GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) In the years after World War II, Americans packed up their young families and Army surplus camping gear and headed into the national forests to hunt, fish, and hike.

It was part of what it meant to be an American.

Today, however, visits to the national forests are on the decline.

Critics focus on fees charged to access hiking trails and visitor centers, and a proliferation of noisy off-road vehicles.

U.S. Forest Service officials blame it on rising Gas Prices, video games and the Internet, and an increasingly urban and aging population.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 12-01-08 1917CST | save this article / add to your favorites list