The “Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act” passed the US Senate last week, following its passage by the House of Representatives. The bill affects how the US Forest Service regulates the use of public land by ski resorts and allows for new recreational uses like zip-lines, mountain biking, and ropes courses.
“The passage by the Senate of the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act marks a major milestone in the ability for ski resort operators across the country to offer appropriate, year-round recreational activities on U.S. Forest Service lands,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.
This is a pretty big deal for our mountain communities, and we’d like to offer a personal word of thanks to Senator Mark Udall who championed the bill, Congresswoman DeGette and Congressman Bishop of Utah for helping push it through, and President Obama, who is expected to sign it.
Vail Resorts Announces Passage of Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act in U.S. Congress
BROOMFIELD,Colo.—Oct. 18, 2011—Vail Resorts today announced that the United States Senate unanimously passed the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act, which follows passage by the House of Representatives by a vote of 394-0. This bill updates the statutes governing how the U.S. Forest Service regulates the use of public land by ski resorts and permits new year-round recreational uses, such as zip-lines, mountain biking and ropes courses.
The bill was first introduced into the House of Representatives by then Congressman Udall during the 110th Congress (July 2008) and subsequently reintroduced in the House by Congresswoman DeGette during the 111th Congress (2009-2010) and Congressman Bishop of Utah during the current 112th Congress. The Senate companion has been championed in the Senate by Senator Udall during both the 111th and 112th Congress. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Obama in the upcoming weeks.
“The passage by the Senate of the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act marks a major milestone in the ability for ski resort operators across the country to offer appropriate, year-round recreational activities on U.S. Forest Service lands. The bill will allow ski resorts to add new jobs during the summer and will help increase employment in rural mountain communities across the country. This opens up new opportunities for the entire ski industry,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. Katz added, “We are incredibly appreciative of the outstanding leadership shown by Senator Mark Udall in shepherding this bill during the last three-anda-half years in both houses of Congress. We are also thankful for Congresswoman DeGette and Congressman Bishop for their sponsorship of the bill. It is heartening to see the leaders in our nation’s capital working together in a bipartisan manner to create jobs and help so many local economies. We hope the Forest Service will act quickly to craft regulations that allow for the full realization of the benefits of this bill, while ensuring that we protect the spectacular natural environments which serve as the backdrops for mountain resorts. We look forward to expanding our partnershipwiththe USFS to create new recreational opportunities for kids and families that encourage engagement in outdoor activities.”
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in theUnited States. The Company’s subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts inColorado, and Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort in theLake Tahoearea of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company inJackson Hole,Wyo.The Company’s subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across theUnited Statesand in theCaribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New YorkStock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and the consumer website is www.snow.com.
