,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #agbc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #e1 #bjai,mr4 ,gardner 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,mr4 ,crapo1 and ,mr4 ,wyden7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,omnibus ,parks and ,public ,lands ,management ,act of #aiif to provide for the establishment of a ,ski ,area ,fee ,retention ,account4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,ski ,area ,fee ,retention ,act4 #b4 ,establishment of ski area fee retention account 7a7 ,in general ,section #gja of division ,i of the ,omnibus ,parks and ,public ,lands ,management ,act of #aiif 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #dig;c7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7k7 ,ski area fee retention account 7#a7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,account ,the term ,account means the ,ski ,area ,fee ,retention ,account established under paragraph 7#b74 7,b7 ,covered unit ,the term covered unit means a national forest that collects a rental charge under this section4 7,c7 ,region ,the term ,region means a ,forest ,service region4 7,d7 ,rental charge ,the term rental charge means a permit rental charge that is charged under subsection 7a74 7,e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,agriculture4 7#b7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall establish in the ,treasury a special account1 to be known as the ,ski ,area ,fee ,retention ,account1 into which there shall be deposited-- 7,a7 in the case of a covered unit at which not less than #ae1jjj1jjj is collected by the covered unit from rental charges in a fiscal year1 an amount equal to #ej percent of the rental charges collected at the covered unit in the fiscal year2 or 7,b7 in the case of any other covered unit1 an amount equal to #fe percent of the rental charges collected at the covered unit in a fiscal year4 7#c7 ,availability ,subject to paragraphs 7#d71 7#e71 and 7#f71 any amounts deposited in the ,account under paragraph 7#b7 shall remain available for expenditure1 without further appropriation1 until expended4 7#d7 ,local distribution of amounts in the account 7,a7 ,in general ,except as provided in subparagraph 7,b71 #ajj percent of the amounts deposited in the ,account from a specific covered unit shall remain available for expenditure at the covered unit at which the rental charges were collected4 7,b7 ,reduction 7i7 ,in general ,subject to clause 7ii71 the ,secretary may reduce the percentage of amounts available to a covered unit under subparagraph 7,a7 if the ,secretary determines that the rental charges collected at the covered unit exceed the reasonable needs of the covered unit for that fiscal year for authorized expenditures described in paragraph 7#e77;,a74 7ii7 ,limitation ,the ,secretary may not reduce the percentage of amounts available under clause 7i7-- 7,i7 in the case of a covered unit described in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 to less than #ce percent of the amount of rental charges deposited in the ,account from the covered unit in a fiscal year2 or 7,,ii7 in the case of any other covered unit1 to less than #ej percent of the amount of rental charges deposited in the ,account from the covered unit in a fiscal year4 7,c7 ,transfer to other covered units and use for non-ski area permits 7i7 ,distribution ,if the ,secretary determines that the percentage of amounts otherwise available to a covered unit under subparagraph 7,a7 should be reduced under subparagraph 7,b71 the ,secretary may transfer to other covered units1 for allocation in accordance with clause 7ii71 the percentage of the amounts withheld from the covered unit under subparagraph 7,b71 to be expended by the other covered units in accordance with paragraph 7#e74 7ii7 ,criteria ,in determining the allocation of amounts to be transferred under clause 7i7 among other covered units1 the ,secretary shall consider-- 7,i7 the number of proposals for ski area improvements in the other covered units2 7,,ii7 any backlog in ski area permit administration or the processing of ski area proposals in the other covered units2 and 7,,iii7 any need for services1 training1 staffing1 or the streamlining of programs in the other covered units or the ,region in which the covered units are located that would improve the administration of the ,forest ,service ,ski ,area ,program4 7#e7 ,authorized expenditures 7,a7 ,in general ,amounts distributed from the ,account to a covered unit under this subsection may be used for-- 7i7 ski area special use permit administration and processing of proposals for ski area improvement projects in the covered unit1 including staffing and contracting for such administration or processing or related services in the covered unit or the applicable ,region2 7ii7 training programs on processing ski area applications1 administering ski area permits1 or ski area process streamlining in the covered unit or the ,region in which the covered unit is located2 7iii7 interpretation activities1 visitor information1 visitor services1 and signage in the covered unit to enhance-- 7,i7 the ski area visitor experience on ,national ,forest ,system land2 and 7,,ii7 avalanche information and education activities carried out by the ,forest ,service2 and 7iv7 the costs of leasing administrative sites under section #hfbc of the ,agriculture ,improvement ,act of #bjah 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ehj;d note2 ,public ,law #aae-ccd7 for ski area-related purposes4 7,b7 ,other uses 7i7 ,authorized uses ,subject to clause 7ii71 if any remaining amounts are available in the ,account after all ski area permit-related expenditures have been made under subparagraph 7,a71 including amounts transferred to other covered units under paragraph 7#d77;,c71 the ,secretary may use any remaining amounts for-- 7,i7 the costs of administering non-ski area ,forest ,service recreation special use permits2 and 7,,ii7 the costs of leasing administrative sites under section #hfbc of the ,agriculture ,improvement ,act of #bjah 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ehj;d note2 ,public ,law #aae-ccd7 for purposes not related to a ski area4 7ii7 ,requirement ,before making amounts available from the ,account for a use authorized under clause 7i71 the ,secretary shall make a determination that all ski area-related permit administration1 processing1 and interpretation needs have been met in all covered units and ,regions4 7,c7 ,limitation ,amounts in the ,account may not be used for-- 7i7 the conduct of wildfire suppression or preparedness activities2 7ii7 the conduct of biological monitoring on ,national ,forest ,system land under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47 for listed species or candidate species1 except as required by law for environmental review of ski area projects2 or 7iii7 the acquisition of land for inclusion in the ,national ,forest ,system4 7#f7 ,savings provisions 7,a7 ,in general ,nothing in this subsection affects the applicability of section #g of the ,act of ,april #bd1 #aiej 7commonly known as the ,granger-,thye ,act7 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ehj;d71 to ski areas on ,national ,forest ,system land4 7,b7 ,supplemental funding ,rental charges retained and expended under this subsection shall supplement 7and not supplant7 appropriated funding for the operation and maintenance of each covered unit4 4 7b7 ,effective date ,this section 7including the amendments made by this section7 shall take effect on the date that is #fj days after the date of enactment of this ,act4 7c7 ,implementation ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall not be required to issue regulations or policy guidance to implement this section 7including the amendments made by this section74