Sponsors (14)
The bill boosts local funding stability and on-site safety/maintenance for National Forest ski areas by letting them retain most permit fees and placing revenues in a dedicated account, but it shifts more costs to fee payers and narrows fund use (excluding wildfire suppression and land acquisition), potentially privileging recreation infrastructure over broader conservation needs.
Visitors to National Forest ski areas and nearby rural communities: local ski-area permit fees may be retained (80%) on-site to fund maintenance, visitor services, and safety (e.g., trail/parking repairs, avalanche education).
Local governments and nonprofits that operate or partner with ski areas: fee revenue is deposited into a dedicated Treasury account available up to four years without annual appropriation, improving short-term funding stability and speeding project delivery.
National Forest units with lower local fee revenue and state/local partners: the agency can use the remaining ~20% (and any unused local funds) to support ski-related recreation needs across the National Forest System, helping redistribute resources where revenues are low.
Taxpayers and low-income recreation users: allowing ski areas to keep fee revenue reduces the need for congressional appropriations and may shift costs from general taxpayers onto fee payers, disproportionately affecting low-income visitors.
Rural communities and local governments facing large wildfires: fee revenues are restricted from being used for wildfire suppression or land acquisition, limiting flexibility to respond to major fires or make strategic land purchases near ski areas.
Ecosystems and communities needing broader restoration: prioritizing ski-area fee-funded activities risks favoring recreation infrastructure over wider ecological restoration or conservation projects that aren't directly tied to ski-area operations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 6, 2025 by John A. Barrasso · Last progress February 6, 2025
Creates a dedicated Treasury account to receive ski area permit rental charges collected on National Forest lands and allows the Forest Service to spend those fees without further appropriation for up to four fiscal years after deposit. Most fees collected at a given ski area must be spent at that same unit for specified recreation, maintenance, planning, mitigation, and visitor-service activities, while a smaller share is available agency-wide for similar uses. The provision takes effect 60 days after enactment and prohibits using the funds for wildfire suppression or buying land for the National Forest System.