OUTSIDE ONLINE: New Hampshire legislators are considering a proposal to start charging for backcountry rescue, a service currently provided free of charge by the state’s Fish and Game Department.
The state currently charges for rescue only if negligence can be proven, but the bill on the House floor proposes several different pay options: charging between $350 to $1,000 per service; a flat rate of $500 per incident; or selling an optional rescue insurance card for hikers that would cover any rescue costs. “If you’re getting rescued, there should be an expectation you’re going to participate in the cost of that rescue,” Senate Republican leader and bill co-author Jeb Bradley said. (READ MORE)
What are your thoughts? Should you be charged to get bailed out when you run into trouble in the wilderness? Or will fees discourage people who really need help to call for it?