The bill adds a new Ski Area Fee Retention Account to the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996. It defines the Account, the covered units that generate ski area permit charges, and how those charges are deposited and tracked.
It also sets how funds are distributed within units and across the National Forest System, and lists eligible expenditures tied to ski area administration, visitor services, wildfire planning, and certain facility maintenance. The intended effect is to reinvest revenue from ski areas back into recreation infrastructure and program support, while limiting use for wildfire suppression and land acquisition.
At a Glance
What It Does
Establishes the Ski Area Fee Retention Account in the Treasury, with defined terms (Account, covered unit, Secretary) and a framework for deposits, time-limited availability, and distributions.
Who It Affects
National Forest System units hosting ski areas (covered units), the Forest Service, and ski area permit holders who generate the charges; agency-wide units may also access funds.
Why It Matters
Provides dedicated, potentially non-appropriated funding for ski area administration, planning, and visitor services, creating a predictable revenue stream tied to ski operations and wildfire-related planning while preserving overall budget discipline.
More articles like this one.
A weekly email with all the latest developments on this topic.
What This Bill Actually Does
This bill creates a new Ski Area Fee Retention Account managed in the Treasury. It defines a Ski Area Permit rental charge as the revenue source, collected from the National Forest System’s ski areas by the Secretary of Agriculture.
The funds deposited into the Account may be spent without further appropriation but are restricted to four fiscal years of availability from the deposition year. Distribution rules allocate 80 percent of deposits from each covered unit back to that unit, with 75 percent directed to activities listed in the bill’s spending paragraph and 25 percent to other activities within the same unit; 20 percent goes to agency-wide uses across the National Forest System.
If total deposits exceed a unit’s needs, the Secretary can reduce the local share to not less than 60 percent, and the surplus may be redirected to other units with the same 75/25 split. Eligible expenditures include Forest Service ski area program administration, staff training for processing ski area applications, interpretation and visitor services, costs of collecting ski area fees, wildfire planning and prevention (excluding hazardous fuels reduction as a stand-alone activity), facility repair and maintenance related to visitor enjoyment and safety, law enforcement, parking, and related permits.
The Act also clarifies that these funds supplement, not supplant, existing appropriations and do not alter land acquisition authorities or wildfire suppression authorities. The effective date is 60 days after enactment.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill creates the Ski Area Fee Retention Account in the Treasury.
Ski area permit charges deposited into the Account are available for four fiscal years.
Local distribution is 80% (75% for program A, 25% for program B); 20% is agency-wide.
A minimum 60% local distribution applies if needs exceed reasonable local requirements.
Funds may be used for ski area administration, visitor services, wildfire planning, maintenance, enforcement, and related activities; not for wildfire suppression or land acquisition.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Short Title
This section names the act as the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act, setting the stage for establishing the Ski Area Fee Retention Account and related authorities in the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996.
Establishment and Definitions of the Ski Area Fee Retention Account
Defines the key terms: Account, Covered Unit, and Secretary. It establishes that the Secretary of the Treasury will create the Ski Area Fee Retention Account and outlines who deposits ski area permit rental charges into the Account.
Deposits and Initial Availability
Ski area permit rental charges collected by the Secretary are deposited into the Account and become available to the Secretary for use without further appropriation for four fiscal years starting with the year of deposit.
Distributions of Amounts in the Account
Outlines distribution rules: 80% of charges from a covered unit returned to that unit (75% for activities described in 5(A), 25% for 5(B)); 20% of deposits go to agency-wide expenditures. If needs exceed reasonable local requirements, the local share may be reduced to at least 60%, with the balance distributed to other units at a 75/25 split.
Expenditures and Allowable Uses
Specifies eligible expenditures: administration of the Forest Service ski area program, processing ski area applications, staff training, interpretation/visitor services, fee collection costs, wildfire planning and prevention (excluding hazardous fuels reduction), facility maintenance related to visitor use, law enforcement, parking, and related permits, as well as certain leases and avalanche information efforts.
Limitations and Effects
Prohibits use of funds for wildfire suppression and land acquisition; confirms that the act does not change the Granger-Thye Act’s applicability, requires supplemental funding (not replacement) for ski area operations, and preserves cost recovery rights for processing ski area permits.
Effective Date
The section takes effect 60 days after enactment, kicking off the new Account and related funding mechanisms.
This bill is one of many.
Codify tracks hundreds of bills on Environment across all five countries.
Explore Environment in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- National Forest System units hosting ski areas (covered units) receive a predictable funding stream for administration, planning, and visitor services, helping sustain local recreation infrastructure.
- Forest Service ski area program administrators and staff gain dedicated funding for application processing, staff training, and permit administration.
- Local communities around covered units benefit from enhanced ski area infrastructure and services funded by the Account.
- Ski area permittees (revenue sources) benefit from clear funding pathways supporting permit operations and improvements.
Who Bears the Cost
- Administrative overhead for implementing and monitoring the Account within the Forest Service.
- Potential reallocation of funds to meet inter-unit needs if local requirements are lower than the 60% floor, which could affect unit budgets.
- Cross-unit fund transfers could shift resources from one unit to another, potentially impacting local priorities in some communities.
- There is no new direct charge on the public; the funds come from existing ski area permit charges, with administrative costs absorbed within federal budgeting and program management efforts.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is whether preserving a strong local funding stream (with a floor) while enabling cross-unit support (agency-wide allocations) achieves optimal reinvestment for recreation and wildfire readiness, or whether the rigidity of distributions will hamper responsive funding when local needs surge or emergencies arise.
The establishment of the Ski Area Fee Retention Account creates a dedicated revenue stream tied to ski area permits, but it also introduces a multi-unit distribution structure that could complicate budgeting across the National Forest System. The balancing act—allocating 75/25 splits to specific activities at the local unit, versus maintaining 20% for agency-wide uses and a possible 60% floor for local allocations—creates a tension between local reinvestment and cross-unit needs.
Additionally, the limitations on using funds for wildfire suppression or land acquisition may constrain how states or local partners rely on this mechanism during emergencies or land-management expansions. The account’s effectiveness will hinge on accurate forecasting of permit revenues and disciplined administration to ensure funds reach intended programs without cannibalizing other critical Forest Service priorities.
Try it yourself.
Ask a question in plain English, or pick a topic below. Results in seconds.