[House Report 104-527]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     104-527
_______________________________________________________________________


 
                 NORTH PLATTE 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. 2679]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 2679) to revise the boundary of the North Platte 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. 2679 is to revise the boundaries of the 
North Platte National Wildlife Refuge in the State of Nebraska.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    The North Platte National Wildlife Refuge was established 
by Executive Order 2446 on August 21, 1916. The Refuge was 
established ``as a preserve and breeding ground for native 
birds''. Incorporated within the Refuge is the Lake Minatare 
unit which consists of 3,087 acres. It is an artificial 
reservoir constructed inland and apart from the main stream of 
the North Platte River. It is located in Scotts Bluff County, 
Nebraska, and the terrain is generally low, gently rolling 
hills. Lake Minatare is a 2,150-acre reservoir built at the 
elevation of 4,126 feet. While there are no known endangered 
plants present at Lake Minatare, bald eagles and whooping 
cranes have visited this area in the past.
    The Lake Minatare unit is open for public use from January 
15 to September 30. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 
estimates that between 250,000 to 325,000 people visit this 
unit each year to boat, fish, picnic, sightsee and swim.
    On May 14, 1995, the Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service in Denver, Colorado, issued a report 
recommending that 2,470 acres of land in the Lake Minatare 
unit, having a low wildlife but high recreational value, be 
removed from the Wildlife Refuge System. These lands include 
2,150 acres of open water and 320 acres of uplands. The report 
noted that the 2,470 acres ``provide nothing significant 
towards the achieving [of] refuge or the National Refuge System 
purposes and goals. The need for this action is to reduce the 
amount of funds this station spends on areas of low value to 
wildlife and wildlife oriented recreation''. Furthermore, the 
report indicated that the 617 acres of land retained in the 
Refuge would be managed for wildlife value and recreation.
    The purpose of H.R. 2679 is to legislatively remove the 
2,470 acres from the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge. 
Once enacted, it is expected that these lands will be managed 
by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission through a lease from 
the Bureau of Reclamation.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 2679 was introduced on November 28, 1995, by 
Congressman Bill Barrett. 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. 2679. Testifying in support of the bill were the Honorable 
Bill Barrett; Dr. Robert P. Davison, Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service; and Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Ehrhart of Minatare, 
Nebraska.
    On March 14, 1996, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife 
and Oceans met to mark up H.R. 2679 and ordered it favorably 
reported, without amendment, to the Full Committee on Resources 
by voice vote.
    On March 28, 1996, the Committee on Resources met to 
consider H.R. 2679. 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. Revision of the boundary of the North Platte National 
        Wildlife Refuge

    Under subsection (a), the secondary jurisdiction of the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service over approximately 
2,470 acres of land at the North Platte National Wildlife 
Refuge in the State of Nebraska is terminated.
    Under subsection (b), Executive Order 2446, dated August 
21, 1916, is revoked with respect to the lands referred to in 
section 1.

            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. 2679 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. 2679. 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. 
2679 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. 2679.
    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. 
2679 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. 2679, a bill to revise the boundary of the North 
Platte National Wildlife Refuge, as ordered reported by the 
House Committee on Resources on March 28, 1996.
    H.R. 2679 would remove about 2,470 acres of land from the 
North Platte National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska. Jurisdiction 
over those areas would revert to the Bureau of Reclamation. 
Based on information obtained from the Department of the 
Interior, CBO estimates that the transfer would have no 
significant impact on the budgets of either agency.
    H.R. 2679 contains no private sector or intergovernmental 
mandates as defined in Public Law 104-4 and would impose no 
direct costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    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. 2679 contains no unfunded mandates.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    If enacted, H.R. 2679 would make no changes in existing 
law.

                          Departmental Reports

    The Committee has received no departmental reports on H.R. 
2679.

                                
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