U.S. Sen. Max Baucus is vowing to fight a plan calling for new or increased fees at all of the Helena National Forest's rental cabins and campgrounds.

The plan is part of the federally mandated Recreation Sites Facility Master Planning Process, in which Helena National Forest employees looked at all of the services available to the public and the cost of providing those amenities.

The analysis showed that $118,700 was appropriated, and $53,400 was raised through fees -- like those paid at campgrounds and cabins -- last year. But operating costs were around $166,300, and annual maintenance costs topped $130,000.

So the Forest Service is proposing to open one new rental cabin while closing two others; remove toilets and parking lots at eight trailheads or developed recreational sites; increase fees at all seven rental cabins and at seven campsites; and institute new fees at four campsites.

All of the rental cabins also would be closed for one to six months out of the year for maintenance purposes.

The USFS analysis shows this would lower the annual operating costs by $42,000 and the maintenance costs by $21,000, while almost doubling the amount paid in fees. This would allow the Forest Service to chip away at a deferred maintenance backlog of around $500,000.

As part of this proposal, more Forest Service employees probably will have to be assigned to visit campgrounds and cabins to make sure the fees are being paid and the facilities aren't being overused. However, no new employees would be added to the ranks; instead, current staff will be reassigned.

"We hope this will allow us to provide better services to the public," Amy Teegarden, Helena National Forest spokesperson, said on Thursday. "This is a five-year program, and nothing will happen overnight.

"The plan is to start with the simple changes first, and those that are more noticeable to the public, such as the fee increases, will be the slowest to occur. But we've already closed the Cummings and Strawberry Lookout cabins."

She noted that the Forest Service has been told it had to cut services and raise prices to cover its own costs -- in effect, to run the Forest like a business.

Any changes are considered administrative actions that don't need a formal comment process. However, open houses will be held to gather public reaction to the proposal and the plan could be changed based on information gleaned from those meetings. The dates for those meetings haven't been set.

But a spokesman for Baucus said that the senator vows that the increased fees will never come to fruition.

"The good news is that the Forest Service has agreed to involve the public in the process, and Max is pleased by that," Baucus spokesperson Barrett Kaiser said. "However, this proposal, at first glance, is ludicrous, because Max doesn't think that the Forest Service should balance its budget on the backs of Montanans who take their kids hunting, fishing and camping on our public lands.

"Montanans already pay to use those facilities on April 15."

Baucus previously has introduced bills that would create a permanent firefighting fund for the Forest Service. He believes this could help cover the deferred maintenance costs, since the Forest Service often must divert the maintenance money or other recreational funding to cover the high price of fighting wildfires.

"Max is committed to addressing the Forest Service maintenance backlog, but this (charging new or higher fees) is the wrong way to go about it," Kaiser said. "Folks can count on Max to stop this."

Reporter Eve Byron can be reached at 447-4076 or by e-mail at eve.byron@helenair.com