[House Report 104-878]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 480
104th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Report 104-878
LEGISLATIVE AND OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES
of the
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
of the
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
during the
ONE HUNDRED FOURTH CONGRESS
January 2, 1997.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
DON YOUNG, Alaska, Chairman
GEORGE MILLER, California W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana \4\
EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts \5\ JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah
NICK JOE RAHALL II, West Virginia JIM SAXTON, New Jersey
BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota ELTON GALLEGLY, California
DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., Tennessee
PAT WILLIAMS, Montana JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado
SAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California
BILL RICHARDSON, New Mexico WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado
PETER A. DeFAZIO, Oregon WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American KEN CALVERT, California
Samoa RICHARD W. POMBO, California
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota PETER G. TORKILDSEN, Massachusetts
NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii J.D. HAYWORTH, Arizona
GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts FRANK A. CREMEANS, Ohio
SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas BARBARA CUBIN, Wyoming
OWEN B. PICKETT, Virginia \3\ WES COOLEY, Oregon
FRANK PALLONE, Jr., New Jersey \3\ HELEN CHENOWETH, Idaho
CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California LINDA SMITH, Washington
CARLOS ROMERO-BARCELO, Puerto GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California
Rico WALTER B. JONES, Jr., North
NATHAN DEAL, Georgia \1\ Carolina
MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY, Texas
ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam RICHARD (DOC) HASTINGS, Washington
SAM FARR, California JACK METCALF, Washington
PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island \5\ JAMES B. LONGLEY, Jr., Maine
JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona
JOHN E. ENSIGN, Nevada \2\
----------
\1\ Resigned from Resources Committee on May 10, 1995.
\2\ Appointed to Resources Committee pursuant to H. Res. 157 on May 25,
1995.
\3\ Appointed to Resources Committee pursuant to H. Res. 166 on June
13, 1995.
\4\ Appointed to Resources Committee pursuant to H. Res. 217 on
September 21, 1995.
\5\ Appointed to Resources Committee pursuant to H. Res. 281 on
November 20, 1995.
STANDING SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
National Parks, Forests and Lands
JAMES V. HANSEN, Chairman
BILL RICHARDSON JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr.
NICK JOE RAHALL II JOEL HEFLEY
BRUCE F. VENTO JOHN T. DOOLITTLE
DALE E. KILDEE WAYNE ALLARD
PAT WILLIAMS RICHARD W. POMBO
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA PETER G. TORKILDSEN
GERRY E. STUDDS J.D. HAYWORTH
FRANK PALLONE, Jr. BARBARA CUBIN
CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELO WES COOLEY
MAURICE D. HINCHEY HELEN CHENOWETH
ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD LINDA SMITH
PATRICK J. KENNEDY GEORGE P. RADANOVICH
JOHN B. SHADEGG
JOHN E. ENSIGN
------
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
JIM SAXTON, Chairman
GERRY E. STUDDS DON YOUNG
GEORGE MILLER W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN
SAM GEJDENSON WAYNE T. GILCHREST
SOLOMON P. ORTIZ PETER G. TORKILDSEN
FRANK PALLONE, Jr. LINDA SMITH
SAM FARR WALTER B. JONES, Jr.
PATRICK J. KENNEDY JACK METCALF
JAMES B. LONGLEY, Jr.
------
Energy and Mineral Resources
KEN CALVERT, Chairman
NEIL ABERCROMBIE W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN
EDWARD J. MARKEY JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr.
NICK JOE RAHALL II JOEL HEFLEY
SOLOMON P. ORTIZ J.D. HAYWORTH
CALVIN M. DOOLEY FRANK A. CREMEANS
VACANCY BARBARA CUBIN
VACANCY HELEN CHENOWETH
WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY
Water and Power Resources
JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, Chairman
PETER A. DeFAZIO JAMES V. HANSEN
GEORGE MILLER WAYNE ALLARD
BRUCE F. VENTO RICHARD W. POMBO
SAM GEJDENSON FRANK A. CREMEANS
OWEN B. PICKETT WES COOLEY
CALVIN M. DOOLEY HELEN CHENOWETH
MAURICE D. HINCHEY GEORGE P. RADANOVICH
SAM FARR WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY
VACANCY RICHARD (DOC) HASTINGS
VACANCY JOHN B. SHADEGG
JOHN E. ENSIGN
------
Native American and Insular Affairs
ELTON GALLEGLY, Chairman
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA DON YOUNG
DALE E. KILDEE WAYNE T. GILCHREST
PAT WILLIAMS WALTER B. JONES, Jr.
