Huffman Bill to Support Trinity Economy, Recreation Passes House, Moves to Senate

September 13, 2023

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Jared Huffman’s (D-San Rafael) legislation H.R. 3324 passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation would extend the authority of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to collect and retain marina fees to enhance recreation and improve access at the Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area.

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Click here to view Rep. Huffman’s remarks on House Floor.

“It is clear how important these fees are to the continued operation of this regional treasure. And my bipartisan bill on the floor today will extend the Department of Agriculture's ability to collect and hold these marina fees through the year 2029, allowing them to continue enhancing recreation and improving access. This fee retention authority was initially granted back in 2008 and we have been fortunate enough to extend it through annual appropriations, but that is pretty tenuous funding,” Rep. Huffman said during his speech. “It's not a good basis on which to plan and implement important longer-term projects. So, the authority that we're providing in this bill will provide that long term stability. It'll go a long way toward ensuring certainty and consistent funding for future projects. Most of Trinity County is made up of federally owned public lands, and its local economy is heavily reliant on the success of this national recreation area.”

Next, the legislation will head to the Senate for consideration.

The authority to collect and retain fees is critical for the Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area, which manages 246,087 acres. Marina fees are invested in recreation enhancement projects such as boat ramp improvements, boating and water safety public service announcements, improved access to the lakes for persons with disabilities, floating restrooms, and interpretive and educational programs. The bill extends the fee retention authority to Fiscal Year 2029.

Rep. Huffman has also worked with Rep. LaMalfa to include language in appropriations bills to extend the fee retention authority after it previously expired.

A full transcript of Rep. Huffman’s remarks can be found below:

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the ranking member for yielding time, and I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for supporting this bill. I appreciate the chance to just take a moment to talk a little more about the importance of this bill to my district. The Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area is in Northern California, part of it in my district, part of it in Mr. LaMalfa’s district.

“It spans 246,000 acres and includes the Shasta, Trinity, Lewiston and Whiskeytown Lakes. It is a recreational paradise. Every year, more than three and a half million people visit this area for all manner of outdoor activities -- fishing, camping, horseback riding, swimming, paddling, backpacking, and more. The area is a fundamental part of our region's identity and our economy. It's one of our most popular tourist attractions and a very vital economic driver, obviously.

“The U.S. Forest Service and the National Parks Service manage the Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area and support a large variety of these recreation opportunities and improvement projects, such as boat ramp upgrades, public service announcements about boating and water safety, enhancing accessibility of the lakes for those with disabilities, floating restrooms, and interpretive and educational programs. The marina fees that they use to complete this work also support fire prevention patrols and fund 15 permanent staff members and nine seasonal employees who make it possible for everyone to enjoy the recreation area.

“It is clear how important these fees are to the continued operation of this regional treasure. And my bipartisan bill on the floor today will extend the Department of Agriculture's ability to collect and hold these marina fees through the year 2029, allowing them to continue enhancing recreation and improving access. This fee retention authority was initially granted back in 2008 and we have been fortunate enough to extend it through annual appropriations, but that is pretty tenuous funding.

“It's not a good basis on which to plan and implement important longer-term projects. So, the authority that we're providing in this bill will provide that long term stability. It'll go a long way toward ensuring certainty and consistent funding for future projects. Most of Trinity County is made up of federally owned public lands, and its local economy is heavily reliant on the success of this national recreation area.

“It is essential that we extend this authority to collect marina fees and carry out the significant services that they support. So again, I want to thank my colleagues, especially Mr. LaMalfa, who has partnered with me on this legislation several years in a row now. And I'm grateful to colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working with us to support outdoor recreation in Northern California.

“I urge support of the bill and yield back.”