Congressman Scott Tipton, who represents Colorado’s third district, authored a bill to speed up permitting on Forest Service land. He said it’s to benefit local economies.
Rep. Tipton said the Forest Service doesn’t process ski area permits fast enough. This leads to development projects that drag on and on, which, in turn, hurts local economies.
Many ski areas are on Forest Service land and, therefore, pay the agency rent. It adds up to more than $37 million a year. The money goes into the U.S. Treasury and is not allocated for anything in particular.
Tipton’s bill would allow the Forest Service to use a portion of the rental fees to bolster their permitting process.
