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The National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-522) 

 provides for the issuance of ski area permits for operations on 

 National Forest System (NFS) lands. The Act requires that ski 

 area permits be subject to a fee based on fair market value as 

 determined by the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with 

 applicable law. 



H.R. 1527 would amend the Act by adding two additional sections. 

 Section 4 would establish a methodology for determining permit 

 fees. The section also provides for minimum rental fees, payment 

 schedules and a 5 -year phase- in of the new fee system. Section 5 

 provides for the withdrawal of ski areas from operation of mining 

 laws. 



Our budget analysis of the bill is that it is revenue neutral 

 complying with the PAYGO requirements of the Omnibus Budget 

 Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA) . 



Section 4 - Ski Area Permit Fees 



In 1972, we implemented the Graduated Rate Fee System (GRFS) to 

 determine the fees paid by the then 122 ski areas whose operations 

 occur on NFS lands. Under the terms of that system, in fiscal 

 year 1994, 140-sk-i -areas paid aimost $19 million in permit fees 

 based on applicable sales of over $939 million- -about 2 percent of 

 applicable sales. 