TIM JOHNSON RICHARD (DOC) HASTINGS
CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELO JACK METCALF
ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD JAMES B. LONGLEY, Jr.
Full Committee Staff
------
Daniel Val Kish, Chief of Staff
David G. Dye, Chief Counsel *
Elizabeth R. Megginson, Chief
Counsel
Brian W. Miller, Investigative/
Legislative Staff *
Christine A. Kennedy, Chief
Clerk/Administrator
Lisa Pittman, Deputy Chief
Counsel
Christopher B. Kearney, Oversight
Coordinator/Deputy Communications
Director
Linda J. Livingston, Executive
Assistant to the Chief of Staff
Marcia M. Stewart, Special
Assistant to the Chief Counsel
Cynthia A. Ahwinona, Legislative
Staff
Kurt Christensen, Investigative/
Legislative Staff
Duane R. Gibson, Counsel/
Legislative Staff
Jose M. Guillen, Systems
Administrator
John C. Rishel, Investigative/
Legislative Staff
Curtis W. Thayer, Investigative/
Legislative Staff *
Steven M. Hansen, Communications
Director
Margherita T. Woods, Chief
Financial Officer
Ann C. Vogt, Legislative Calendar
Clerk
Deborah A. Callis, Deputy Chief
Clerk
Shane D. Winfrey, Staff Assistant
*
Brooke Mason, Receptionist *
Karen Needy, Receptionist
Kathy Cook, Staff Assistant
James Davin, Staff Assistant
Minority Staff
John Lawrence, Staff Director
Jeffrey P. Petrich, Chief Counsel
Carrie Yourd Moore, Legislative
Aide/Clerk
Ann N. Owens, Executive Assistant
to the Staff Director
Daniel Weiss, Communications
Director
Joycelyn Johnson, Staff Assistant
Joseph Novotny, Staff Assistant
----------
* This staff person is no longer with the Committee on Resources.
Subcommittee Staff
------
subcommittee on national parks,
forests and lands
Room H1-814 O'Neill, Phone 226-
7736
Allen D. Freemyer, Staff Director
Stephen Hodapp, Legislative Staff
William M. Simmons, Legislative
Staff
Anne E. Heissenbuttel,
Legislative Staff
Dawn M. Criste, Subcommittee
Clerk
Christina Meyer, Subcommittee
Clerk *
Richard Healy, Minority
Legislative Staff
------
subcommittee on fisheries,
wildlife and oceans
Room H1-805 O'Neill, Phone 226-
0200
Harry F. Burroughs, Staff
Director
John Clark Rayfield, Legislative
Staff
David S. Whaley, Legislative
Staff
Bonnie B. Bruce, Legislative
Staff
Sharon I. McKenna, Legislative
Staff
Michelle Sparck, Legislative
Staff
Lisa Diane Rulli, Subcommittee
Clerk
Kathleen A. Miller, Subcommittee
Clerk
Marshall Hayes, Sea Grant Fellow
Karen Steuer, Minority
Legislative Staff
Christopher Mann, Minority
Legislative Staff
Jean Flemma, Minority Legislative
Staff
Debbie Colbert, Minority Sea
Grant Fellow
------
subcommittee on energy and
mineral resources
Room 1626 Longworth, Phone 225-
9297
William S. Condit, Staff Director
Sharla F. Bickley, Legislative
Staff
Nancy Laheeb, Subcommittee Clerk
Ben Dillon, Fellow*
Deborah Von Hoffmann Lanzone,
Minority Legislative Staff
------
* This staff person is no longer with the Committee on Resources
subcommittee on water and power
resources
Room 1337 Longworth, Phone 225-
8331
Robert C. Faber, Staff Director
Valerie S. West, Legislative
Staff
Sharon Cherie Sexton,
Subcommittee Clerk
John Schefter, Fellow
J. Stevens Lanich, Minority
Legislative Staff
Elizabeth Birnbaum, Minority
Counsel/Legislative Staff
subcommittee on native american
and insular affairs
Room 1522 Longworth, Phone 226-
7393
Timothy W. Glidden, Counsel
Manase T.E. Mansur, Legislative
Staff
Lara J. Chamberlain, Subcommittee
Clerk
Mary Anne Harper, Subcommittee
Clerk
Marie J. Howard Fabrizio, Minority
Legislative Staff
Christopher Stearns, Minority
Counsel/Legislative Staff
----------
* This staff person is no longer with the Committee on Resources.
