WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Mark Udall on Tuesday night that will help ski resorts to offer other activities, such as zip lines.
The bill – the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011 – would “clarify the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture regarding additional recreational uses of National Forest System land that is subject to ski area permits,” according to its text.
It will now go to President Barack Obama to be signed it into law.
Durango Mountain Resort said that it has been supportive of the bill, given that it further clarifies the process by which ski resorts can add additional activities.
“(The resort) already offers many summer activities, including an Alpine slide, hiking and mountain bike trails, scenic chairlift ride, and we just added the new Purgatory Plunge Zipline in the base area, one of only a few zip lines that is open during the summer and winter seasons,” said Kim McNulty, director of communications for the Durango Mountain Resort.
At the moment, law allows the National Forest Service to limit ski area permits mostly to “Nordic and Alpine skiing,” which makes it unclear whether and how other activities, such as snowboarding, zip lining and mountain biking, can be permitted.
On Wednesday, Udall, D-Colo., called the bill’s passage a victory for Colorado’s mountain economies.
“I’ve been fighting for five years to pass the bill, which will help create year-round jobs in Colorado ski communities at no cost to tax payers,” the senator said.
When asked what was different this year from other years when this legislation did not go anywhere, Udall said he realized a few months ago that if he didn’t “go all in,” the bill would continue to be “held hostage.” He added there were several bills attached to his, which made it easier to get other senators interested.
In regards to worries about possible pollution from the increased use, Udall said the law would not turn mountains into “amusement parks,” given that there are provisions in the bill that do not permit the development of these properties, and he said the quality of life won’t be affected in ski communities.
“The Forest Service felt they didn’t have clear direction from the Congress, and therefore the ski industry itself, which is interested in increasing the number of activities, particularly in the off-seasons, had trouble getting clear direction from the Forest Service,” Udall said.
The bill was passed in the House of Representatives with the support of U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton two weeks ago. Tipton, who co-sponsored the bill on the House, said earlier this month the legislation would increase tourism while creating jobs for rural mountain communities.
Rocío González is an intern for The Durango Herald and a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C.
