Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act' Aims to Boost Mountain Biking at Ski Resorts

A congressional bill that would allow ski resorts to offer more summer-season recreational opportunities on public land passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, moving to the Senate for consideration.

The Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., would make it easier for the U.S. Forest Service to permit uses other than alpine or nordic skiing on public land. Twenty-two of the state's 26 ski areas are wholly or partially located on such land.

Several area ski resorts have said that, if the measure becomes law, they likely would set up attractions such as zip lines and advanced mountain biking trails that could generate more off-season revenue for them and allow the creation of more year-round jobs.

The bill, which died on the last day of the 2010 congressional session, passed through the House Monday along with several other bills that had no opposition. A Senate version of the legislation already has received approval from the Committee on Energy Resources and awaits full Senate debate.

"My bill would help the mountain communities create jobs and boost their economies while creating more recreational opportunities for Coloradans to visit the mountains," Udall said in a news release Monday. "It's time for the Senate to follow the House's lead and pass my bill on the floor."