I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3452 
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. 
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 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wasatch Range Recre-
ation Access Enhancement Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) There is interest in providing direct public 
access between the Wasatch Range front and back 
in the State of Utah by linking ski resorts in the 
area by means of a skier transport, lift, or tramway. 
(2) The primary ski resorts in the Wasatch 
Range in Utah are situated within a 5 mile radius, 
but currently there is no convenient transportation 
link between the resorts. 
(3) The Canyons Ski Resort and Solitude 
Mountain Resort have proposed a public-access 
transportation connection through construction of a 
minimally invasive transportation alternative for ski-
ers, called ‘‘SkiLink’’, which would cross approxi-
mately 30 acres of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Na-
tional Forest from private land at The Canyons Ski 
Resort in Summit County, Utah, to private land at 
Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Can-
yon, Utah. 
(4) The land and resource management plan for 
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest prohibits new 
alpine ski lifts on National Forest System land. 
(5) Despite efforts by Utah Department of 
Transportation, the Wasatch Front Regional Coun-
cil, and the Utah Transit Authority to increase tran-
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sit and carpool access in Big Cottonwood Canyon, 
daily traffic on winter weekends ranges between 
8,000 and 9,000 vehicles per day. 
(6) Studies show that the establishment of the 
SkiLink would reduce ski-season vehicle traffic be-
tween The Canyons Ski Resort and Solitude Moun-
tain Resort by as much as 18,000 cars per year or 
1 million fewer miles driven per year, and the 
amount of the reduction is expected to increase over 
time. 
(7) SkiLink would produce immediate traffic 
benefits, including a reduction in PM 2.5 and other 
emissions in Parley’s and Big Cottonwood Canyons. 
(8) A preliminary environmental review of the 
proposed SkiLink corridor assessed the potential im-
pact to special-status species, water quality and wa-
tershed resources, and visual resources and found 
that no federally listed species or critical habitat 
would be affected and that any water, plant, and 
wildlife issues could be addressed through mitiga-
tion. 
(9) Minimally invasive, environmentally sound 
construction techniques would be used to construct 
SkiLink, including the use of helicopters for concrete 
placement and tower installations. 
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(10) The winter sport industry in Utah is a sig-
nificant contributor to the economy of Utah, with 
the ski/snowboarding industry bringing $1.26 billion 
to Utah during the 2009/2010 ski season and result-
ing in 20,000 jobs. 
(11) Economic analysis of SkiLink shows it 
would infuse another $50,000,000 a year into 
Utah’s economy and create 500 new jobs in the 
tourism and hospitality industries by creating the 
largest interconnected ski network in the United 
States and providing access to more than 6,000 
acres of existing ski terrain. 
SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND, 
UINTA-WASATCH-CACHE NATIONAL FOREST, 
SALT LAKE COUNTY, UTAH. 
(a) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED; PURPOSE.—Subject to 
subsection (e), the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey, 
by sale, to Canyons-SkiLink, LLC, all right, title, and in-
terest of the United States in and to a parcel of National 
Forest System land in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National 
Forest in Salt Lake County, Utah, consisting of approxi-
mately 30 acres, as identified on the map entitled 
‘‘SkiLink Parcels, November 2011’’, for the purpose of 
permitting Canyons-SkiLink, LLC, to construct a ski-lift, 
gondola, or tramway to serve as a public-access transpor-
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tation interconnection of the Wasatch Front and the 
Wasatch Back Mountains. 
(b) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the con-
veyance of the National Forest System land under sub-
section (a), Canyons-SkiLink, LLC, shall pay to the Sec-
retary an amount equal to at least the fair market value 
of the land as of the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) DETERMINATION OF FAIR MARKET VALUE.—The 
fair market value of the National Forest System land to 
be conveyed under subsection (a) shall be based on an ap-
praisal acceptable to the Secretary. The appraisal shall be 
completed no later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
(d) REVERSIONARY INTEREST.—If the Secretary de-
termines at any time that the National Forest System 
land conveyed under subsection (a) has not been used for 
a period of 10 years or longer in accordance with the pur-
pose of the conveyance, all right, title, and interest in and 
to the conveyed land, including any improvements thereto, 
shall, at the option of the Secretary, revert to and become 
the property of the United States, and the United States 
shall have the right of immediate entry onto the land. A 
determination by the Secretary under this subsection shall 
be made on the record after an opportunity for a hearing. 
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(e) ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE.—The Secretary 
shall complete all actions that may be required under the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and all other applicable laws in mak-
ing the conveyance under this section. 
Æ 
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