National Forest Homeowners Contact Information
Melody Knox, Membership Administrator
PO Box 336 Talent, OR 97540
(541) 708-1434
Benefits of The USDA Forest Service Recreation Residence Program
WHAT IS THE RECREATION RESIDENCE PROGRAM?
It is a national program authorized by Congress in 1915 to facilitate family recreation on National Forests. About 13,800 cabins are permitted on USDA Forest Service lands to cabin owners who pay an annual special use fee.
NFH conducted an Economic Benefit Study (EBS) in 2022. This is the largest survey conducted focusing exclusively on the economic impacts of the Recreation Residence Program on National Forest lands. The survey questions touched on cabin owner investments, our typical spending habits, recreation costs, taxes, fees, visitor days, and many measurable impacts of cabins on local economies.
To view the one-page At-a-Glance flyer highlighting the economic and non-economic benefits to the Forest Services and local business, government and organizations, click here.
Hello!
What are the Forest Service Manual and Forest Service Handbook? Inside these directives, you can find helpful information to guide you in preparing a Forest Service request, or in some cases, questioning or petitioning a decision.
Forest Service Directives are policies, regulations, and procedures for managing federal lands and programs. They are a bit like nesting dolls:
- Forest Service Manual (FSM) – Contains the legal authorities, management objectives, policies, and guidance needed by FS line officers and staff to plan and execute assigned programs and activities.
- Forest Service Handbooks (FSH) – Provide detailed procedures, instructions, and guidance needed on how to proceed. Handbooks either implement direction as required by the FSM, or incorporate external directives (e.g. other government policies).
- Plus – Regional & Forest-Specific Supplements (also known as Field Issuances) – Adapts or interprets higher level or external directives for national, regional, or local application. Many, but not all, regions have a Recreation Residence-specific supplement.
How to Navigate
There is no overall index or search function for directives. Most guidance for Recreation Residence Special Use Permits is contained in the Series 2700 – Special Uses Management sections of the Forest Service Manual and Forest Service Handbook. Here are some helpful resources to help you understand how the FS Directives are organized:
- Directive System Frequently Asked Questions on the Forest Service site
- The Permit Compliance Manual (Garden Law Firm) on the NFH site under About Permits
- An SAMPLE Permit, under About Permits, with links to statutes referenced
- Known Forest- or Regional-level Supplements link on the NFH site
Remember, you are not alone – consider posting your question on the Ask the Community Forum on the NFH site!
Karen Shea NFH Director NFH Outreach Coordinator — WY & SD
206-910-4518
Why is National Forest Homeowners (NFH) important to us?
NFH is important to us because they are a valuable resource in supporting our efforts as an organization. Working closely with NFH, CFA was passed by the US Senate and signed into law on December 19, 2014, after seven years and involvement by many cabin owners and the Coalition 2. With a great deal of effort and strength in numbers, CUFFA law has been replaced with CFA and the National Forest Homeowners has been transformed into an effective working organization. Wyoming Cabin owners and all those involved should be proud of their efforts.
NFH, the chosen national cabin organization, has a strong voice with the US Forest Service and Congress and we would be wise to stay in contact with NFH. Our input is extremely important. Many cabin owners from around the country support NFH including: Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Minnesota, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Florida, New Mexico and more. NFH is the only “National” organization that understands and advocates for recreational residence cabin owners, and are often on the forefront of potential issues facing cabin owners, therefore, it is a good idea to support them. We all have one thing in common, we are permit holders of government land.
Join NFH www.nationalforesthomeowners.org Lots of articles on water rights, historical value of the cabins and beetle kill of the forests are on the site.
We recommend: At least, one person in every cabin tract to become a member of NFH to stay informed and establish voting rights.
NEW NFH Member Service Offerings:
- Ask the Community forum. Launched at the Annual May Conference, this new on-line forum allows members to ask questions or make comments that may be of benefit to all cabin owners. Discussions are open to whatever you have on your mind. Recent topics include security, permit language, trusts, sheds, cabin inspections, and more. Sign-in and use the link on the NFH homepage to give it a try!
- Cabin for Sale listing service. This new service addresses a need of our members and the cabin community at large. NFH is frequently contacted by members of the public who want to know where they can find a cabin for purchase. Members who have decided to sell their cabin can now list their cabin for sale on the NFH website at no cost. The listings can be used for sale-by-owner situations, as well as compliment sale-by-Realtor listings. Although the general public can view the listings, only current NFH Members can list a cabin for sale. Look for the link under the Resources menu on the NFH website. As a reminder, NFH memberships are transferable to a new owner upon the sale or transfer of a cabin.
- New Dues options for 2019: A three-Year Membership dues option for Regular Membership or Associate Membership (these options offer a $15 savings).
- A Cabin dues option is a package of 1 Regular member plus up to 4 Associate members for a single discounted dues payment intended to encourage more family and friends to participate in NFH activities.
- A Lifetime dues option, for those wishing to make a long-term commitment to NFH, is available for a one-time payment.
April 2023
NFH UPDATE:
The NFH Annual Conference is being held on May 5-6, 2023 at the Village of Palisades Tahoe, CA. The theme for this year’s conference is Resilience. As always, there will be guest speakers and forest service personnel on hand and several breakout sessions throughout this two-day event. Will we see you there?
NFH Director, Pem Eberlein, will attend the Big Horn Cabin Owner’s Association annual meeting this May 24 in Sheridan. Pem has been on the Board for the last two years and his cabin is located in the Big Creek Tract of the Medicine Bow-Routt NF in Colorado. Pem will give a brief introduction about NFH and the services we provide to cabin members, and he will answer any questions people have about NFH or the cabin program. Hope many of you will be able to attend.
At the current time, the Fall Forum is being planned for Bozeman, MT in mid-September. We really tried to make Sheridan work for this forum but it just didn’t work out this time. NFH is looking forward to attending the BHCOA meeting and continuing to build our relationship with Big Horn cabin owners.
NFH President, Meredith Randall, and the Executive Director, Sharon Leach, took a trip to Washington DC this past March 2023. They met with numerous congressional staff members and key legislators. NFH continues to watch any developments in the changes to the permit language for our special use permits. Recreational Residence Permits renew in 2024 for select California forests and 2028 for the rest of the forests throughout the U.S.
As always, NFH is a member driven organization and in order for us to support you and the cabin program, we need your help. If you are not yet a member please consider joining. If you want to get involved on a National level, we have numerous committees that can use your expertise, as well as other volunteer opportunities. If you are an NFH member, THANK YOU!
Karen Shea NFH Vice President
206-910-4518
Frontline TM Wildfire Defense System:
One of the growing concerns for those living in and around National Forests is the threat of a wildfire. WCA has recently come across a company that is in the business of protecting homes against wildfire, and although this system may not be practical for every cabin or home, we felt it was worth sharing. FrontlineTM Wildfire Defense System, is an external sprinkler system that deploys an environmentally friendly, biodegradable Class A firefighting foam that protects your home from a fire. It operates through your home’s plumbing and can be activated remotely. For more information, visit their website https://www.frontlinewildfire.com. (WCA has no affiliation with Frontline TM, this is purely for informational purposes only.)