Thank You to Veterans: New Lifetime Pass

Veterans help the Forest Service with conservation projects via SCA on the Nebraska National Forests.

To all Veterans here, thank you for your service!

New this year is a lifetime pass for current service members and their dependents, Veterans and Gold Star Families for federal lands.

On Veterans Day 2022, the National Park Service will unveil a lifetime pass providing free entrance to national parks for Veterans and their families. The Interagency Military Lifetime Pass waives entrance fees for the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and standard amenity recreation fees for the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites for current military service members and their dependents, Veterans and Gold Star Families.

Veterans and their families have free access to approximately 2,000 public locations spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, which host activities to fit any lifestyle—from serene to high octane, including hiking, fishing, paddling, biking, hunting, stargazing, camping, and much more.

The Military Pass has been expanded to include a pass that does not expire for Veterans and Gold Star Family members. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 authorized a free lifetime pass to national parks and other federal recreational lands for eligible Veterans and Gold Star Families. In recent years, they were able to receive annual passes.

eterans and their families have free access to approximately 2,000 public locations spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, which host activities to fit any lifestyle—from serene to high octane, including hiking, fishing, paddling, biking, hunting, stargazing, camping, and much more.

The Military Pass has been expanded to include a pass that does not expire for Veterans and Gold Star Family members. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 authorized a free lifetime pass to national parks and other federal recreational lands for eligible Veterans and Gold Star Families. In recent years, they were able to receive annual passes.

 Are you eligible?

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 Reserve, and is able to present one of the following forms of valid (unexpired) identification:

Gold Star Families are next of kin of a member of the United States Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a “qualifying situation,” such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the United States Armed Forces.

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Also Associate Chief Angela Coleman wrote this note to Forest Service employees:

This Friday, Nov. 11, please join me in thanking and honoring our nation’s veterans for all of their service and sacrifice in defense of this nation and protection of our freedoms as Americans. Friday isn’t just a day off from work. It’s a day to acknowledge the debt we owe our servicemembers and military families who continually put service before self.

In the Forest Service, we acknowledge the many veterans who help this agency fulfill its mission. There are more than 5,000 former military members and military family members who work for the Forest Service, nearly 15% of our permanent workforce.

The veterans who join the federal civilian workforce are choosing to continue service to their country, albeit in a different form. Veterans come to us with considerable skills, extensive training and a huge range of life experiences. They put all of that to use in valuable ways throughout the agency. We are fortunate to have them with us.

To all of our Forest Service veterans and your families, thank you for all you have done, and all you continue to do, for our country.

I also ask all employees to take time this Veterans Day to thank our veterans—your coworkers—for their continued service to our country. Have a safe, wonderful weekend.

Additional resources

Learn more about employee resource group SALUTE, composed of Forest Service military veterans and their allies, in today’s employee perspective and via the group’s SharePoint site.

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