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
----------
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Resources,
Washington, DC, January 2, 1997.
Hon. Robin H. Carle,
Clerk of the House of Representatives,
The Capitol, Washington, DC
Dear Ms. Carle: Pursuant to clause 1(d) of rule XI and rule
X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, here is a
report of the legislative and oversight activities of the
Committee on Resources during the 104th Congress.
Sincerely,
Don Young,
Chairman.
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Letter of Transmittal............................................ XI
Overview and Jurisdiction........................................ 1, 2
Full Committee............................................... 5
Legislative Activities....................................... 5
Oversight Activities......................................... 16
Task Force on Endangered Species Act..................... 20
Task Force on Wetlands................................... 23
Task Force on Private Property Rights.................... 25
Task Force on Salvage Timber and Forest Health........... 27
Task Force on Indian Fund Management..................... 29
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands................ 30
Legislative Activities....................................... 32
Oversight Activities......................................... 53
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans................... 60
Legislative Activities....................................... 62
Oversight Activities......................................... 72
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources..................... 80
Legislative Activities....................................... 81
Oversight Activities......................................... 84
Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources........................ 90
Legislative Activities....................................... 93
Oversight Activities......................................... 98
Subcommittee on Native American and Insular Affairs.............. 103
Legislative Activities....................................... 106
Oversight Activities......................................... 110
Appendices....................................................... 115
Printed Hearings............................................. 115
Enacted Laws................................................. 122
Union Calendar No. 480
104th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 104-878
_______________________________________________________________________
REPORT ON LEGISLATIVE AND OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON
RESOURCES DURING THE 104TH CONGRESS
_______
January 2, 1997.--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
overview
The Committee on Resources meet on January 11, 1995, for an
organizational meeting of the 104th Congress under the
direction of Chairman Don Young of Alaska. The Committee
membership was 45 Members with 25 Republicans and 20 Democrats.
On May 10, 1995, Congressman Nathan Deal of Georgia
resigned from the Committee on Resources after joining the
Republican Conference. Congressman Deal's seat on the Committee
was filled and each side added another Member bringing the
membership of the Committee to 47. Congressman Owen Pickett of
Virginia and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., of New Jersey were
appointed from the Democratic Conference and the Republican
Conference appointed Congressman John E. Ensign of Nevada.
On September 21, 1995, Congressman W.J. (Billy) Tauzin of
Louisiana also joined the Republican Conference. He retained
his membership on the Committee on Resources and the Democratic
Conference appointed two Members, Congressman Edward Markey of
Massachusetts and Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode
Island. The Committee membership then was 49 Members with 27
Republicans and 22 Democrats.
The Committee set up five subcommittees: National Parks,
Forests and Lands (James V. Hansen, Chairman); Fisheries,
Wildlife and Oceans (Jim Saxton, Chairman); Energy and Mineral
Resources (Ken Calvert, Chairman); Water and Power Resources
(John T. Doolittle, Chairman); and Native American and Insular
Affairs (Elton Gallegly, Chairman).
