Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act

This bill would establish a Ski Area Fee Retention Account to allow National Forest System units to retain the majority of ski area permit rental fees collected within their boundaries. Currently, ski area operators pay over $40 million annually to the Forest Service for using public lands, but these fees go directly to the U.S. Treasury. Under this bill, if enacted, 80 percent of collected fees would be retained by the specific forest unit where they were generated. Of that 80 percent, 75 percent would fund ski area administration, permit processing, visitor services, and wildfire prevention activities. The remaining 25 percent would support other recreation needs like trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and search and rescue. The remaining 20 percent of fees would be available for distribution across the National Forest System for similar purposes. The bill is currently under consideration by the House Committees on Agriculture and Natural Resources.