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2 



1 (1) Although ski areas occupy less than one- 



2 twentieth of one percent of National Forest System 



3 lands nationwide, in many rural areas of the United 



4 States, ski areas and investments by ski area per- 



5 mittees on National Forest System lands form the 



6 backbone of the local economy and a preponderance 



7 of the employment base. 



8 (2) Ski area operations and their attendant 



9 communities provide revenues to the United States 



10 in the form of permit fees, income taxes, and other 



11 revenues which are extremely significant in propor- 



12 tion to the limited Federal acreage and Forest Serv- 



13 ice administration and contractual obligations re- 



14 quired to support such operations. 



15 (3) In addition to alpine skiing, many ski area 



16 permittees provide multiseason facilities and en- 



17 hanced access to National Forest System lands that 



18 result in greater public use and enjoyment of such 



19 lands than would otherwise occur. 



20 (4) Unlike many other private sector users of 



21 Federal lands, ski areas in almost all cases assume 



22 the risk to finance, construct, maintain, and market 



23 all recreational facilities and improvements on such 



24 lands. 



