under the direction of Congress. Frankly, the CFA is not a perfect solution, but it is intended to ensure the viability of the Cabin Program well into the future by keeping the Program affordable for most current cabin owners by maintaining a fee range of $500 to $4000 (Raised to $4500 in S.3929). If we are not successful in replacing CUFFA as the basis for our use fees, we believe that we will lose over 2000 cabins in the next 3-5 years because of the inability of families to pay those high fees or to sell their cabins in the face of those unsustainably high fees. As cabins are lost, the overall Program suffers and future appraisal cycles will likely add to those losses. As the program shrinks, the viability and survival of the entire Recreation Residence Program becomes doubtful. Please consider the following points.

Revenue Neutrality: The CFA must meet the ‘revenue neutral’ requirements of Congress. ‘Pay-as-you-go’ legislation in Congress makes this unavoidable. Unfortunately, we are being compared to the projected revenue amounts that CUFFA appraisals would have generated over the next ten years, a projection that we believe is unfair and inaccurate to begin with. Fortunately, we have already successfully argued that the Forest Service CUFFA revenue projections are seriously flawed. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reduced the Forest Service estimate of revenue under CUFFA by over 15% in their analysis. While we believe that further CUFFA revenue reductions were warranted and supported by the information we submitted, the political reality is the final determination of revenue neutrality by the CBO is the standard we are required to meet by Congress. The CBO will render their final decision very soon and we believe the revised CFA fee structure will meet the requirement.

Fee Retention: The Fee Retention proposal, as specified in the “Mark-up” version of H.R.4888, would have provided the Forest Service additional revenue of $500 per cabin per year, specifically designated to fund the administration of the Program. However, this provision has been removed, with the advice of Cong. Doc Hastings’ staff, because it would increase the revenue needed under the CFA, thus also raising the need for higher fees across the board. The CBO has forced this point by interpreting this provision as an increase to the Forest Service budget, thus increasing the revenue needed to cover that increase.

CFA Fees: Because the $34 million revenue scoring is reality, the original proposed fee structure needed to be adjusted upward. Fee tiers at all levels are sharing that burden. Under the CFA, as represented by Senate bill S.3929, we are projecting that 20% of all cabins will see a modestly higher fee than they will under CUFFA initially. (Modest means between $50 and $500 annually). This is not an outcome anyone has wished for. However, that is only the short term view, because these folks and everyone else will continue to face potentially much higher fees in the future, with subsequent appraisals every ten years, if CUFFA does not get changed. Also, remember that the minimum fee of $500 was set so that even the lowest fees would cover the FS costs to administer the Cabin Program. This is fair to the US taxpayer, too. Support for and passage of the CFA will secure future affordability of the Recreation Residence Program.


Tier Assignments: The assignment of a given cabin into a specific fee tier will not be known with certainty until all appraisals under CUFFA are completed and ‘normalized’ (adjusted for inflation) to a common date of value. This normalization will span the period from 2006, when the first appraisals were completed, to the completion of all appraisals. This will produce the rank order (from lowest to highest) of all 14,000 cabins, from which the tier assignments, by percentages, will be made. We believe that the final fee determination for a given cabin will probably not occur until the end of 2013. The CFA transition period provisions will apply in 2011 through 2013, at least.

Fairness for All: To address the thought that ‘some lower appraised cabin owners are being asked to subsidize the higher appraised cabin owners’, please consider the following. Among the problems with CUFFA, which we believe the CFA in large part corrects, is not just that some cabins have high appraisals, but that unfairness and appraisal variability occurs cross the CUFFA fee spectrum, including the low end, the middle and the high ends of the spectrum. Most folks conclude that low fees equate to fair fees, however, there are many examples that refute this conclusion. There is variability and unfairness across the cabin fee spectrum under CUFFA. The CFA is a solution that moves us overall in the direction of fairness, while maintaining affordability of the annual fees and the marketability for those who must sell. We are all in this together if we want to guarantee the future viability of the Recreation Residence Program.

Positive Outlook: While some compromise by Cabin Owners and the Forest Service was necessary to achieve Congressional support for the bill, the CFA remains a far superior solution compared to the many problems of CUFFA. It is important to recognize the many positive benefits retained and addressed by the CFA.

• Lower average fees ($2400 vs. $3500) compared to CUFFA, leading to much lower fees over time.
• No unexpected or unrealistic future fee increases due to a flawed appraisal process.
• Predictable and modest future fee increases, limited to the annual IPD-GDP index.
• Fee stability that maintains marketability of cabins and retention of cabin values.
• Affordable fees keep the program within reach of the typical American family.
• Simpler to administer by the Forest Service and cabin owners, alike.
• A fair range of user fees where the highest fee is less than 10 times the lowest fee, acknowledging some variation due to location.
• Predictable and affordable fees lead to retention of cabins and survival of the Forest Service Recreation Residence program for future generations.
Cabin Coalition 2

Cabin Fee Act Questions and Answers: National Forest Homeowners & Cabin Coalition 2

The following Q and A has been compiled by C2:

Questions specific to the CFA Transfer Fee (additional questions for the CFA General Q&A document):

1. What constitutes a “Transfer” under the CFA?

A transfer fee applies when two standard are met, 1) a change of cabin ownership occurs, and 2) a new permit is issued due to a change of permit holder.