Chairman Don Young also established five task forces to
hold oversight hearings in Washington, D.C. and across the
Nation to listen to the people's views on the issues. The task
forces were: the Task Force on the Endangered Species Act, the
Task Force on Wetlands, the Task Force on Private Property
Rights, the Task Force on Salvage Timber and Forest Health, and
the Task Force on Indian Fund Management. Each Task Force was
established for not longer than six months.
jurisdiction
(1) Fisheries and wildlife, including research,
restoration, refuges, and conservation.
(2) Forest reserves and national parks created from the
public domain.
(3) Forfeiture of land grants and alien ownership,
including alien ownership of mineral lands.
(4) Geological Survey.
(5) International fishing agreements.
(6) Interstate compacts relating to apportionment of waters
for irrigation purposes.
(7) Irrigation and reclamation, including water supply for
reclamation projects, and easements of public lands for
irrigation projects, and acquisition of private lands when
necessary to complete irrigation projects.
(8) Measures relating to the care and management of
Indians, including the care and allotment of Indian lands and
general and special measures relating to claims which are paid
out of Indian funds.
(9) Measures relating generally to the insular possessions
of the United States, except those affecting the revenue and
appropriations.
(10) Military parks and battlefields, national cemeteries
administered by the Secretary of the Interior, parks within the
District of Columbia, and the erection of monuments to the
memory of individuals.
(11) Mineral land laws and claims and entries thereunder.
(12) Mineral resources of the public lands.
(13) Mining interests generally.
(14) Mining schools and experimental stations.
(15) Marine affairs (including coastal zone management),
except for measures relating to oil and other pollution of
navigable waters.
(16) Oceanography.
(17) Petroleum conservation on the public lands and
conservation of the radium supply in the United States.
(18) Preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of
interest on the public domain.
(19) Public lands generally, including entry, easements,
and the grazing thereon.
(20) Relations of the United States with the Indians and
the Indian tribes.
(21) Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline (except ratemaking).
(22) Oversight functions provided for in clause 3(e) of the
House Rules with respect to all programs affecting Indians.
Source: Rule X(1)(l) and (3)(e) of the House of
Representatives.
Activities Report
committee on resources statistics
Total number of bills and resolutions referred.................... 530
Total number of reports filed..................................... 131
Total number of bills passed by the House......................... 131
Total number of bills enacted into law............................ 184
Total number of bills vetoed...................................... 1
Total number of task force oversight hearings held................ 25
Full Committee
i. introduction
In summarizing the Resources Committee's activities in the
104th Congress, both at the Subcommittee and Full Committee
level, we believe that the Committee has addressed a host of
perennial issues in a fundamentally different way from the
past. We have demonstrated this through legislative initiatives
and pursuit of aggressive oversight.
We have passed legislation on many matters which reflect
the concerns of citizens from all walks of life--the people we
were sent to Congress to represent. These initiatives included
measures to streamline the management of the Department of
Interior; reform of the Endangered Species Act; preservation of
State control over coastal waters; improved management of the
Nation's parks through increased self-funding mechanisms and
management improvements; increase private property rights
protection; mining law reforms; fisheries protection; improved
management and protection of timber resources in the Pacific
Northwest; and components of the Balanced Budget Act.
Our record on oversight has been aggressive, yet balanced
and fair. Our emphasis has been on finding ways to make
government function better and more efficiently, focusing on
agencies that need that type of attention, including the Bureau
of Reclamation, the National Park Service, the Forest Service,
the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land
Management.
Some legislation was held at Full Committee instead of
being referred to the appropriate subcommittee for procedural
reasons.
This activities report reflects the hard work of the
Members and staff of this Committee. It is a record we all can
be proud of.
ii. jurisdiction
(1) Measures and matters concerning the transportation of
natural gas from or within Alaska and disposition of oil
transported by the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.
(2) Measures and matters relating to Alaska public lands,
including forestry and forest management issues, and Federal
reserve water rights.
(3) Environmental and habitat measures and matters of
general applicability.
(4) All measures and matters relating to Native Alaskans.
