Aspen Skiing Co. standing behind water rights bill opposed by river groups

Aspen Skiing Co. continues to support House Resolution 3189, the Water Rights Protection Act, despite opposition from environmental groups that are concerned it would weaken the ability of federal agencies to protect river ecosystems.

The bill was amended Thursday morning in a House Natural Resources committee meeting by Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, the bill’s sponsor, and then voted out of committee on a largely party-line basis. All 18 Republican members of the committee present supported the bill, while 14 of 15 Democrats voted against moving it to the House floor.

Skico said in a prepared statement Thursday afternoon that it “supports the (National Ski Area Association’s) position” on the bill, which is designed — at least in part — to protect ski areas from Forest Service policies that would require ski areas to turn over their private water rights to the federal government as a condition of their ski area special-use permits.

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