2. I recently changed my legal name and will require a new permit issued; is this transaction subject to a Transfer Fee?

No, a change of cabin ownership has not occurred so a transfer fee does not apply. While the transfer fee does not apply for simple name changes, the USFS may charge a reasonable administrative fee to handle this transaction.

3. If we transfer ownership of our cabin into a family trust, will a Transfer Fee apply?

Yes, a transfer fee of $1,000 would apply because a new permit would be re-issued and a transfer of ownership has occurred from your personal estate to the family trust, a separate estate. (discuss & verify this understanding)

4. If beneficiaries of our family trust change in the future, will this be subject to a Transfer Fee?

As a general rule, a transfer fee would be assessed only if the permit holder changes. If the trust beneficiaries other than the permit holder change, the permit is not re-issued, therefore a transfer fee is not assessed. If the permit holder (Trust?) name changes, a permit would be re-issued and a transfer fee of $1,000 would apply. (discuss & verify this understanding)

5. We inherited our cabin from our parents, will a Transfer Fee apply? Y

es, a change of ownership has occurred and a new permit is required, so a transfer fee of $1,000 would be assessed.

6. If we sold our cabin to a family member, would a transfer fee apply?

Yes, a change of cabin ownership has occurred and a new permit is required, so a transfer fee would apply. A fee of $1,000 applies to all transfers, plus an additional surcharge amount is assessed for sale amounts greater than $250,000.

7. When cabin is sold, how will the USFS verify the sales price?

The USFS will determine the final administrative process. We anticipate this process would require the cabin seller to submit a signed affidavit stipulating the cabin sale amount and that the stated sale amount represents the full cabin sales value conveyed, subject to fine or prosecution under federal law. In addition, a proof of sale such as a Bill of Sale, Deed, or Closing Statement with the sales amount listed may be required.

Questions regarding Fractional Cabin Ownership:

The following questions attempt to deal with fractional cabin ownerships. The USFS requires a permit to be held by a single party, which suggests the USFS does not recognize fractional cabin ownership and likely doesn’t want to deal with it. With this in mind, we need the transfer fee administration to remain simple and be closely aligned with this position. The permit holder has full responsibility for the permit terms and conditions, even though there may be extended family or non-family ownership of the cabin. (discuss & verify this position)

8. While I am listed as the permit holder, another family member is a 50% co-owner of our cabin. If the co-owner sold their interest to another party, would this transaction be submit to a Transfer Fee?

No, a new permit is not required because the permit holder did not change in this example.

9. (follow-up to question #8) If, at a later date, I sell my 50% interest in the cabin to another party, would this transaction be subject to a Transfer Fee?

Yes, a change of cabin ownership has occurred and a new permit is issued to in the name of the new permit holder, so a transfer fee would apply.

10. (follow-up to question #9) Is the transfer fee assessed against the sale amount of my 50% interest, or the full sales value of the cabin?

The intent of the CFA is to assess transfer fees against the full sales value of the cabin. In this case, the full sales value could be imputed from the sale amount of your 50% interest. If you sold your 50% interest for $60,000, the imputed full sales value of the cabin would be $120,000. Because this amount falls below the $250,000 threshold, a transfer fee of $1,000 would be assessed. If the imputed full sales value of the cabin exceeded $250,000, a transfer fee surcharge would be assessed, in addition to the base $1,000 transfer fee.

A CRITICAL TIME: CABIN OWNER CONGRESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS NEEDED NOW

A message from Peter D. Bailey,

NFH Director & C2 Legislative Contact chair

The next six weeks, including August and early September, 2010, will be a critical time for the Cabin Fee Act (CFA), which has been so strongly supported by cabin owners everywhere as a solution to the excessively high fees resulting from the Cabin Users Fee Fairness Act (CUFFA). Congress will be “in recess” for District and State work periods and most Members of Congress will be home for constituent meetings. Cabin owners will likely have more than one opportunity in August and September to ask their Senators and Representatives to support our cause. If cabin owners cannot meet personally with their Senators and Representatives in their State or District offices or at local events, they should try to meet with their staff or phone, e-mail or write to their local offices.

