Adams v. USFS, No. 10-16711 (9th Cir. 2012)
Annotate this CaseThe Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) prohibits the U.S. Forest Service from charging fees solely for parking, undesignated parking, or picnicking along roads or trailsides, for hiking without using facilities and services, and for camping at undeveloped sites. Despite these prohibitions, the Forest Service collected fees from all drivers who parked their vehicles in a piece of the Coronado National Forest running along the Catalina Highway, the only paved road to the summit of Mount Lemmon, a heavily used recreational area. Four recreational visitors used, seeking a declaration that the Forest Service was exceeding the scope of its authority under the REA by charging fees to those who drove to Mount Lemmon, parked their cars, then picnicked, hiked, or camped in nearby undeveloped areas. Plaintiffs also sought to enjoin the Forest Service from collecting such fees. The district court granted Defendants' Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the Forest Service's fee structure contravened the plain language of the REA. Remanded to allow Plaintiffs to pursue that claim.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.