[House Report 104-526]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     104-526
_______________________________________________________________________


 
                 TENSAS RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

                                _______


 April 18, 1996.--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. 2660]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 2660) to increase the amount authorized to be 
appropriated to the Department of the Interior for the Tensas 
River 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. 2660 is to increase the amount 
authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the Interior 
for the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    The Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge was established 
on June 28, 1980, by Public Law 96-285, to preserve the largest 
remaining privately-owned bottomland hardwood tract in the 
Lower Mississippi River Delta. The Act authorizes $10 million 
for the Department of the Interior and $40 million for the 
Department of the Army for land acquisition. The Department of 
the Interior portion of the acquisition funding is obtained 
through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (16 U.S.C. 460-4).
    The Tensas River lands support a tremendous variety of 
wildlife including the largest white-tailed deer herd in 
Louisiana. This is indicative of the wide diversity of habitat 
types occurring in the Refuge. In addition to the numerous 
species of small mammal and passerine birds observed, the area 
provides habitat for the Louisiana black bear. The Tensas River 
population is one of only two known populations of this 
subspecies in existence.
    The backwater sloughs, lakes, and bayous provide habitat 
for a great diversity of aquatic life including fish, reptiles, 
amphibians, mollusks, and crustaceans. Although water quality 
in the Tensas River has been degraded by agricultural runoff, 
the meandering character of the River has been preserved. The 
Tensas River is the only major waterway in the Louisiana delta 
that has not been extensively altered by channelization.
    The Tensas River Basin is within the historic ranges of 
several Federally-listed endangered or threatened species. 
Reliable reports of bald eagle sightings have been received 
from within this area. The backwater lakes and sloughs continue 
to provide habitat for the American alligator. The Bachman's 
warbler may frequent the area, and the Arctic peregrine falcon 
possibly migrates through in the fall and the spring.
    To date, Congress has appropriated $20 million for land 
acquisition at the Refuge (through two consecutive 
authorizations of $10 million). Due to higher than anticipated 
land costs for an expansion of the Refuge (as authorized by 
Public Law 98-581), additional funds may be necessary to 
complete the acquisition process. H.R. 2660 makes two changes 
in Public Law 98-285: it increases from $10 to $20 million the 
amount that may be appropriated to the Department of the 
Interior and makes funding available beginning October 1, 1995. 
The language removes the need for future amendments to the 
authorizing Act and it will allow the Department of the 
Interior to acquire those critical lands for the Tensas River 
National Wildlife Refuge.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 2660 was introduced on November 17, 1995, by 
Congressman Jim McCrery. The bill was referred to the Committee 
on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans.
    On December 14, 1995, the Subcommittee held a hearing on 
H.R. 2660. The following testified in support of the bill: 
Congressman Jim McCrery; Dr. Robert P. Davison, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; and Mr. 
Murray Lloyd, President, Black Bear Conservation Committee.
    On March 14, 1996, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife 
and Oceans met to markup H.R. 2660 and ordered it reported 
favorably, without amendment, to the Full Committee on 
Resources by voice vote.
    On March 28, 1996, the Committee on Resources met to 
consider H.R. 2660. There were no amendments, and the Committee 
ordered the bill favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by voice vote, in the presence of a quorum.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

  Section 1. Increase in Amount Authorized to be Appropriated to the 
   Department of the Interior for the Tensas River National Wildlife 
                                 Refuge

    Section 5 of ``An Act to establish the Tensas River 
National Wildlife Refuge'' is amended to read as follows:
          (1) beginning October 1, 1995, not to exceed 
        $20,000,000 to the Department of the Interior.

            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. 2660 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. 2660. 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. 
2660 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. 2660.
    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. 
2660 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, April 17, 1996.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed H.R. 2660, a bill to increase the amount authorized to 
be appropriated to the Department of the Interior for the 
Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, as ordered reported by 
the House Committee on Resources on March 28, 1996. Assuming 
appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that 
implementing this legislation would cost the federal government 
between $17 million and $20 million over the next 10 to 15 
years.
    H.R. 2660 would authorize appropriations of an additional 
$20 million to acquire land for the Tensas River National 
Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. (Appropriations of $20.3 million 
have previously been provided and spent for this purpose.) 
Based on information provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, CBO estimates that the agency would need between $17 
million and $20 million to acquire another 13,300 acres for the 
refuge. Based on the agency's current land acquisition 
priorities, we expect that most of the additional funding would 
probably not be requested or appropriated for several years. 
Annual expenses to manage the additional acreage and make 
payments to local governments under the Refuge Revenue Sharing 
Act once all property is acquired are not expected to be 
significant.
    H.R. 2660 does not contain any private sector or 
intergovernmental mandates as defined in Public Law 104-4 and 
would impose no direct costs on state, local, or tribal 
governments. Finally, the bill 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,
                                              James L. Blum
                                   (For June E. O'Neill, Director).

                    Compliance With Public Law 104-4

    H.R. 2660 contains no unfunded mandates.

                          Departmental Reports

    The Committee has received no departmental reports on H.R. 
2660.

         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, and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

                 SECTION 5 OF THE ACT OF JUNE 28, 1980

     AN ACT To establish the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

    Sec 5. For purposes of carrying out this Act, there are 
authorized to be appropriated--
          [(1) beginning October 1, 1985, not to exceed 
        $10,000,000 to the Department of the Interior; and]
          (1) beginning October 1, 1995, not to exceed 
        $20,000,000 to the Department of the Interior; and
          * * * * * * *

                                
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