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WASHINGTON DC -- Congressman Denny Rehberg sponsored a bill to give relief to thousands of Montana cabin owners facing massive fee increases. Called the Cabin Free Act of 2010, it would correct problems arising from how the U.S. Forest Service implemented a law passed in 2000 that aimed to create a fair appraisal process for cabin fees. Rehberg says that law over-evaluated the cabins which led to unreasonable fees. He says it ignored limited ownership rights held by cabin owners who do not own the land where their cabins are located, who do not have year-round use of the site, and who cannot limit public access to their lots. "Montanans are rightfully outraged when government seizes their land by eminent domain, but increasing government fees beyond a property-owner's ability to pay is just as capable of displacing someone," warned Rehberg. "This legislation will allow families to not only keep their cabins, but pass them down to future generations of Montanans instead of selling them to people from out-of-state." "My family has had a cabin in Custer National Forest for 20 years," said Roger Ferguson of Red Lodge. "When this reappraisal happened our annual fee jumped from $1,220 to $3,250 in a single year even though we're locked out of this land from December 1 until April 15 every year. The Forest Service is charging us as if we had total access all the time. I'm a retiree on a fixed income, and this change has undermined our ability to maintain and keep this cabin. We may have to sell it. Congressman Rehberg's bill may be the salvation for the Ferguson family to keep this cabin, and we are very happy that he's on our side."