I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 930 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 9, 2023 

Ms. KUSTER (for herself, Mr. CURTIS, Mr. NEGUSE, and Mr. LAMALFA) 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. 

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 ‘‘Ski Hill Resources for 

5 Economic Development Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SKI AREA FEE RETENTION AC2 COUNT. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 701 of division I of the 

4 Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 

5 1996 (16 U.S.C. 497c) is amended by adding at the end 

6 the following: 

7 ‘‘(k) SKI AREA FEE RETENTION ACCOUNT.— 

8 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

9 ‘‘(A) ACCOUNT.—The term ‘Account’ 

10 means the Ski Area Fee Retention Account es11 tablished under paragraph (2). 

12 ‘‘(B) COVERED UNIT.—The term ‘covered 

13 unit’ means the unit of the National Forest 

14 System that collects the ski area permit rental 

15 charge under this section. 

16 ‘‘(C) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ 

17 means the Secretary of Agriculture. 

18 ‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the 

19 Treasury shall establish a special account in the 

20 Treasury, to be known as the ‘Ski Area Fee Reten21 tion Account’. 

22 ‘‘(3) DEPOSITS.—Subject to paragraphs (4) 

23 and (5), a ski area permit rental charge collected by 

24 the Secretary under this section shall— 

25 ‘‘(A) be deposited in the Account; 


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1 ‘‘(B) be available to the Secretary for use, 

2 without further appropriation; and 

3 ‘‘(C) remain available for the period of 4 

4 fiscal years beginning with the first fiscal year 

5 after the fiscal year in which the ski area per6 mit rental charge is deposited in the Account 

7 under subparagraph (A). 

8 ‘‘(4) DISTRIBUTION OF AMOUNTS IN THE AC9 COUNT.— 

10 ‘‘(A) LOCAL DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.— 

11 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro12 vided in subparagraph (C), the Secretary 

13 shall expend 80 percent of the ski area 

14 permit rental charges deposited in the Ac15 count from a covered unit at the covered 

16 unit in accordance with clause (ii). 

17 ‘‘(ii) DISTRIBUTION.—Of the amounts 

18 made available for expenditure under 

19 clause (i)— 

20 ‘‘(I) 75 percent shall be used at 

21 the covered unit for activities de22 scribed in paragraph (5)(A); and 

23 ‘‘(II) 25 percent shall be used for 

24 activities at the covered unit described 

25 in paragraph (5)(B). 


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1 ‘‘(B) AGENCY-WIDE DISTRIBUTION OF

2 FUNDS.—The Secretary shall expend 20 percent 

3 of the ski area permit rental charges deposited 

4 in the Account from a covered unit at any unit 

5 of the National Forest System for an activity 

6 described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of para7 graph (5). 

8 ‘‘(C) REDUCTION OF PERCENTAGE.— 

9 ‘‘(i) REDUCTION.—The Secretary 

10 shall reduce the percentage otherwise ap11 plicable under subparagraph (A)(i) to not 

12 less than 60 percent if the Secretary deter13 mines that the amount otherwise made 

14 available under that subparagraph exceeds 

15 the reasonable needs of the covered unit 

16 for which expenditures may be made in the 

17 applicable fiscal year. 

18 ‘‘(ii) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—The 

19 balance of the ski area permit rental 

20 charges that are collected at a covered 

21 unit, deposited into the Account, and not 

22 distributed in accordance with subpara23 graph (A) or (B) shall be available to the 

24 Secretary for expenditure at any other unit 


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1 of the National Forest System in accord2 ance with the following: 

3 ‘‘(I) 75 percent shall be used for 

4 activities described in paragraph 

5 (5)(A). 

6 ‘‘(II) 25 percent shall be used for 

7 activities described in paragraph 

8 (5)(B). 

9 ‘‘(5) EXPENDITURES.—Amounts available to 

10 the Secretary for expenditure from the Account shall 

11 be only used for— 

12 ‘‘(A)(i) the administration of the Forest 

13 Service ski area program, including— 

14 ‘‘(I) the processing of an application 

15 for a new ski area or a ski area improve16 ment project, including staffing and con17 tracting for the processing; and 

18 ‘‘(II) administering a ski area permit 

19 described in subsection (a); 

20 ‘‘(ii) staff training for— 

21 ‘‘(I) the processing of an application 

22 for— 

23 ‘‘(aa) a new ski area; 

24 ‘‘(bb) a ski area improvement 

25 project; or 


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1 ‘‘(cc) a special use permit; or 

2 ‘‘(II) administering— 

3 ‘‘(aa) a ski area permit described 

4 in subsection (a); or 

5 ‘‘(bb) a special use permit; 

6 ‘‘(iii) an interpretation activity, National 

7 Forest System visitor information, a visitor 

8 service, or signage; 

9 ‘‘(iv) direct costs associated with collecting 

10 a ski area permit rental charge or other fee col11 lected by the Secretary related to recreation; 

12 ‘‘(v) planning for, or coordinating to re13 spond to, a wildfire in or adjacent to a recre14 ation site, particularly a ski area; or 

15 ‘‘(vi) reducing the likelihood of a wildfire 

16 starting, or the risks posed by a wildfire, in or 

17 adjacent to a recreation site, particularly a ski 

18 area, except through hazardous fuels reduction 

19 activities; or 

20 ‘‘(B)(i) the repair, maintenance, or en21 hancement of a Forest Service-owned facility, 

22 road, or trail directly related to visitor enjoy23 ment, visitor access, or visitor health or safety; 

24 ‘‘(ii) habitat restoration directly related to 

25 recreation; 


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1 ‘‘(iii) law enforcement related to public use 

2 and recreation; 

3 ‘‘(iv) the construction or expansion of 

4 parking areas; 

5 ‘‘(v) the processing or administering of a 

6 recreation special use permit; 

7 ‘‘(vi) avalanche information and education 

8 activities carried out by the Secretary or non9 profit partners; 

10 ‘‘(vii) search and rescue activities carried 

11 out by the Secretary, a local government, or a 

12 nonprofit partner; or 

13 ‘‘(viii) the administration of leases under— 

14 ‘‘(I) the Forest Service Facility Re15 alignment and Enhancement Act of 2005 

16 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 109– 

17 54); and 

18 ‘‘(II) section 8623 of the Agriculture 

19 Improvement Act of 2018 (16 U.S.C. 580d 

20 note; Public Law 115–334). 

21 ‘‘(6) LIMITATION.—Amounts in the Account 

22 may not be used for— 

23 ‘‘(A) the conduct of wildfire suppression; 

24 or 


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1 ‘‘(B) the acquisition of land for inclusion 

2 in the National Forest System. 

3 ‘‘(7) EFFECT.— 

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this sub5 section affects the applicability of section 7 of 

6 the Act of April 24, 1950 (commonly known as 

7 the ‘Granger-Thye Act’) (16 U.S.C. 580d), to 

8 ski areas on National Forest System land. 

9 ‘‘(B) SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING.—Rental 

10 charges retained and expended under this sub11 section shall supplement (and not supplant) ap12 propriated funding for the operation and main13 tenance of each covered unit. 

14 ‘‘(C) COST RECOVERY.—Nothing in this 

15 subsection affects any cost recovery under any 

16 provision of law (including regulations) for 

17 processing an application for or monitoring 

18 compliance with a ski area permit or other 

19 recreation special use permit.’’. 

20 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section (including the 

21 amendments made by this section) shall take effect on the 

22 date that is 60 days after the date of enactment of this 

23 Act. 

Æ 


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