H.R. 1084House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act

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Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:53 AM UTC

The Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act amends the 1996 Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act to set up a Ski Area Fee Retention Account. It lets the Forest Service keep ski‑area permit rental charges and spend them directly on ski‑area administration, safety, maintenance, and related recreation activities on National Forest lands. The bill directs how the money is divided between the local ski‑area unit and other forest units, and it bars the use of these funds for wildfire suppression or land purchases.

Key Provisions

Creates a new Ski Area Fee Retention Account in the Treasury to hold ski‑area permit rental charges collected by the Forest Service.
Charges deposited in the account can be used without a separate appropriation for four fiscal years.
80% of the funds must be spent at the ski‑area unit that collected the charge (75% for program administration and 25% for other unit‑level activities); the remaining 20% can be spent at any National Forest unit for the same types of activities.
If the local unit’s needs are lower than the amount available, the local share can be reduced, but not below 60% of the total.
Allowed uses include: processing ski‑area permits, staff training, visitor information and signage, costs of collecting fees, wildfire planning and risk reduction (but not actual suppression), facility/road/trail repair, habitat restoration, law‑enforcement, parking construction, avalanche education, search‑and‑rescue, and lease administration.
Funds cannot be used for wildfire suppression or for buying land to add to the National Forest System.
The retained fees supplement, not replace, existing appropriated funding for ski‑area operations.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Agriculture Committee

February 6, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 6, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Agriculture Committee

February 6, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 6, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1084

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 6, 2025

Mr. Neguse (for himself, Mr. Moore of Utah, and Mr. Pappas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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 .

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.