Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act

S. 472 would create a dedicated Ski Area Fee Retention Account within the U.S. Treasury, funded by ski area permit rental charges collected by the Forest Service (part of the National Forest System). The money deposited into this account would be available for use without additional congressional appropriations for up to four fiscal years after each deposit. Funds are to be distributed primarily to the local “covered unit” (the National Forest unit where the ski area permit is issued), with a portion available system-wide across the National Forest System. Expenditures are limited to specific administrative, maintenance, safety, recreation, and wildfire-related activities connected to ski areas and recreation, with explicit prohibitions on wildfire suppression and land acquisition. The bill emphasizes that these fees are supplemental, not a replacement for traditional funding, and does not change cost-recovery rules for processing ski area permits. Effective date for the act is 60 days after enactment.