[Waverunner]

It's not just Federal lands.
I do some hi-def wildlife filming, and I have an underwater case.
I went to video some Manatees at a state park here, and you would have thought I took a gun to hunt them. The rangers were very heavy in their questioning to assure that I wasn't engaged in commercially filming them. I responded that I knew the rules, including staying at least fifty feet from the manatees, but I explained with zoom and the clarity of the water that was no problem.
They then closed the swimming area down completely.
It's bad enough that I pay 80.00 a year to access the state parks. But if you do want to film commercially on the state parks, you must negotiate the fee with the head ranger at each park. - state sponsored capitalism - ( or good ol boy network) - you choose.

[dufekin]

What ever happened to "freedom of the press," which "the Congress shall make no law restricting?" If the Government has the right to collect "fees" (a euphemism for "taxes") on filming and photographing (part of "the press"), do they not have the right to tax the press to death (at least insofar as it concerns federal public lands)? Did the Supreme Court not rule this taxation of our fundamental rights unconstitutional? What if the Government began to collect "fees" on the right to life? Can't pay? Go to jail, die, whatever!