Outdoor Feeling of Freedom Costs

That feeling of freedom one gets from the great outdoors it seems is anything but free.

A recent National Parks Service decision to hike their required insurance liability limits has outfitters, guides and their insurance providers, headed to the halls of Congress, reports MyNewMarkets Associate Editor Amy O’Connor.

O’Connor’s story starting on page 14 details a battle over an increase in outfitter and guide general liability limit requirements from a minimum of $500,000 to $5 million on 2010 renewal contracts for rafting companies operating in Grand Teton National Park.

Opponents of the hike say it’s unnecessary and may put smaller operators out of business, but NPS says the higher limits are based on recommendations from risk and insurance experts at PriceWaterhouse Coopers and consultants at insurance broker Aon Global Risks. NPS also says backcountry operations carry higher risk, and that the minimum commercial liability for relatively low-risk operations starts around $1 million.

The America Outdoors Association, a trade association for outfitters, says the recommended liability levels will cost too much, and an independent actuary hired by the group said it’s rare to have a claim that reaches $1 million.

Bottom line for outdoor enthusiasts is this could end up leading to increased costs for folks to access the outdoors. It may be a stretch to make this comparison, but to me it smacks of the Royal Forest concept. In England in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, some forest was protected under this title to save hunting animals for the aristocracy. It eventually got so restrictive, according to Wikipedia, that “in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, fully one-third of the land area of southern England was designated as royal forest.”

And the access on U.S. Forest lands isn’t just becoming more costly and more restricted for die-hard adventurers. That feeling of freedom one seeks on the weekends from picking up a fishing rod and heading to a stream, or going for a hike, is becoming a costly endeavor in all respects.

Cost: A half a tank of gas to get where you’re going — the national average gas price at the time this story went to print was $3.87 per gallon, and it was much higher in areas like Los Angeles, where gas averaged $4.16 per gallon. A fishing license — in California it’s $44.85 for an annual license, and $14.30 for a day. A U.S. Forest Service “recreation fee” — they are around $5, or $10 in some areas.