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The Secretary of Agriculture shall charge a rental charge for all ski area permits issued pursuant to section 3 of the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 497b), the Act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1101, chapter 144; 16 U.S.C. 497), or the 9th through 20th paragraphs under the heading “SURVEYING THE PUBLIC LANDS” under the heading “UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR” in the Act of June 4, 1897 (30 Stat. 34, chapter 2), on National Forest System lands. Permit rental charges for permits issued pursuant to the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 shall be calculated as set forth in subsection (b) of this section. Permit rental charges for existing ski area permits issued pursuant to the Act of March 4, 1915, and the Act of June 4, 1897, shall be calculated in accordance with those existing permits: Provided, That a permittee may, at the permittee’s option, use the calculation method set forth in subsection (b) of this section.

The rental charge set forth in subsection (b) of this section shall be due on June 1 of each year and shall be paid or prepaid by the permittee on a monthly, quarterly, annual or other schedule as determined appropriate by the Secretary in consultation with the permittee. Unless mutually agreed otherwise by the Secretary and the permittee, the payment or prepayment schedule shall conform to the permittee’s schedule in effect prior to November 12, 1996. To reduce costs to the permittee and the Forest Service, the Secretary shall each year provide the permittee with a standardized form and worksheets (including annual rental charge calculation brackets and rates) to be used for rental charge calculation and submitted with the rental charge payment. Information provided on such forms shall be compiled by the Secretary annually and kept in the Office of the Chief, United States Forest Service.

The ski area permit rental charge set forth in this section shall become effective on June 1, 1996 and cover receipts retroactive to June 1, 1995: Provided, That if a permittee has paid rental charges for the period June 1, 1995, to June 1, 1996, under the graduated rate rental charge system formula in effect prior to November 12, 1996, such rental charges shall be credited toward the new rental charge due on June 1, 1996. In order to ensure increasing rental charge receipt levels to the United States during transition from the graduated rate rental charge system formula to the formula of this section, the rental charge paid by any individual permittee shall be—

Under no circumstances shall revenue, or subpermittee revenue (other than lift ticket, area use pass, or ski school sales) obtained from operations physically located on non-national forest land be included in the ski area permit rental charge calculation.

To reduce administrative costs of ski area permittees and the Forest Service the terms “revenue” and “sales”, as used in this section, shall mean actual income from sales and shall not include sales of operating equipment, refunds, rent paid to the permittee by sublessees, sponsor contributions to special events or any amounts attributable to employee gratuities or employee lift tickets, discounts, or other goods or services (except for bartered goods and complimentary lift tickets offered for commercial or other promotional purposes) for which the permittee does not receive money.

In cases where an area of national forest land is under a ski area permit but the permittee does not have revenue or sales qualifying for rental charge payment pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the permittee shall pay an annual minimum rental charge of $2 for each national forest acre under permit or a percentage of appraised land value, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.

Where the new rental charge provided for in subsection (b)(1) of this section results in an increase in permit rental charge greater than one-half of 1 percent of the permittee’s adjusted gross revenue as determined under subsection (b)(1) of this section, the new rental charge shall be phased in over a five-year period in a manner providing for increases of approximately equal increments.

To reduce Federal costs in administering the provisions of this section, the reissuance of a ski area permit to provide activities similar in nature and amount to the activities provided under the previous permit shall not constitute a major Federal action for the purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.).

Subject to valid existing rights, all lands located within the boundaries of ski area permits issued prior to, on or after November 12, 1996, pursuant to authority of the Act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1101, chapter 144; 16 U.S.C. 497), and the Act of June 4, 1897, or the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 497b) are hereby and henceforth automatically withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the mining laws and from disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing and all amendments thereto. Such withdrawal shall continue for the full term of the permit and any modification, reissuance, or renewal thereof. Unless the Secretary requests otherwise of the Secretary of the Interior, such withdrawal shall be canceled automatically upon expiration or other termination of the permit and the land automatically restored to all appropriation not otherwise restricted under the public land laws.