(5) All measures and matters retained by the Full Committee
under Committee Rule 15.
iii. legislative activities
A. Legislative Hearings and Markups
January 18, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 101, to transfer a parcel
of land to the Taos Pueblo Indians of New Mexico; H.R. 256, to
withdraw and reserve certain public lands and minerals within
the State of Colorado for military uses; H.R. 400, to provide
for the exchange of lands within the Gates of the Arctic
National Wildlife Park and Preserve; and H.J. Res. 50, to
designate the Channel Islands National Park visitor center as
the ``Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center''.
February 8, 1995--Adoption of Committee oversight plan
under Rule X, clause 2(d) of the Rules of the House of
Representatives; Mark up of H.R. 402, to amend the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act; H.R. 421, to amend the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act to provide for the purchase of
common stock of Cook Inlet Region; H.R. 715, Sea of Okhotsk
Fisheries Enforcement Act; H.R. 716, to extend authorization of
the Fishermen's Protective Act until the year 1998; H.R. 622,
to implement the convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation
in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries; H.R. 535, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey the Corning National Fish
Hatchery to the State of Arkansas; H.R. 584, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey the Fairport National Fish
Hatchery to the State of Iowa; and H.R. 614, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey the New London National
Fish Hatchery Production Facility to the State of Minnesota.
February 15, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 531, to designate the
Great Western Scenic Trail as a study trail under the National
Trails System Act; H.R. 694, Minor Boundary Adjustments and
Miscellaneous Park Amendments Act of 1995; H.R. 529, to
authorize the exchange of National Forest System lands in the
Targhee National Forest in Idaho for non-Federal lands within
the forest in Wyoming; H.R. 536, to extend indefinitely the
authority of the Secretary of the Interior to collect a
commercial operation fee in the Delaware Water Gap National
Recreation Area; H.R. 562 to modify the boundaries of Walnut
Canyon National Monument in the State of Arizona; H.R. 517, to
amend title V of Public Law 96-550, designating the Chaco
Culture Archeological Protection Sites; and H.R. 606, to amend
the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation Act of 1992.
March 30, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1266, Greens Creek Land
Exchange Act.
April 5, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 541, to reauthorize the
Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1995; H.R. 1139, Striped Bass
Act of 1995; H.R. 1141, Sikes Act Improvement Amendments; H.R.
1175, the Marine Resources Revitalization Act; and H.R. 1266,
Greens Creek Land Exchange Act.
May 9, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 70, to permit exports of
certain domestically produced crude oil.
May 10, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 39, Magnuson Fishery
Conservation and Management Act.
May 17, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 70, to permit exports of
certain domestically produced crude oil; H.R. 260, National
Park System Reform Act of 1995; H.R. 1077, to authorize the
Bureau of Land Management; H.R. 1122, Alaska Power
Administration Sale Act; and H.R. 1332, Omnibus Insular Areas
Act of 1995.
May 24, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1332, Omnibus Insular Areas
Act of 1995; H.R. 1070, to designate the reservoir created by
Trinity Dam in the Central Valley project, California, as
``Trinity Lake''; and S. 523, to amend the Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control Act to authorize additional measures to carry
out the control of salinity upstream of Imperial Dam in a cost-
effective manner.
June 14, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1091, to improve the
National Park System in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
July 12, 1995--Mark up of S. 268, to authorize the
collection of fees for expenses for triploid grass carp
certification inspections; 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; H.R.
1296, to provide for the administration of certain Presidio
properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer; and H.R.
1675, to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966 to improve the management of the
National Wildlife Refuge System.
August 2, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1743, to amend the Water
Resources Act of 1984 to extend the authorizations of
appropriations through fiscal year 2000; H.R. 238, to provide
for the protection of wild horses within the Ozark National
Scenic Riverways and prohibit the removal of such horses; and
H.R. 1745, to designate certain public lands in the State of
Utah as wilderness.
September 13, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1580, to require the
transfer of title to the District of Columbia of certain real
property in Anacostia Park to facilitate the construction of
National Children's Island, a cultural, educational, and
family-oriented park; H.R. 1756, to abolish the Department of
Commerce; and H.R. 1815, to authorize appropriations for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for fiscal year
1996.
September 19, 1995--Mark up of Budget Reconciliation
instructions.
