I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1084 
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 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 consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Manage-
ment Act of 1996 to provide for the establishment of 
a Ski Area Fee Retention Account, and for other pur-
poses. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ski Hill Resources for 
Economic Development Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SKI AREA FEE RETENTION AC-
COUNT. 
(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 es-
tablished 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 Reten-
tion 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; 
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‘‘(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 per-
mit rental charge is deposited in the Account 
under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(4) DISTRIBUTION OF AMOUNTS IN THE AC-
COUNT.— 
‘‘(A) LOCAL DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Except as pro-
vided in subparagraph (C), the Secretary 
shall expend 80 percent of the ski area 
permit rental charges deposited in the Ac-
count 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 de-
scribed in paragraph (5)(A); and 
‘‘(II) 25 percent shall be used for 
activities at the covered unit described 
in paragraph (5)(B). 
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‘‘(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 para-
graph (5). 
‘‘(C) REDUCTION OF PERCENTAGE.— 
‘‘(i) 
REDUCTION.—The 
Secretary 
shall reduce the percentage otherwise ap-
plicable under subparagraph (A)(i) to not 
less than 60 percent if the Secretary deter-
mines 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 subpara-
graph (A) or (B) shall be available to the 
Secretary for expenditure at any other unit 
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of the National Forest System in accord-
ance 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 improve-
ment project, including staffing and con-
tracting 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 
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‘‘(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 col-
lected by the Secretary related to recreation; 
‘‘(v) planning for, or coordinating to re-
spond to, a wildfire in or adjacent to a recre-
ation 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 enhance-
ment of a Forest Service-owned facility, road, or 
trail directly related to visitor enjoyment, visitor ac-
cess, or visitor health or safety; 
‘‘(ii) habitat restoration directly related to 
recreation; 
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‘‘(iii) law enforcement related to public use and 
recreation; 
‘‘(iv) the construction or expansion of parking 
areas; 
‘‘(v) the processing or administering of a recre-
ation special use permit; 
‘‘(vi) avalanche information and education ac-
tivities 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 Realign-
ment and Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 U.S.C. 
580d note; Public Law 109–54); and 
‘‘(II) section 8623 of the Agriculture Im-
provement 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. 
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‘‘(7) EFFECT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this sub-
section 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 sub-
section shall supplement (and not supplant) ap-
propriated funding for the operation and main-
tenance 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. 
Æ 
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