© 2024
NPR for Northern Colorado
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ski Area Recreation Act Would Expand Summer Activities for Resorts

Under the Ski Area Recreation Opportunity Enhancement Act, ski resorts would be allowed to expand summer activities on U.S. Forest Land to include mountain biking terrain.
Creative Commons
Under the Ski Area Recreation Opportunity Enhancement Act, ski resorts would be allowed to expand summer activities on U.S. Forest Land to include mountain biking terrain.

A bill that would make it easier to create off-season jobs in resort communities has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives and is now headed to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

The goal is to revise current rules for ski areas operating on U.S. Forest Service land, which right now can only issue permits for skiing activities. If approved, resorts operating on public lands could expand summer activities to include concerts, mountain bike terrain parks and zip lines.

“It’s a great way to clarify regulation and by allowing more flexibility in the law we can create jobs,” said Jennifer Talhelm, a spokesperson for Senator Mark Udall, who’s sponsoring the act in the U.S. Senate. “It doesn’t cost anything, and it’s a simple way to help keep these communities providing a stable year-round source of jobs.”

The Act does not allow tennis courts, water slides or park, golf courses or swimming pools. It received overwhelming bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives, passing on a 394 to 0 vote.

Similar legislation stalled in the U. S. Senate last year during a flurry of activity at the end of the session.