September 20, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2275, to reauthorize
and amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
September 27, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1253, to rename the San
Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge as the Don Edwards San
Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge; H.R. 1358, to require
the Secretary of Commerce to convey to the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts the National Marine Fisheries Service Laboratory
located on Emerson Avenue in Gloucester, Massachusetts; and
H.R. 2005, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make
technical corrections in maps relating to the Coastal Barrier
Resources System.
October 12, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 2275, to reauthorize and
amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
October 19, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1020, Nuclear Waste
Policy Act of 1982 (no action was taken).
October 25, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 207, Cleveland National
Forest Land Exchange Act of 1995; H.R. 826, to extend the
deadline for the completion of certain land exchanges involving
the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas; H.R. 924, to
prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from transferring any
national forest system lands in the Angeles National Forest in
California out of Federal ownership for use as a solid waste
landfill; H.R. 1163, to authorize the exchange of National Park
Service land in the Fire Island National Seashore in the State
of New York for land in the Village of Patchogue, Suffolk
County, New York; H.R. 1581, to require the Secretary of
Agriculture to convey certain lands under the jurisdiction of
the Department of Agriculture to the City of Sumpter, Oregon;
H.R. 1585, Modoc National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act; H.R.
1838, to provide for an exchange of lands with the Water
Conservancy District of Washington County, Utah; and H.R. 2437,
to provide for the exchange of certain lands in Gilpin County,
Colorado.
November 7, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2560, to provide for the
conveyances of certain lands in Alaska to Chickaloon-Moose
Creek Native Association, Inc., Ninilchik Native Association,
Inc., Seldovia Native Association, Inc., Tyonek Native
Corporation and Knikatnu Inc. under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act; and H.R. 2561, Glacier Bay National Park and
Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act.
November 15, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 33, to transfer the Fish
Farming Experimental Laboratory in Stuttgart, Arkansas, to the
Department of Agriculture; H.R. 2243, to amend the Trinity
River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Act of 1984, to extend
for three years the availability of moneys for the restoration
of fish and wildlife in the Trinity River; and H.R. 1784, to
validate certain conveyances made by the Southern Pacific
Transportation Company within the cities of Reno, Nevada, and
Tulare, California.
November 16, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 2402, to authorize an
exchange of lands in the State of Utah at Snowbasin Ski Area.
December 8, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2677, to require the
Secretary of the Interior to accept from a State donations of
services of State employees to perform, in a period of
Government budgetary shutdown, otherwise authorized functions
in any unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System or the
National Park System; and H.R. 2706 to authorize the Secretary
of the Interior to accept from a State donations of services of
State employees to perform hunting management functions in a
National Wildlife Refuge in a period of Government budgetary
shutdown.
December 13, 1995--Mark up of S. 1341, to provide for the
transfer of certain lands to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa
Indian Community and the City of Scottsdale, Arizona; H.R.
2100, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make technical
corrections to maps relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources
System; H.R. 2726, to make certain technical corrections in
laws relating to Native Americans; and H.R. 2738, to make
amendments to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and to
the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities
Act.
February 15, 1996--Field hearing in Wrangell, Alaska, on
H.R. 2413, Tongass Transfer and Transition Act and management
issues associated with the Tongass National Forest.
February 16, 1996--Field hearing in Ketchikan, Alaska, on
H.R. 2413, Tongass Transfer and Transition Act and management
issues associated with the Tongass National Forest.
February 26, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 497, to create the
National Gambling Impact and Policy Commission (hearing limited
to consideration of Indian gaming).
March 13, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 1527, to amend the National
Forest Ski Area Permit Area of 1986 to clarify the authorities
and duties of the Secretary of Agriculture in issuing ski area
permits on National Forest Systems lands and to withdraw lands
within ski area permit boundaries from the operation of the
mining and mineral leasing laws; H.R. 1823, to amend the
Central Utah Project Completion Act to direct the Secretary of
the Interior to allow for prepayment of repayment contracts
between the United States and Central Utah Water Conservancy
District dated December 28, 1965, and November 26, 1985; H.R.