Following the recess, Congress will reconvene in Washington, D.C., on September 14^th with only sixteen legislative days before the targeted adjournment date of October 8^th so the Members can return home to campaign for the November elections. Although there will likely be a “lame duck” session as long as two or three weeks following the elections, the agenda for that session will be very crowded and the outlook uncertain. This all means that we do not have much time to achieve our legislative goals this year. This is why August and September are so important. We simply do not have much time left to let Congress know how much cabin owners have at stake and how determined we are to achieve our goals: First, to enact the Cabin Fee Act. Second, if that cannot be done this year, to extend the moratorium on cabin fee increases for 2011.

The CFA (H.R. 4888 in the U.S. House of Representatives ) has been well received in Congress and moved at a rapid pace since its introduction in early March, with a successful April 22^nd Hearing by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests and then, full Natural Resources Committee approval on July 22^nd. Now Congress and cabin owners are awaiting a report on the budget impact of the CFA from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) – a prerequisite for final passage. The necessary letter requesting this CBO analysis was co-signed by Representatives Doc Hastings (R-WA), Jim Costa (D-CA) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR), all of whom should be thanked for that effort. (NOTE: Members of Congress can be told that cabin owners are confident that the CFA can be modified if necessary to accommodate any changes required by the CBO.)

In the meantime, key Senators are being asked to introduce and pass a Senate CFA . If enactment cannot be accomplished in the limited time left for this Congress, then cabin owners will need an extension of the moratorium on cabin fee increases Congress passed last year.

So, following are the main points to be stressed by cabin owners to their Senators and Representatives:

For Senators:

Support introduction and passage of the CFA in the Senate

If necessary, support an extension of the current moratorium on cabin fee increases for 2011

For Representatives

Pass the CFA on the floor of the House

If necessary, support a moratorium extension

ALL Senators and Representatives should be contacted if possible, with the following Members key because of:

(1) Their positions on committees/subcommittees that have vital jurisdiction over the CFA and/or the prospects for a moratorium; and/or

(2) A large number of cabin owners in their State or their Congressional District.

Senators and Representatives who have clearly indicated their support for cabin owners are noted in the following list and should be thanked, while urged to continue that support through final enactment of the CFA into law. The 27 bipartisan cosponsors of the House CFA (H.R. 4888) should be especially thanked. Also to be especially thanked are the cosponsors of the Senate Resolution in 2009 that established the moratorium on cabin fee increases for 2010. The list also includes the Senate and House Democratic leaders , Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who could determine whether the CFA receives floor votes in the respective chambers.

For convenient reference, Senators and Representatives are grouped alphabetically by state.

Abbreviations are:

SA – Senate Appropriations Committee

SIA – Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee

ENR – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

PFL – Senate ENR Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee

HA – House Appropriations Committee

HIA – House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee

NR – House Natural Resources Committee

NPFPL – House NR Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands

“Ranking” identifies the top Republican on a committee or subcommittee.

ALASKA

Senators

Lisa Murkowski (R) Ranking, ENR – Member SA

Mark Begich (D)

Representative Don Young (R) NPFPL

ARIZONA

Senators

Jon Kyl (R)

John McCain (R) PLF

Representatives

Gabrielle Giffords (D-8^th District), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Raul Grijalva (D-7) Chairman, NPFPL

Jeff Flake (R-6), NPFPL

Ed Pastor (D-4), HIA

CALIFORNIA

Senators

Barbara Boxer (D)

Diane Feinstein (D), Chair, SIA

Representatives

Joe Baca (D-43)

Ken Calvert (R-44), HIA

Lois Capps (D-23), NR

Dennis Cardoza (D-18)

Jim Costa (D-20), NR, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888, Co-signed necessary letter requesting CBO analysis)

Anna Eshoo (D-14), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Sam Farr (D-17), HA, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Elton Gallegly (R-24), NR

Wally Herger (R-2), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Mike Honda (D-15), HA

Duncan Hunter (R-52), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Jerry Lewis (R-41), Ranking, HA

Zoe Lofgren (D-16), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Tom McClintock (R-4), NR, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Jerry McInerney (D-11), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

George Miller (D-7), NR

Grace Napolitano (D-38), NPFPL

Devin Nunes (R-21), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Nancy Pelosi (D-8) , Speaker of the House

George Radanovich (R-19), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Adam Schiff (D-29), HA

Jackie Spier (D-12), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Mike Thompson (D-1), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Lynn Woolsey (D-6), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

COLORADO

Senators

Michael Bennet (D)

Mark Udall (D), NPFPL

Representatives

Mike Coffman (R-6), NPFPL

Doug Lamborn (R-5), NPFPL

IDAHO

Senators

Michael Crapo (R), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

James Risch (R) NPFPL, Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

Representatives

Walt Minnick (D-1)

Mike Simpson (R-2), Ranking, HIA, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

IOWA

Senator Charles Grassley (R), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

MICHIGAN

Representative

Dale Kildee (D-5), NPFPL

MINNESOTA

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

Representatives

Collin C. Peterson (D-7) (Chairman, Agriculture Committee) (SPECIAL NOTE: It is possible that the Agriculture Committee could assert jurisdiction over the CFA and insist on a hearing. This would hold up progress on the bill, possibly delaying it until too late. Minnesota cabin owners should ask Chairman Peterson to agree to waive Agriculture Committee jurisdiction over the CFA.)

