Bipartisan caucus aims to support ski industry threatened by climate change
Getting Democrats and Republicans to agree on how to tackle climate change will not be easy. “Fortunately, with something as enjoyable as winter sports, it’s not that hard to do,” Republican Congressman John Curtis of Utah said in an interview with GlacierHub.
Curtis is co-chairman Ski and Snowboard Caucus, with Rep. Ann Custer, a Democrat from New Hampshire.The caucus was re-formed in 2014 to bring awareness and create bipartisan solutions to social, economic and political issues in the ski and snowboard industry, which is increasingly at risk warm winter and fewer snow days. These impacts are being felt locally, from Washington’s glacier-filled North Cascades to the Appalachian Mountains, affecting nearly 500 ski areas in the United States and the communities that depend on them for work and income.
Omni Mount Washington is a New Hampshire resort represented by Congresswoman Kuster through the Ski and Snowboard Caucus. Credit: Bretton Woods /Frick
When it comes to protecting a $20.3 billion In industries that provide jobs through ski resorts, hotels, restaurants, bars, grocery stores and gas stations, U.S. representatives who make up the bipartisan caucus are willing to look beyond their partisan affiliations. “As with anything in Congress, getting things done with long-term impact requires working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” said Curtis, who has been in office since 2017.
In June, Curtis, along with other Republican representatives, introduced conservative climate caucus Aims to bring the climate conversation into the Republican Party and to educate Republicans on climate legislation that aligns with conservative values. Curtis also traveled to Glasgow late last year for the COP26 United Nations climate change conference, aimed at representing the Republican Party’s commitment to climate action on the global stage.
Rep. Kuster, who has served New Hampshire since 2013, has also been talking about climate action on the left. In 2020, Kuster and New Hampshire Representative Chris Pappas released a report in December detailing rejoining the Paris Agreement to protect Granite Staters Health and Wellbeing — An action taken by the newly inaugurated President Biden on his first day in office in 2021.The representative also helped introduce bipartisan legislation Removing outdated dams to restore rivers and promote renewable energy in the US
winter is heat up faster than other seasons.Locally, this means less snow in many parts of the country. Snowfall in the western U.S. will decrease by 25% by 2050, According to a recent study In the journal Nature.Over the past century, the American West has lost 17 days Snow-covered while winter is gone in the Northeast, Upstate New York and Midwest 21 days snow.
Photo Caption: Ski resort in Park City, Utah. The ski industry brings in $1.4 billion annually to the state. Credit: Michelle_Raponi/focus on
Congresswoman Kuster said in an interview with GlacierHub that only lawmakers working together regardless of politics can support the struggling ski industry. “A united front is imperative if Congress is to act to address rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns affecting communities across the country.”
Currently, Custer and Curtis are working to pass the Ski Mountain Resources for Economic Development Act, known as the SHRED ActKuster said the bill, introduced in June 2021, would create a ski area fee retention account to help support recreational improvements in ski areas by creating a funding account within the U.S. Forest Service dedicated to permitting. The funds can then be used to improve local infrastructure, avalanche forecasting and the visitor experience in ski areas within the boundaries of the national forest. The bill passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in November and is now awaiting a vote in both chambers. It’s also in response to Covid-19-related setbacks, which have cost the U.S. ski industry at least $2 billion. National Ski Area Association.
Both Curtis and Kuster emphasized the importance of the ski and snowboard industry providing jobs in their states. In the United States, the industry supports more than 191,000 jobs and generates $6.9 billion in wages, according to a 2016 analysis. protect our winter“If we can expand our support for the ski industry and promote year-round recreational activities on our ski mountains, we will create more year-round jobs and boost the local economy in New Hampshire and around the country,” Cuth Te said.
“Millions of people come to Utah to enjoy the snow every year, and skiing and snowboarding is a huge tourist attraction in the winter, which is a huge support for the local economy. That said, the resort has a great workforce to support tourists. Important,” Curtis added.
Kuster and Curtis also endorse the role of the caucus in bringing climate dialogue to the local level. “Climate change is affecting our winters in New Hampshire – and our ski mountains are feeling it. Raising awareness of this fact through the Ski and Snowboard Caucus, regardless of their political stance, climate change issues make Granite Staters Feeling closer to home,” Kuster said.
Little Aspen Canyon, Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah. Credit: Theriot, Frick
While the Ski and Snowboard Caucus has yet to develop legislation to directly address climate change through emissions reductions or industry rely With regard to how fossil fuels work, it provides space for politicians on both sides to agree on how to protect the future they will face together. “I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want to leave this planet a better place for future generations, and we should focus on that,” Curtis concluded.