1965, to reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972;
H.R. 2107, to amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of
1965 to improve the quality of visitor services provided by
Federal land management agencies through an incentive-based
recreation fee program (did not complete action); H.R. 2160, to
authorize appropriations to carry out the Interjurisdictional
Fisheries Act of 1986 and the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act;
and H.R. 2824, to authorize an exchange of lands in the State
of Utah at Snowbasin Ski area.
March 19, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 2505, to amend the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act to make certain clarifications to
the land bank protection provisions; and H.R. 1786, to regulate
fishing in certain waters of Alaska.
March 28, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 2107, to amend the Land and
Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to improve the quality of
visitor services provided by Federal land management agencies
through an incentive-based recreation fee program; H.R. 1129,
to amend the National Trails Systems Act to designate the route
from Selma to Montgomery as a National Historic Trail; H.R.
1772, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire
certain interests in the Waihee Marsh for inclusion in the Oahu
National Wildlife Complex; H.R. 1836, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to acquire property in the town of
East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York, for inclusion in the
Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge; H.R. 2660, to increase the
amount authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the
Interior for the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge; H.R.
2679, to revise the boundary of the North Platte National
Wildlife Refuge; H.R. 3034, to amend the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act to extend for two
months the authority for promulgating regulations under the
Act; and H.R. 1975, to improve the management of royalties from
Federal and Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leases.
April 25, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 3286, Adoption Promotion
and Stability Act of 1996; H.R. 2982, to direct the Secretary
of the Interior to convey the Carbon Hill National Fish
Hatchery to the State of Alabama; H.R. 2464, to amend Public
Law 103-93 to provide additional lands within the State of Utah
for the Goshute Indian Reservation; H.R. 2560, to provide for
the conveyances of certain lands in Alaska to Chickaloon-Moose
Creek Native Association, Inc., Ninilchik Native Association,
Inc., Seldovia Native Association, Inc., Tyonek Native
Corporation and Knikatnu Inc. under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act; and S. 1459, to provide for uniform management
of livestock grazing on Federal lands; and consideration of a
motion to issue a subpoena.
May 8, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 2823, to amend the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to support the International
Dolphin Conservation Program in the eastern tropical Pacific
Ocean; and H.R. 2909, to amend the Silvio O. Conte National
Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act to provide that the Secretary of
the Interior may acquire lands for purposes of that Act only by
donation or exchange, or otherwise with the consent of the
owner of lands.
May 16, 1996--Mark up of H.J. Res. 70, authorizing the
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to establish a memorial to Martin
Luther King, Jr. in the District of Columbia or its environs;
H.R. 3068, to accept the request of the Prairie Island Indian
Community to revoke their charter of incorporation issued under
the Indian Reorganization Act; and H.R. 848, to increase the
amount authorized to be appropriated for assistance for highway
relocation regarding the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National
Military Park in Georgia.
June 11, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 401, Kenai Natives
Association Equity Act; and H.R. 2505, to amend the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act to make certain clarifications to
the land bank protection provisions.
June 19, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 3378, to amend the Indian
Health Care Improvement Act to extend the demonstration program
for direct billing of Medicare, Medicaid and other third party
providers; H.R. 401, Kenai Natives Association Equity Act; H.R.
2941, to improve the quantity and quality of the quarters of
land management agency field employees; H.R. 3290, to authorize
appropriations for the Bureau of Land Management for each of
the fiscal years 1997 through 2002; H.R. 3660, to amend the
Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act
to authorize additional projects; H.R. 3198, to reauthorize and
amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992; and H.R. 3249,
to authorize appropriations for a mining institute to develop
domestic technological capabilities for the recovery of
minerals from the Nation's seabed.
June 26, 1996--Mark up of Committee Resolution introduced
on the Sense of Congress' Strong Opposition to the
Administration's Decision to Support Whale Hunting; H.R. 3024,
to provide a process leading to full self-government for Puerto
Rico; H.R. 1786, to regulate fishing in certain waters of
Alaska; H.R. 3006, to provide for disposal of public lands in
support of the Manzanar Historic Site in the State of
California; H.R. 2636, to transfer jurisdiction over certain
parcels of Federal real property located in the District of
Columbia; and H.R. 2292, to preserve and protect the Hanford
Reach of the Columbia River.
