110 STAT. 4184 PUBLIC LAW 104-333 —NOV. 12, 1996 (1) for the 1995-1996 permit year, either the rental charge pgiid for the preceding 1994-1995 base year or the rental charge calculated pursuant to this Act, whichever is higher; (2) for the 1996-1997 permit year, either the rental charge paid for the 1994-1995 base year or the rental charge calculated pursuant to this Act, whichever is higher; and (3) for the 1997-1998 permit year, either the rental charge for the 1994-1995 base year or the rental charge calculated pursuant to this Act, whichever is higher. If an individual permittee's adjusted gross revenue for the 1995- 1996, 1996-1997, or 1997-1998 permit years falls more than 10 percent below the 1994—1995 base year, the rental charge paid shall be the rental charge calculated pursuant to this Act. (e) 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. (f) 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) for which the permittee does not receive money. (g) 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), 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. (h) Where the new rental charge provided for in subsection (b)(1) 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), the new rental charge shall be phased in over a five-year period in a manner providing for increases of approximately equal increments. (i) To reduce Federal costs in administering the provisions of this Act, 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.). (j) Subject to valid existing rights, all lands located within the boundaries of ski area permits issued prior to, on or after the date of enactment of this Act 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 csmceled automatically upon expiration or other
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