S472-119

What This Bill Does

The Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act amends the ski-area permit fee law to create a retention account. Instead of all ski-area permit fees disappearing into general receipts, the bill allows retained amounts to support administration of ski areas and related recreation work, which matters for Forest Service and public-land units with heavy ski-area visitor demand.

Who Benefits and How

Ski areas operating on federal land benefit because retained fees can be reinvested in the federal units that administer their permits. Skiers and winter recreation visitors benefit if retained funds improve access, permitting, safety, and visitor services around ski areas. Forest Service recreation offices benefit from a dedicated account for work generated by ski-area permits. Rural gateway communities benefit when ski-area administration supports continued recreation activity and tourism spending.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Federal land managers must account for retained ski-area fees and spend them only for authorized purposes. Ski-area permit administrators must track eligible receipts, projects, and balances. Congressional appropriators lose some flexibility because a portion of fee receipts is directed to a specific account. Federal taxpayers must rely on agency controls to ensure retained fees are used for ski-area administration rather than unrelated spending.

Key Provisions

• Creates a ski area fee retention account under the existing ski-area permit fee statute.
• Authorizes retained fee receipts to be used for ski-area administration and related recreation work.
• Directs retained money toward federal lands where ski-area permits generate fee revenue.
• Provides land managers with a dedicated financing tool for ski-area-related visitor and permit needs.