A reader wrote us concerned about the BLM-managed Long-Term Visitor Areas. He wrote that he’d heard internet rumors of “tremendous fee increases” for these areas. Are LTVA (Long-Term Visitor Area) fees going up?
“Ain’t fancy,” but not expensive
Several LTVAs act as settlement areas for snowbirds in Arizona and nearby parts of California. Like the old cowboy says, “It ain’t fancy, but it’s good”— these areas make for a great winter retreat. Bring in your rig, pick a spot that pleases you and you can watch those great sunsets to your heart’s content. With no hookups, you’ll need to bring your own power and be prepared to haul in water and haul out waste. In the Quartzsite, AZ, area, a dump station and freshwater fill are included, and all LTVAs have garbage service.
And the price is good. You can stay for two weeks for just $40, or stay the whole season, September into April, for just $180. But a “tremendous fee increase” could be a spoiler. We’ve recently written about BLM offices raising camping fees. Just how much of the concern is internet hype? We contacted the Yuma, Arizona, field office of the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) to ask.
“The Yuma Field Office is working on our business plan for our recreational sites to include the LTVAs,” Tammy Gothard wrote us back. Gothard is the Yuma BLM public contact. “We are evaluating our rates which have not increased in over a decade. Once the draft business plan has been completed, there will be public meetings and a public comment period available.”
LTVA fees going up? Reading between the lines
Reading between the bureaucratic lines, look out. In our experience, when Uncle Sam says, “We haven’t raised our fees in X years,” it often means, “so it’s a good time to do so.” Just when the draft business plan will be up and ready for review is anyone’s guess. But if they’re working on it now, it would be no surprise if it’s revealed before the upcoming snowbird season.
Just how much fees could be hiked is anyone’s guess. We started snowbirding on the Quartzsite LTVAs in the late 1990s. The rates were a lot less then, and have been raised a couple of times since. But there’s not much to go on, as the LTVAs in the area are unique to the system. However, as we pointed out in that story mentioned above, in one case fees jumped eight-fold. But don’t panic, that was the exceptional case.
We’re keeping a close watch to see if LTVA fees are going up. We’ll let you know as soon as the business plan is released and the public comment period opens.
##RVT1160b
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 I’m looking forward to seeing how this develops. Meanwhile, thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
I have one thing to say to all you poor snowbirds who may feel the cost of inflation in BLM LTVA fees. Suck it up sissy pants. Our monthly RV park rates in FL went from $500 to $800 over the last 5 years. Apply the same rate increase to your LTVA fees that haven’t increased over the last decade and they should increase from $180 per season to at least $288 per season. If it’s much more than that then you can scream bloody murder.
BLM has released its proposal for the LTVAs, and the fee increase is far more than the above mentioned $288. It is actually proposed to be $600 for the full 7-month pass and 200 for a one-month pass. The 14-day pass will no longer be available. If you want to scream bloody murder as Tom E suggest, the email address for the Yuma field office is BLM_AZ_YFOWEB@blm.gov . Please use as the subject – LTVA Fee Proposal Comment so they know what it is about.
As inflation destroys the purchasing power of the dollar, the only logical response is to increase pricing. BLM is only reacting to the reality.
Yeah, the price of desert dirt and sand has really increased. @@
I read somewhere it would increase to $850/season. About 400%.
Source please?
$180 for six months of camping, including water, dump station, and trash dumpsters has been a wonderful bargain. No reasonable increase would be out of line, particularly if they could actually hire a few rangers.
In the spring they were talking $350 on Q chatter. Even that would not be bad especially if they get water at the new station and bring in more dumpsters. I have read people posting they have already bought their pass just in case it goes up.
I have spent 6 winters in an LTVA and if they double the fee it would still be $2 per day for a six month season. Hard to beat that price even when we have to haul our own waste and water. The good thing if they raise the fees is the money collected will still go back into the upkeep and operation of the LTVAs. I for one would not mind paying a little more if road improvements were part of the planned work.