Michelle Bachmann (R-6)

Keith Ellison (D-5)

John P. Kline, Jr. (R-2)

Betty McCollum (D-4), HA

James Oberstar (D8)

Erik Paulsen (R-3), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Tim Walz (R-3)

MONTANA

Senators

Max Baucus (D), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution)

Jon Tester (D) Introduced 2009 Moratorium Resolution, Prime prospect to introduce CFA in Senate

Representative Dennis Rehberg (R), HA, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

NEVADA

Senators

John Ensign, (R)

Harry Reid (D), Majority Leader of the Senate

Representatives

Shelly Berkley (D-1)

Dean Heller (R-2)

Dina Titus (D-3)

NEW MEXICO

Senators

Jeff Bingaman (D), Chairman, ENR

Tom Udall (D)

Representatives

Ben R. Lujan (D)

Harry Teague (D)

Martin Heinrich (D-1), NPFPL

NORTH CAROLINA

Senators

Richard M. Burr (R), ENR

Kay R. Hagan (D)

Representatives

Virginia Fox (R-5)

David E. Price (D), HA

Heath Shuler (D-11)

NORTH DAKOTA

Senators

Kent Conrad (D)

Byron Dorgan (D), Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

Representative Earl Pomeroy (D)

OREGON

Senators

Jeff Merkley (D)

Ron Wyden (D), Chairman, PLF

Representatives

Earl Blumenauer (D-3)

Peter DeFazio (D-4), NPFPL (co-signed necessary letter requesting CBO analysis)

Kurt Shrader (D-OR)

Greg Walden (R-2), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

David Wu (OR-1), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

TENNESSEE

Senators

Lamar Alexander (R), Ranking, SIA

Bob Corker (R), PLF

Representatives

Lincoln Davis (D), HA

John Duncan (R), NPFPL

Zach Wamp (R), HA

UTAH

Senators

Orrin G. Hatch (R)

Robert F. Bennett (R), SIA, PLF

Representatives

Rob Bishop, (R-1), Ranking, NPFPL, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Jason Chaffetz (R-3), NR, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Jim Matheson (R-2)

VIRGINIA

Representative James P. Moran (D), Chairman, HA

WASHINGTON

Senators

Maria Cantwell (D), PLF

Patty Murray (D)

Representatives

Norman Dicks (D-6), HIA

Doc Hastings (R-4), NR, Introduced and championed H.R. 4888, Lead signer of CBO Letter

Jay Inslee (D-1), NPFPL

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

WISCONSIN

Senator Herb Kohl (D), SIA

Representatives

Tammy Baldwin (D-2), Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

Ron Kind (D-3), NPFPL

WYOMING

Senators

John Barrasso (R), Ranking, PLF, Cosponsor, 2009 Moratorium Resolution

Michael B. Enzi (R)

Representative Cynthia M. Lummis (R-1), NPFPL, Cosponsor, H.R. 4888

HR 4888 passes the Natural Resources committee!

The following report was provided this morning by Pete Bailey, C2 Chair. C2 is making great progress on the Cabin Fee Act. Read on... Sharon Karr

Greetings,

Other life challenges have not allowed a more timely communication, so if you are a regular visitor to the NFH website you have probably already read the following notice and related blogs regarding the Cabin Fee Act of 2010 (CFA). Though many hurdles remain to be encountered, positive progress continues to be made.

This week, Thursday, July 22^nd, the House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources approved H.R.4888 by unanimous consent. The committee approved bill included revisions to the original bill introduced by Cong. Doc Hastings (R-WA) last March. The National Forest Homeowners and the Cabin Coalition 2 strongly support the revised bill. This action sets the stage for a final floor vote on the bill, pending a positive report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) regarding its budget impact. A positive budget report from the CBO is essential for all legislation. A CBO report is expected within a few weeks. In the meantime, cabin owners are now turning their attention to passing companion legislation in the Senate. The bill is attached for your review.

C2 leadership has provided the CBO with a strong financial evaluation of the fiscal impact of the CFA and CUFFA. We have made every effort to ensure a positive response from them. Though we are very encouraged about the scoring issue, their conclusions will be key going forward. Additional modifications to the fee structure may be needed to address the scoring, however, we believe that those potential changes would be relatively minor overall. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, enjoy your slice of heaven, while sharing your thoughts about and support for the CFA with your cabin neighbors. Your continued moral and financial support remains key in our progress.

Best Wishes to All,

Pete

Peter D. Bailey

NFH Director & C2 Legislative Contact chair