Washington, DC – A bill authorizing summer and year-round activities at ski areas on Forest System lands passed Congress late on Tuesday and is expected to be signed into law soon by President Barack Obama.

The Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act (S. 382/H.R. 765) paves the way for more robust summer operations at the nation’s 121 ski areas that operate on public lands. The measure will allow ski resorts located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,  New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Vermont,  Washington and Wyoming  to offer their guests a wider array of activities in summer, including zip lines, mountain biking and mountain bike parks, ropes courses and disc golf courses.

Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), who introduced the bill three times – once as a Representative in 2008 and twice as a Senator— worked tirelessly to push the bill, which passed the House twice before but failed each time in the Senate, past the finish line. The bipartisan measure passed unanimously in the Senate and by an overwhelmingly positive margin of 394 to 0 last week in the House of Representatives.  Udall has indicated that President Obama supports the bill, which is thus expected to be signed into law in the upcoming weeks.

“In Colorado, we know that the last snowflake falling doesn’t signal the end to our outdoor recreation—and it’s about time the law reflected that,” said Udall. “A small clarification to the law means that appropriate activities like snowboarding, zip lining and concerts can take place on public lands, enhancing our enjoyment of them and helping mountain communities sustain local jobs through the shoulder seasons. This is a big win for mountain towns and ski areas across Colorado and across the country.”

Many ski areas operate on National Forest System lands in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and pay fees to the federal government on the basis of revenues generated on public land. The bill’s proponents say that passage of the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act will result in increased revenues to the federal government, as increased summer and year-round revenues will boost federal government receipts.

The bill would amend the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 to permit activities beyond the alpine and Nordic skiing already allowed in ski areas on public lands. Such uses would include zip lines, mountain coasters and alpine slides as well as mountain biking and concerts that some resorts already offer on adjacent private land, but this bill would allow such facilities on National Forest Service land leased to the resorts with Forest Service approval. Industry planners caution, though, that the bill is very limited in scope, for example expressly prohibiting such facilities as tennis courts and water parks. Ski industry backers nonetheless expressed their gratitude at the bill’s passage.

“We are thrilled about the passage of this bill and we want to thank the bill sponsors, including Senator Udall from Colorado, Senator (John) Barrasso (R) from Wyoming, Representative (Rob) Bishop (R) from Utah, and Representative (Diana) DeGette (D) from Colorado, for their superb leadership in moving this legislation forward in Washington during these challenging times,” said President of the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), Michael Berry.  “Ski areas across the country are ready to step up our summer programs and provide our guests a fantastic experience on the slopes during the summer months as well.  Year-round activities at ski areas will allow resorts to create more year-round jobs and boost the economies of the mountain communities in which we operate.”

“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.  “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 partnership with the USFS to create new recreational opportunities for kids and families that encourage engagement in outdoor activities.”

Ski industry executives say that if passed, the Forest Service will require education regarding what is allowed under the new law. U.S. Forest Service head Tom Tidwell, however, confirmed earlier this summer that his agency is already drafting rules to put into place if and when the bill is written into law.