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![handle is hein.gao/gaobadlam0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
0+ THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL
DECISION . ' OF THE UNITEO STATES
WASHINGTON. D. C. 20548
FILE:B-207731 DATE: April 22, 1983
MATTER OF: Collection of recreation user fees by National
Forest volunteers
DIGEST: 1. Collection of fees owed the United States is an in-
herent governmental function which may be performed
only by Federal employees.
2. GAO questions the feasibility of developing a system
of alternative controls to protect the Government
against loss in the event that volunteers collect
Government monies.
The Secretary of Agriculture has requested our opinion on
whether individuals who are designated for public volunteer service
pursuant to the Volunteers in the National Forests Act of 1972 may
collect camping fees and similar types of recreation user fees owed
the United States. The submission notes that before using volun-
teers for this purpose, the Department of Agriculture plans to de-
velop proper guidelines and procedures to assure the security of
public funds. We cannot approve the proposal since the collection
of fees owed the United States is, in our view, an inherent govern-
mental function which may be performed only by Federal employees.
Furthermore, as will be explained below, we question the feasibility
of developing alternate controls to assure the security of funds
collected.
The submission notes that about half of the 2,000 National
Forest campgrounds are currently staffed by a campground host serv-
ing as a volunteer under the authority of the Volunteers Act. Most
of the campground hosts, we are told, are middle-aged, mature per-
sons who have led responsible lives and can be trusted to perform
their job in accordance with the agreement signed by them and the
unit manager. Fee collection is largely dependent upon the good
faith of campers using the campgrounds, who are expected to deposit
their payments in a locked box, which is emptied periodically by a
Forest Service eployee_. The Forest Service anticipates that the
presence of a campground host who collects fees will increase pay-
ment compliance among campers, as well as decrease the opportunity
for vandalism of the collection boxes.
The Volunteers in the National Forests Act of 1972, Public Law
92-300, codified at 16 U.S.C. §§ 558a-d, authorizes the use of vol-
unteers for or in aid of interpretive functions, visitor services,
conservation measures and developmrent, or other activities in and
related to areas administered by the Secretary [of Agriculture]
' ~~7-7](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobadlam0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)