Senate Bill Boosts Summertime Opportunities for Washington Ski Areas
In rare good government news, the United States Senate passed the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act yesterday, and both our senators, Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA), were co-sponsors behind this bit of legislation. Essentially, the bill allows ski areas and resorts located on federal land to pursue non-ski related activities in the off-season, which ultimately means more jobs year round. Hooray, employment! Who knew the federal government could do more than just talk about job creation?
So, what does this mean for the State of Washington? Well, there are eight ski areas in the state directly affected by the bill. To the far east, there is 49 Degrees North (Chewelah) and Ski Bluewood in Walla Walla. To the north, Mount Baker near Bellingham and Everett's Stevens Pass. And in Snoqualmie National Forest, White Pass, Mission Ridge, Crystal Mountain, and Snoqualmie Pass will all feel an impact. Each of these ski areas will now be able to offer a whole new range of fair weather activities, like mountain biking, hiking, and even the occasional mountaintop wedding. As noted earlier, this means year round job opportunities at all these sites, and the hope is that surrounding communities will feel a positive economic impact from these changes. This also means a whole new world of summertime fun for outdoor activity lovers, and we've heard there are a few of those wandering around Seattle and other parts of the state.
For now, all that stands between the bill becoming a law is President Obama's signature, but with no apparent opposition on the horizon, we're going to go ahead and assume this is a done deal. So, we're curious, will you be taking advantage of new summertime activities at nearby ski resorts? Why or why not?
