IB 

Union Calendar No. 316 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3452 

[Report No. 112–452] 

To provide for the sale of approximately 30 acres of Federal land in UintaWasatch-Cache National Forest in Salt Lake County, Utah, to permit 

the establishment of a minimally invasive transportation alternative for 

skiers, called ‘‘SkiLink’’, to connect two ski resorts in the Wasatch 

Mountains, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2011 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah (for himself and Mr. CHAFFETZ) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

APRIL 19, 2012 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on November 17, 2011] 


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A BILL 

To provide for the sale of approximately 30 acres of Federal 

land in Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Salt 

Lake County, Utah, to permit the establishment of a 

minimally invasive transportation alternative for skiers, 

called ‘‘SkiLink’’, to connect two ski resorts in the 

Wasatch Mountains, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wasatch Range Recre5 ation Access Enhancement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Canyons Ski Resort and Solitude Mountain 

9 Resort and other ski areas are interested in providing 

10 direct public access between the Wasatch Range front 

11 and back in the State of Utah by linking these ski re12 sorts by means of a transportation connection, such 

13 as skier transport, lift, or tramway. 

14 (2) The seven ski resorts in the Wasatch Range 

15 in Utah are situated within a 5-mile radius, and the 

16 resorts are separated by mountain ridges and other 

17 natural features of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National 

18 Forest, but currently there is no convenient transpor19 tation link between the resorts. 

20 (3) Wasatch Mountains Resorts have proposed a 

21 public-access transportation connection through con22 struction of a minimally invasive transportation al23 ternative gondola for skiers, called ‘‘SkiLink’’, which 

24 would cross approximately 30 acres of lands managed 

25 by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest from 


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1 private land at The Canyons Ski Resort in Summit 

2 County, Utah, to private land at Solitude Mountain 

3 Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. 

4 (4) The land and resource management plan for 

5 Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest prohibits new 

6 alpine ski lifts on National Forest System land. 

7 (5) Despite efforts by Utah Department of 

8 Transportation, the Wasatch Front Regional Council, 

9 and the Utah Transit Authority to increase transit 

10 and carpool access in Big Cottonwood Canyon, daily 

11 traffic on peak winter weekends ranges between 8,000 

12 and 9,000 vehicles per day. Addressing congested traf13 fic conditions in the Wasatch Canyons is important 

14 for the safety, health, and economy of the Wasatch 

15 Range front and back. 

16 (6) Studies show that the establishment of the 

17 SkiLink would reduce ski-season vehicle traffic be18 tween The Canyons Ski Resort and Solitude Moun19 tain Resort by as much as 18,000 cars per year or 

20 1 million fewer miles driven per year, and the 

21 amount of the reduction is expected to increase over 

22 time. 

23 (7) SkiLink would produce immediate traffic 

24 benefits, including a reduction in PM 2.5 and other 

25 emissions in Parley’s and Big Cottonwood Canyons. 


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1 (8) A preliminary environmental review of the 

2 proposed SkiLink corridor assessed the potential im3 pact to special-status species, water quality and wa4 tershed resources, and visual resources and found that 

5 no federally listed species or critical habitat would be 

6 affected and that any water, plant, and wildlife issues 

7 could be addressed through mitigation. 

8 (9) Minimally invasive, environmentally sound 

9 construction techniques would be used to construct 

10 SkiLink, including the use of helicopters for concrete 

11 placement and tower installations. 

12 (10) The winter sport industry in Utah is a sig13 nificant contributor to the economy of Utah, with the 

14 ski/snowboarding industry bringing $1.26 billion to 

15 Utah during the 2009/2010 ski season and resulting 

16 in 20,000 jobs. 

17 (11) Economic analysis of SkiLink shows it 

18 would infuse another $50,000,000 a year into Utah’s 

19 economy and create 500 new jobs in the tourism and 

20 hospitality industries by creating the largest inter21 connected ski network in the United States and pro22 viding access to more than 6,000 acres of existing ski 

23 terrain. 


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1 SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND, 

2 UINTA-WASATCH-CACHE NATIONAL FOREST, 

3 SALT LAKE COUNTY, UTAH. 

4 (a) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED; PURPOSE.—Subject to 

5 subsection (e), the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey, by 

6 sale, to Canyons-SkiLink, LLC, all right, title, and interest 

7 of the United States in and to a parcel of National Forest 

8 System land in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest 

9 in Salt Lake County, Utah, consisting of approximately 30 

10 acres, as identified on the map entitled ‘‘Wasatch Range 

11 Recreation Access Enhancement Act’’ and dated February 

12 27, 2012, for the purpose of permitting Canyons-SkiLink, 

13 LLC, to construct a ski-lift, gondola, or tramway to serve 

14 as a public-access transportation interconnection of the 

15 Wasatch Front and the Wasatch Back Mountains. 

16 (b) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the convey17 ance of the National Forest System land under subsection 

18 (a), Canyons-SkiLink, LLC, shall pay to the Secretary an 

19 amount equal to at least the fair market value of the land 

20 as of the date of the enactment of this Act. Any funds re21 ceived by the Secretary under this Act shall be deposited 

22 in the general fund of the Treasury to reduce the Federal 

23 deficit. 

24 (c) DETERMINATION OF FAIR MARKET VALUE.—The 

25 fair market value of the National Forest System land to 

26 be conveyed under subsection (a) shall be based on an apVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:47 Apr 19, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3452.RH H3452

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1 praisal acceptable to the Secretary. The appraisal shall be 

2 completed no later than 6 months after the date of the enact3 ment of this Act. 

4 (d) ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE.—The Secretary 

5 shall complete all actions that may be required under the 

6 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 

7 4321 et seq.), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 

8 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and all other applicable laws in mak9 ing the conveyance under this section. 


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Union Calendar No. 316 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3452 

[Report No. 112–452] 

A BILL 

To provide for the sale of approximately 30 acres 

Wasatch Mountains, and for other purposes. ‘‘SkiLink’’, to connect two ski resorts in the transportation alternative for skiers, called mit the establishment of a minimally invasive tional Forest in Salt Lake County, Utah, to perof Federal land in Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NaAPRIL 19, 2012 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


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