[House Report 104-211]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 1st Session                                                    104-211
_______________________________________________________________________


 
               THE FALL RIVER VISITOR CENTER ACT OF 1995

                                _______


 July 28, 1995.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


  Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 629]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 629) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the operation of certain visitor facilities 
associated with, but outside the boundaries of, Rocky Mountain 
National Park in the State of Colorado, having considered the 
same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend 
that the bill do pass.

                          purpose of the bill

    The purpose of H.R. 629 is to permit the National Park 
Service at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado to enter 
into a cooperative agreement for the operation of a joint 
public/private visitor center outside the park.

                  background and need for legislation

    Rocky Mountain National Park is the number one tourist 
attraction in the State of Colorado, with an annual visitation 
of almost three million people. Nearly one million visitors 
enter the park via the Fall River entrance each year. Use of 
this entrance has greatly increased due to changing traffic 
patterns in the town of Estes Park located adjacent to the 
park. However, virtually no developed facilities exist to serve 
the visitors at this entrance. As a result, many visitors 
travel the entire distance through the park without the benefit 
of basic information regarding the park and its resources.
    The need for a visitor center was recognized in the 1988 
Fall River Entrance Development Concept Plan. Due to budget 
constraints, little progress has been made towards a visitor 
center. Recently, the H.W. Stewart Corporation offered to build 
and maintain a visitor center on private property located just 
outside the Fall River entrance. In conjunction with the 
visitor center building, commercial buildings and uses would 
also be developed on the site. National Park Service (NPS) 
staff has completed a Conceptual Planning Document for the 
project to aid in future planning on behalf of the Park 
Service. A building of approximately 5,000 square feet has been 
identified as appropriate.
    H.R. 629 would allow a partnership to be formed between the 
National Park Service, the Shirley S. Scrogin Charitable Trust, 
H.W. Stewart, Inc. and the Rocky Mountain National Park 
Associates. The Scrogin Trust will provide $1.25 million toward 
construction and an endowment for continued maintenance and 
operation of the visitor center. H.W. Stewart, Inc. will 
provide the property and will operate a restaurant, gift shop, 
lodge, and stable on its adjacent lands. The Rocky Mountain 
National Park Associates is a non-profit group which has raised 
$65,000 toward the furnishing and educational exhibits which 
are estimated to cost $275,000. Annual operating costs of the 
visitor center are estimated to be $100,000. The Scrogin Trust 
has pledged approximately $30,000 per year with the balance to 
be funded from NPS's operational budget.

                            committee action

    H.R. 629 was introduced on January 26, 1995, by 
Representative Wayne Allard (R-CO). The bill was referred to 
the Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands. On May 18, 
1995, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 629, where the 
Administration testified in support of the bill. On June 27, 
1995, the Subcommittee met to mark up H.R. 629. The bill was 
then ordered favorably reported to the Full Committee without 
amendment. On July 12, 1995, the Full Resources Committee met 
to consider H.R. 629. The bill was ordered favorably reported 
without amendment to the House of Representatives, in the 
presence of a quorum.
                      section-by-section analysis

    Section 1 states that the bill may be cited as ``The Fall 
River Visitor Center Act of 1995''.
    Section 2 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to 
expend funds for the operation and maintenance of a visitor 
center on private lands outside the boundary of Rocky Mountain 
National Park and defines the land where such visitor center is 
to be built. Absent specific congressional authority, NPS would 
not be authorized to spend funds for these purposes on non-
Federal lands. The Committee finds that the type of partnership 
proposed under the legislation is beneficial to the government 
from a cost reduction standpoint.
    In carry out H.R. 629, the Committee expects the Secretary 
of the Interior to ensure that non-Federal activities occurring 
in the immediate vicinity of the Fall River Visitor Center are 
not accorded any preferential endorsement, advertisement or 
promotion by the NPS.

            Committee oversight findings and recommendations

    With respect to the requirements of clause 2(l)(3) of rule 
XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and clause 
2(b)(1) of Rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, 
the Committee on Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                     inflationary impact statement

    Pursuant to clause 2(l)(4) of the rule XI of the rules of 
the House of Representatives, the Committee estimates that the 
enactment of H.R. 629 will have no significant inflationary 
impact on prices and costs in the operation of the national 
economy.

                     compliance with house rule xi

    1. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(B) of 
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, H.R. 
629 does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues to tax expenditures.
    2. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(D) of 
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee has received no report of oversight findings and 
recommendations from the Committee on Government Reform and 
Oversight and the subject of H.R. 629.
    3. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(C) of 
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the 
Committee has received the following costs estimate for H.R. 
629 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

               congressional budget office cost estimate
                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, July 13, 1995.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed H.R. 629, the Fall River Visitor Center Act of 1995, 
as ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources on July 
12, 1995. Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO 
estimates that implementing this bill would cost the federal 
government about $70,000 a year. Enacting H.R. 629 would affect 
direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would 
apply.
    H.R. 629 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
operate and maintain a privately constructed and owned visitor 
center outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. For this 
purpose, the bill would authorize the Secretary to accept and 
spend private contributions and to spend appropriated funds. 
Based on information provided by the National Park Service, CBO 
estimates that it would cost the agency about $100,000 per year 
to operate the center once it is constructed. About $70,000 of 
this amount would require appropriation; the balance would be 
donated by private organizations. Because the $30,000 of new 
annual receipts from contributions would be available for 
obligation without appropriations action, there would be no net 
impact on direct spending.
    H.R. 629 would not affect the budgets of state or local 
governments.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                         June E. O'Neill, Director.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, H.R. 629 would make no changes in existing law.

                          DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS

    The Committee has received no departmental reports on H.R. 
629.