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Army Corps of Engineers to Issue America the Beautiful Federal Recreation Passes in 2016

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –– Starting Jan. 1, 2016 the Army Corps of Engineers will begin issuing America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Interagency Passes at its project offices.

Currently, the Corps accepts the interagency senior and access passes at its recreation projects, but is not allowed to sell or issue the passes. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 granted the Corps the authority to fully participate in the America the Beautiful Interagency Pass distribution program.

Beginning in January, visitors to the Corps’ Little Rock District project offices will be able to purchase or obtain interagency recreation passes — Interagency Senior Pass, Interagency Access Pass, Interagency Annual Pass, Interagency Military Pass, Interagency Every Kid in a Park 4th Grade Pass, and Interagency Volunteer Pass.

These passes will allow their holders free access to boat launch ramps and swimming beaches managed by the Crops. The Senior and Access America the Beautiful passes also provide holders a 50 percent discount on campsites at Corps-managed campgrounds.

The Corps will continue to sell its own annual day use pass, which allows pass holders access to boat launch ramps and day use areas it manages with no additional entry fee.

Additionally, the interagency pass program allows each of the federal agencies to retain and reinvest revenues collected from the sale of passes at the local level. The Corps plans to reinvest its revenues at the projects where the fees are collected.

The Corps is the nation’s largest federal provider of outdoor recreation, managing more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states and hosting more than 370 million visits per year. With 90 percent of these recreation areas within 50 miles of metropolitan areas they provide a diverse range of outdoor activities close to home and to people of all ages.

For information on the America the Beautiful passes, visit http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html or phone 1-888-275-8747, option 3.

For more information on Corps recreation sites and activities, visit www.CorpsLakes.us. Little Rock District news and recreation information can be found at www.about.me/usacelittlerock.