WASHINGTON — Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03) advocated for ski areas and recreation on public lands during a recent hearing in the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands. The focus of the hearing was the Recreation Not Red Tape Act (H.R. 3400), a bill that would streamline regulations to facilitate more public access to outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands across the United States.

The bill also includes a provision that would establish a Ski Area Fee Retention Account within the U.S. Treasury, which would disperse a portion of ski area permit fees back to the ski areas on which they were generated in order to enhance recreational opportunities.

During the hearing, Tipton asked Brian Merrill, president of Western River Expeditions, if he believed that allowing ski areas to retain a portion of the fees generated on the land so they can be reinvested in recreation infrastructure would increase public investment in the ski areas.

Merrill responded, “If I’m going to pay a fee, I hope that it’s going to go back to improve the resource that I’m recreating on and facilitate access … that just seems logical to me and I think that’s the way the general public would view it too.”

Currently, the Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) authorizes federal land management agencies to charge fees for recreation use on certain federal lands and then distribute these fees to recreation sites, so the funds can support access and other recreation enhancements to improve visitor experience. Under current law, ski areas do not benefit from the FLREA program. H.R. 3400 would establish a mechanism similar to FLREA for ski areas, under which 50 percent of fees generated by ski areas that have revenues over $15 million per year would be deposited in the Ski Area Fee Retention Account, along with 65 percent of fees generated by ski areas that have revenues less than $15 million. The funds can then be distributed back to the ski area on which they were generated to support enhancements to visitor experience.

Following the hearing, Tipton said, “Too often, Americans see the money they send to the federal government swallowed up in a black hole. I believe it is important for everyone who enjoys our public lands to see how their money is going back to support the land and enhance their experience.”

Congressman Scott R. Tipton represents Colorado’s Third District. He serves on the House Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on Natural Resources. He is vice chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Tipton is the executive vice chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and co-chairman of the Congressional Small Business Caucus.