SAM Magazine--October 18, 2011--This afternoon, the Senate passed the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Act and the bill will now head to President Obama for his signature. The bill, which will allow ski areas on Forest Service land more freedom to offer activities year-round, passed the House earlier this month.

Colorado Senator Mark Udall, one of the main sponsors of the bill, had this to say on his Facebook page: "I'm thrilled to report that the ski areas bill is now headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. This is a great win for Colorado's mountain towns-with a simple clarification to the law, we're helping ski towns and resorts create hundreds of jobs and bolster communities during the shoulder seasons. I'm grateful to my bipartisan partners in Congress who backed this legislation. I hope this is a positive sign that we can continue to work together on behalf of Coloradans-and all Americans."

The 2011 act, which updates the Permit Act of 1986, would give regional foresters guidelines that would permit a range of activities that aren't addressed by current Forest Service rules, including mountain roller coasters, disc golf, ziplines and ropes courses.

Many ski area planners warn, however, that there is still much work to be done to educate the Forest Service on any proposed activities and that the bill is limited in scope. For example, water parks and tennis courts are expressly prohibited. \

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