U.S. Forest Service to Clarify Wild Land Photography Permits, Says Media Won’t Be Affected
After receiving complaints about a proposal to require photographers to have a permit to shoot on federal wild lands, the U.S. Forest Service says it will make some changes to ensure it doesn’t violate First Amendment rights.
“Based on the feedback we’ve made so far, we’ll make changes to make sure this doesn’t apply to news gathering,” Tom Tidwell, chief of the Forest Service, told The Washington Post.
Permits have been required for four years, but only as a temporary “directive” for commercial filming for things like movies and truck commercials. The Forest Service is now seeking to make the policy permanent, Tidwell said.
“If you’re news media, it has no effect at all,” he said. “If you’re a private individual, this doesn’t apply.”
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