Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act

The Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act proposes to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 by establishing a Ski Area Fee Retention Account . This account will receive ski area permit rental charges collected by the Secretary of Agriculture, making these funds available for use without further appropriation for a period of four fiscal years. The primary goal is to ensure that fees generated from ski areas on National Forest System lands are reinvested directly into their management and improvement. Funds deposited into the Account will be distributed with 80 percent allocated to the specific National Forest System unit that collected the fee, and the remaining 20 percent distributed agency-wide to any unit. Of the local distribution, 75 percent is designated for activities such as processing ski area applications, administering permits, and staff training, while 25 percent is for facility repair, maintenance, and recreation enhancements. The Secretary can reduce the local percentage to not less than 60 percent if the unit's needs are met, with the balance then available for agency-wide distribution. Eligible expenditures include the administration of the Forest Service ski area program, visitor services, wildfire planning, and reducing wildfire risks. Funds can also be used for the repair of Forest Service-owned facilities, roads, or trails related to visitor enjoyment, habitat restoration, law enforcement, and search and rescue activities. Importantly, these retained funds are intended to supplement, not supplant , existing appropriated funding and cannot be used for wildfire suppression or land acquisition.