[House Report 104-290]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 1st Session                                                    104-290
_______________________________________________________________________


 
       RENAMING OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AS 
         DON EDWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

                                _______


  October 24, 1995.--Referred to the House Calendar 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. 1253]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 1253) to rename the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife 
Refuge as the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife 
Refuge, 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. 1253 is to rename the San Francisco Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge as the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    In 1972, Congressman Don Edwards (D-CA) sponsored 
legislation to establish the San Francisco Bay National 
Wildlife Refuge. This measure, Public Law 92-330, authorized 
the Federal Government to acquire 20,000 acres around the Bay 
to protect the area's ecologically sensitive environment. In 
the years that followed, Congressman Edwards was successful in 
securing Federal funds to acquire land for the Refuge and 
convincing Congress to approve a second piece of legislation in 
1988, which significantly expanded the boundaries of the Refuge 
unit (Public Law 100-556).
    Today, 23,000-plus acre San Francisco Bay National Wildlife 
Refuge is home to numerous plants and wildlife species, and 
provides habitat for five endangered species, including the 
California Clapper Rail and the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse. San 
Francisco Bay, which is approximately 55 miles long and 3 to 12 
miles wide, is a key wintering area for diving ducks along the 
Pacific flyway and the South Bay supports hundreds of thousands 
of shorebirds.
    The Refuge is comprised of valuable wetlands located around 
the Bay and it has become an important education and recreation 
center. In fact, the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge 
is now the largest urban refuge in the United States.
    The Refuge is surrounded by an urban population of five 
million people and is heavily visited, with over 250,000 people 
enjoying its facilities each year.
    While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has, in the past, 
resisted efforts to name or rename units of the Wildlife Refuge 
system after living Americans, it is clear that the tireless 
efforts of Congressman Edwards, who retired in 1994, were 
largely responsible for the creation of the San Francisco Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 1253 was introduced on March 15, 1995, by Congressman 
Norman Mineta. The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans.
    On May 25, 1995, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 
1253 and other issues. Congressman Mineta submitted a statement 
in support of his legislation. In his statement, Congressman 
Mineta noted that ``throughout his time in Congress, Don 
Edwards maintained a close working relationship with local 
community and environmental groups in the Bay area. I can think 
of no more fitting tribute to Don's work than to rename the San 
Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in his honor.''
    On June 27, 1995, the Subcommittee considered H.R. 1253 in 
markup session and ordered it reported favorably, without 
amendment, to the Full Committee on Resources by voice vote.
    On September 27, 1995, the Full Resources Committee met to 
consider H.R. 1253. There were no amendments and the Committee 
then ordered the bill favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by voice vote.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

Section 1. San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge renamed as Don 
        Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

    Subsection (a) renames the San Francisco Bay National 
Wildlife Refuge as ``The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National 
Wildlife Refuge''.
    Subsection (b) provides that any reference in any statute, 
rule, regulation, or other document of the United States will 
reflect this name change.
    Subsection (c) amends Public Law 92-330 to reflect the new 
designation of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National 
Wildlife Refuge.

            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 rule XI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee estimates that the 
enactment of H.R. 1253 will have no significant inflationary 
impact on prices and costs in the operation of the national 
economy.

                        Cost of the Legislation

    Clause 7(a) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the 
Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out 
H.R. 1253. However, clause 7(d) of that Rule provides that this 
requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in 
its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill 
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
under section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                     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. 
1253 does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or 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 on the subject of H.R. 1253.
    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 cost estimate for H.R. 
1253 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                  Washington, DC, October 19, 1995.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed H.R. 1253, a bill to rename the San Francisco Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge as the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge, as ordered reported by the House 
Committee on Resources on September 27, 1995. We estimate that 
enacting this bill would result in no significant costs to the 
federal government and no costs to state or local governments. 
H.R. 1253 would not affect direct spending or receipts; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
    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.

                          Departmental Reports

    The Committee has received no departmental reports on H.R. 
1253.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause 3 of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed 
is shown in roman):

                          ACT OF JUNE 30, 1972

   AN ACT To provide for the establishment of the San Francisco Bay 
                        National Wildlife Refuge

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for 
the preservation and enhancement of highly significant wildlife 
habitat in the area known as south San Francisco Bay in the 
State of California, for the protection of migratory waterfowl 
and other wildlife, including species known to be threatened 
with extinction, and to provide an opportunity for wildlife-
oriented recreation and nature study within the open space so 
preserved, the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred 
to as the ``Secretary'') is authorized and directed to 
establish, as herein provided, a national wildlife refuge to be 
known as the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife 
Refuge (hereinafter referred to as the ``refuge'').
    Sec. 2. There shall be included within the boundaries of 
the refuge the following:
          (1) Those lands, marshes, tidal flats, salt ponds, 
        submerged lands, and open waters in the south San 
        Francisco Bay area generally depicted on the map 
        entitled ``Boundary Map, Proposed Don Edwards San 
        Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge'', dated July 
        1971, and which comprise approximately twenty-one 
        thousand six hundred and sixty-two acres within four 
        distinct units to be known as Fremont (five thousand 
        five hundred and twenty acres), Mowry Slough (seven 
        thousand one hundred and seventy-five acres), Alviso 
        (three thousand and eighty acres), and Greco Island 
        (five thousand eight hundred and eighty seven acres). 
        Said boundary map shall be on file and available for 
        public inspection in the offices of the United States 
        Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
          (2) Up to 20,000 acres in the vicinity of the areas 
        described in paragraph (1), and similar to the areas 
        described in paragraph (1), which the Secretary 
        determines are necessary to protect fish and wildlife 
        resources.
          * * * * * * *

                                
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