Veteran and Gold Star Family federal land access

[Ian]

Some information regarding free access to federal public land for veterans and gold star families

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/trump-administration-grants-gold-star-families-and-military-veterans-free-entrance

[John “Jay” Menna]

Ugh!  They never include the retired military.   They had 20 years to kill you and failed to do so.  So they nickel and dime you to death.

[Nick Gatel]

When you reach 62 you can by a lifetime senior pass. Mine cost $5. I think they’re up to $80. Mine gives a 50% discount on almost any federal campground, plus free admission into any national park.

[Gary Dunckel]

I’m with you, Nick. I also bought mine 10-15 years ago when they cost just $5. I splurged and bought another one – one for my wallet and one to keep in my truck. They lost money on me, as I spent a lot of time backpacking and car camping in Yellowstone, Glacier, and Rocky Mt. Nat’l Parks, plus entry fees for many, many sites like the Grand Canyon and the various pueblo ruins.

[Jerry Adams]

you must be old guys, I had to pay $10 when I bought mine

before they went up to $80 I bought a second one for when I lose the first one

[Todd T]

Ugh! They never include the retired military.

I’m puzzled by this, @jaymenna78734.  Doesn’t “all veterans” include military retirees?

[Nick Gatel]

The program is for veterans, which means anyone who served in the military. If you have a Veteran ID card, you can get a pass.

If you don’t have a Veteran ID card, they are easy to get online. Takes about 6 weeks. You have to upload a picture (passport pictures are perfect) and enter a bunch of personal information on a secure site.

If you have a Senior Pass and lose it, it cannot be replaced. You have to buy a new one. So I’ll probably get a Veterans Parks Pass.

We camp a lot with our travel trailer, usually averaging 100 nights per year, so the Interagency pass has saved us a ton of money. Right now it is $25 just to drive into Joshua Tree NP or Lake Mead NRA, $35 for Yosemite, etc, plus the fee to camp. Last year we camped about 60 nights at Lake Mead NRA, saving around $800 in fees. We used to do at least 30 nights in Joshua Tree, but it has gotten so crowded we don’t camp there anymore, but I still backpack in the more remote areas.

I wonder if the Veteran Passes will increase visitations to the more crowded NPs and other agency areas.

Some businesses give discounts to Veterans with the ID Card (I used to have show them a copy of my DD212), which have been available for just a few years. Home Depot and Lowe’s give a 10% discount. My Home Depot caps the discount at $50, but Lowe’s doesn’t have a cap, so you know where I bought my building materials when we remodeled our house — my Lowe’s discount was in the thousands.

[DAN-Y/FANCEE FEEST]

Ugh!  They never include the retired military.   They had 20 years to kill you and failed to do so.  So they nickel and dime you to death.

It was your choice to be a lifer, did you enjoy the benefits during the 20 and then the retirment benny’s you get now. Thank you for your 20 years service:)

During those 20 years you coulda got free camping at all U.S. Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds :)  Active military can still get free camping there. I hope this new ruling will give free camping to all Veterans. ;)

[John “Jay” Menna]

Guys don’t get me wrong.    I value these lands.   I, personally have been blessed to have the ability to give more than just tax dollars to  protection and upkeep of the wilderness.  The entry fees are of no real impact on me and I don’t mind them.  I assume I am not unique among the members of backpacking light.

But most people assume that ‘veterans’ includes the retired and it usually does does not.  My purpose was to simply point this out, and perhaps have the next ‘rule maker’ be aware of this when they make the next rule.

ALSO to  be perfectly clear:  I’m not the one who did the 20.  It’s the lady behind me in the profile photo. Major Karen USMC is the one who urged me to make the comment. (Yes she kicks my butt on every major climb.)

 

[PaulW]

Jay, perhaps I’m misunderstanding, but are you saying that retired military are not considered veterans?

[John “Jay” Menna]

The program is for “Active duty ” 0nly.

[DAN-Y/FANCEE FEEST]

quote:

The Interagency Pass Program also includes the Annual Military Pass, established in 2012,
which provides a free annual pass for active duty military personnel and their dependents
(including dependents of deceased service members for the period that the Armed Forces
identifies them as dependents). Public Law 113-121, enacted in 2014, authorizes the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers to participate in the Annual Military Pass, and the Interagency Pass Program
as a whole.

 

[Nick Gatel]

So has anyone actually read the article Ian linked to?

It is a press release from the Department of the Interior on the Department of the Interior Website, dated 10/28/2020.

Copy and paste . . .

For purposes of this program, a veteran is identified as an individual who has served in the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and is able to present one of the following forms of identification:

• Department of Defense Identification Card
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
• Veteran ID Card
• Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card

I have a Government issued Veteran ID Card. So I qualify. I was honorably discharged from military service almost 50 years ago.

[DAN-Y/FANCEE FEEST]

I have a Government issued Veteran ID Card. So I qualify. I was honorably discharged from military service almost 50 years ago.

Thank you for your service Nick!!!  

53 years ago for me., time going by fast 

I’ll be utilizing the U S Army Corps Of Engineer campgounds come next spring 

[BlackHatGuy]

Y’all are kinda talking about two different things here. Jay’s right that the interagency pass is for active duty only, not vets. Nick is right that this new program, just announced, includes all vets, retired or not, as long as you have the correct ID. The new program is separate from the interagency pass. I believe the interagency pass is more comprehensive than the new program.

I don’t know about your Lowes Nick, but mine no longer will accept an ID card for the military discount, instead you must sign up online and get verified through one of the online sites doing such verifications in order to get the military discount. They started that either last year or early this year, I don’t remember. Home Depot still accepts an ID card (as does Cabela’s, which gives a 5% discount). Apple also no longer accepts an ID card, you must sign up and get verified online for their military/government discount.

I just bought my old-person lifetime interagency pass, $80. I was actually able to find a Forest Service office that was open so I could buy it in person.

[Nick Gatel]

Yes, one has to register at my local Lowe’s to get the discount and show the ID card. Used to be at checkout one would just provide their phone number for a computer look-up. That changed when people started giving their phone number to friends and family.

As to the differences between the Interagency and Vet programs, I suspect Doug is right, and the Vet program may not give a 50% discount on campsite fees, which is important for us,

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