S. 254Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act of 2023

A bill to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to provide for the establishment of a Ski Area Fee Retention Account, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 2:59 AM UTC

The Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act creates a new Ski Area Fee Retention Account to hold ski‑area permit rental charges collected on National Forest System lands. The Treasury account lets the Secretary of Agriculture use those fees without a separate appropriation for up to four fiscal years. Most of the money (80%) must be spent on the forest unit where it was collected, supporting ski‑area program administration, safety, maintenance, wildfire planning and related activities, while 20% can be used elsewhere in the Forest Service. The bill affects ski‑area operators, the Forest Service, and any local or nonprofit partners involved in ski‑area recreation.

Key Provisions

Establishes a Ski Area Fee Retention Account in the Treasury funded by ski‑area permit rental charges.
Allows deposited fees to be used without further appropriation for four fiscal years.
Requires 80% of funds to be spent at the collecting unit (75% for program administration, 25% for facility and safety projects); 20% may be spent at any National Forest unit.
Permits the Secretary to lower the 80% local allocation to no less than 60% if excess funds exist.
Specifies allowable uses: permit processing, staff training, visitor services, wildfire planning, facility repair, habitat restoration, law enforcement, parking, avalanche education, search‑and‑rescue, and lease administration.
Prohibits use of the account for wildfire suppression or land acquisition.
Funds are supplemental to existing appropriations and do not replace other cost‑recovery mechanisms.

Legislative Activity

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4 earlier actions

SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 575.

November 21, 2024

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 2, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

February 2, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

November 19, 2024

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Manchin without amendment. Without written report.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

November 21, 2024

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 575.

November 21, 2024

Bill Text

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Reported to SenateIssued November 21, 2024

Calendar No. 575

118th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 254

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 2, 2023

Mr. Bennet (for himself, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Daines, Mr. Risch, Mrs. Shaheen, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Luján, and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

November 21, 2024

Reported by Mr. Manchin, without amendment

A BILL

To amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to provide for the establishment of a Ski Area Fee Retention Account, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act of 2023.

Establishment of ski area fee retention account

(a)

In general

Section 701 of division I of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 497c) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(k)

Ski area fee retention account

(1)

Definitions

In this subsection:

(A)

Account

The term Account means the Ski Area Fee Retention Account established under paragraph (2).

(B)

Covered unit

The term covered unit means the unit of the National Forest System that collects the ski area permit rental charge under this section.

(C)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

(2)

Establishment

The Secretary of the Treasury shall establish a special account in the Treasury, to be known as the Ski Area Fee Retention Account.

(3)

Deposits

Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), a ski area permit rental charge collected by the Secretary under this section shall—

(A)

be deposited in the Account;

(B)

be available to the Secretary for use, without further appropriation; and

(C)

remain available for the period of 4 fiscal years beginning with the first fiscal year after the fiscal year in which the ski area permit rental charge is deposited in the Account under subparagraph (A).

(4)

Distribution of amounts in the account

(A)

Local distribution of funds

(i)

In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall expend 80 percent of the ski area permit rental charges deposited in the Account from a covered unit at the covered unit in accordance with clause (ii).

(ii)

Distribution

Of the amounts made available for expenditure under clause (i)—

(I)

75 percent shall be used at the covered unit for activities described in paragraph (5)(A); and

(II)

25 percent shall be used for activities at the covered unit described in paragraph (5)(B).

(B)

Agency-wide distribution of funds

The Secretary shall expend 20 percent of the ski area permit rental charges deposited in the Account from a covered unit at any unit of the National Forest System for an activity described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (5).

(C)

Reduction of percentage

(i)

Reduction

The Secretary shall reduce the percentage otherwise applicable under subparagraph (A)(i) to not less than 60 percent if the Secretary determines that the amount otherwise made available under that subparagraph exceeds the reasonable needs of the covered unit for which expenditures may be made in the applicable fiscal year.

(ii)

Distribution of funds

The balance of the ski area permit rental charges that are collected at a covered unit, deposited into the Account, and not distributed in accordance with subparagraph (A) or (B) shall be available to the Secretary for expenditure at any other unit of the National Forest System in accordance with the following:

(I)

75 percent shall be used for activities described in paragraph (5)(A).

(II)

25 percent shall be used for activities described in paragraph (5)(B).

(5)

Expenditures

Amounts available to the Secretary for expenditure from the Account shall be only used for—

(A)

(i)

the administration of the Forest Service ski area program, including—

(I)

the processing of an application for a new ski area or a ski area improvement project, including staffing and contracting for the processing; and

(II)

administering a ski area permit described in subsection (a);

(ii)

staff training for—

(I)

the processing of an application for—

(aa)

a new ski area;

(bb)

a ski area improvement project; or

(cc)

a special use permit; or

(II)

administering—

(aa)

a ski area permit described in subsection (a); or

(bb)

a special use permit;

(iii)

an interpretation activity, National Forest System visitor information, a visitor service, or signage;

(iv)

direct costs associated with collecting a ski area permit rental charge or other fee collected by the Secretary related to recreation;

(v)

planning for, or coordinating to respond to, a wildfire in or adjacent to a recreation site, particularly a ski area; or

(vi)

reducing the likelihood of a wildfire starting, or the risks posed by a wildfire, in or adjacent to a recreation site, particularly a ski area, except through hazardous fuels reduction activities; or

(B)

(i)

the repair, maintenance, or enhancement of a Forest Service-owned facility, road, or trail directly related to visitor enjoyment, visitor access, or visitor health or safety;

(ii)

habitat restoration directly related to recreation;

(iii)

law enforcement related to public use and recreation;

(iv)

the construction or expansion of parking areas;

(v)

the processing or administering of a recreation special use permit;

(vi)

avalanche information and education activities carried out by the Secretary or nonprofit partners;

(vii)

search and rescue activities carried out by the Secretary, a local government, or a nonprofit partner; or

(viii)

the administration of leases under—

(I)

the Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 109–54); and

(II)

section 8623 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 115–334).

(6)

Limitation

Amounts in the Account may not be used for—

(A)

the conduct of wildfire suppression; or

(B)

the acquisition of land for inclusion in the National Forest System.

(7)

Effect

(A)

In general

Nothing in this subsection affects the applicability of section 7 of the Act of April 24, 1950 (commonly known as the Granger-Thye Act) (16 U.S.C. 580d), to ski areas on National Forest System land.

(B)

Supplemental funding

Rental charges retained and expended under this subsection shall supplement (and not supplant) appropriated funding for the operation and maintenance of each covered unit.

(C)

Cost recovery

Nothing in this subsection affects any cost recovery under any provision of law (including regulations) for processing an application for or monitoring compliance with a ski area permit or other recreation special use permit.

(b)

Effective date

This section (including the amendments made by this section) shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

November 21, 2024

Reported without amendment