ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Forest Service officials say recreation fees at the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in north Georgia will be waived in observance of the Martin Luther King. Jr. holiday.

The Jan. 21 holiday marks the first of four holidays the forest service will waive recreation fees in 2013.

U.S. Forest Service officials say free holiday recreational activities are part of a larger federal initiative aimed at reconnecting people with the outdoors.

The U.S. Forest Service will also waive fees on June 8 — which is National Get Outdoors Day, Sept. 28 — which is National Public Lands Day, and Nov. 9 through 11 — which is Veterans Day weekend.