Rob Bishop: “This is another good bill that solves a problem that should have been solved at another level, and to introduce it I…”

“This is another good bill that solves a problem that should have been solved at another level, and to introduce it I would yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor, the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon). Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 2157. I want to thank Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey, as well as Subcommittee Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva, for giving my legislation a fair hearing and moving the bill through the committee. Mr. Speaker, the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is located in the northern half of my district in the eastern Sierra Mountains. Mammoth provides between 10 and 30 percent of the total employment in Mono County, and it's a primary recreation destination for tourists all throughout California and the United States. Each winter, Mammoth sees an average of 1.3 million visitors. {time} 1640 These visitors pump vital money into the local economy by populating hotels, motels, restaurants, and stores throughout the region. Tourism is the lifeblood of the eastern Sierra. Mammoth has operated on a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service since 1953. The base area of the mountain is aging rapidly and is in need of renovation and redevelopment in order to provide a safer, more enjoyable experience for visitors to Mammoth Mountain; however, these renovations are difficult to achieve under the terms of the special use permit.…”