William R. Richardson: “I support H.R. 1527, the ski fee bill, although I do recognize some concerns with this legislation have been expressed…”

“I support H.R. 1527, the ski fee bill, although I do recognize some concerns with this legislation have been expressed by the administration and others. I am all for simplifying the ski fee determination. The current process used by the Forest Service is cumbersome and costly, both for the agency and the permittees. H.R. 1527 greatly simplifies that process. The Federal Government should get fair market value for the use of Federal assets. Unfortunately, as circumstances currently stand, we cannot be assured that this bill meets that test. As the GAO has reported to Congress, the ski industry's fee proposal that is embodied in H.R. 1527 does not assure that the Federal Government receives fair market value. The percentages used in the bill were designed to generate only the same amount in revenue that the Forest Service presently collects. To address the question of fair market value, the bill includes language requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to report to Congress within 3 years on whether the bill's fee formula is achieving fair market value. I think this is a good idea.”