July 3, 1996--Field Hearing in Sitka, Alaska, on H.R. 2413,
Tongass Transfer and Transition Act.
July 5, 1996--Field Hearing in Thorne Bay, Alaska, on H.R.
2413, Tongass Transfer and Transition Act.
July 11, 1996--Joint hearing with Committee on Agriculture,
Subcommittee on Resources Conservation, Research and Forestry
on H.R. 3659, the Environmental Improvement Timber Contract
Extension Act.
July 17, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 2505, to amend the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act to make certain clarifications to
the land bank protection provisions; H.R. 2122, to designate
the Lake Tahoe Basin National Forest in the States of
California and Nevada to be administered by the Secretary of
Agriculture; H.R. 2438, to provide for the conveyance of lands
to certain individuals in Gunnison County, Colorado; H.R. 2518,
to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain
lands in the Wenatachee National Forest, Washington, for
certain lands owned by the Public Utility District No. 1 of
Chelan County, Washington; H.R. 2709, to provide for the
conveyance of certain land to the Del Norte County Unified
School District of Del Norte County, California; H.R. 3147, to
provide for the exchange of certain Federal lands in the State
of California managed by the Bureau of Land Management of
certain non-Federal lands; H.R. 2135, to provide for the
correction of boundaries of certain lands in Clark County,
Nevada, acquired by persons who purchased such lands in good
faith reliance on existing private land surveys; H.R. 2711, to
provide for the substitution of timber for the canceled Elkhorn
Ridge Timber Sale; H.R. 3534, to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to renew certain permits for Mineral King Addition of
the Sequoia National Park, and to protect historic and cultural
resources in that National Park; H.R. 3537, to improve
coordination of Federal oceanographic programs; H.R. 3579, to
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain property
containing a fish and wildlife facility to the State of
Wyoming; H.R. 3287, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Crawford National Fish Hatchery to the City of
Crawford, Nebraska; H.R. 3546, to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey the Walhalla National Fish Hatchery to the
State of South Carolina; H.R. 3557, to direct the Secretary of
the Interior to convey the Marion National Fish Hatchery to the
State of Alabama; and H.R. 3487, to reauthorize the National
Marine Sanctuaries Act.
July 23, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3061, to resolve certain
conveyances under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
related to Cape Fox Corporation.
August 1, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 3828, to amend the Indian
Child Welfare Act of 1978; S. 811, Water Desalinization
Research and Development Act of 1996; H.R. 3640, to provide for
the settlement of issues and claims related to the trust lands
of the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians; H.R. 3642, to
provide for the transfer of public lands to certain California
Indian Tribes; H.R. 2997, to establish certain criteria for
administrative procedures to extend Federal recognition to
certain Indian groups (withdrew measure by unanimous consent);
H.R. 2591, Indian Federal Recognition Administrative Procedures
Act of 1995 (withdrew measure by unanimous consent); H.R. 2512,
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund
Act of 1995; H.R. 3879, to provide for representation of the
Northern Mariana Islands by a nonvoting Delegate in the House
of Representatives (failed to report by vote of 12-13); H.R.
2710, Hoopa Valley Reservation South Boundary Correction Act;
H.R. 3547, to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of real
property in the Apache National Forest in the State of Arizona
to the Alpine Elementary School District 7 to be used for the
construction of school facilities and related playing fields;
H.R. 2693, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to make a
minor adjustment in the exterior boundary of the Hells Canyon
Wilderness in the State of Oregon and Idaho to exclude an
established Forest Service road inadvertently included in the
wilderness; H.R. 1179, Historically Black Colleges and
Universities Historic Building Restoration and Preservation
Act; H.R. 2392, to amend the Umatilla Basin Project Act to
establish boundaries for irrigation districts within the
Umatilla Basin (withdrew measure by unanimous consent); S.
1467, Fort Peck Rural County Water Supply System Act of 1995;
H.R. 3903, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to sell the
Sly Park Dam and Reservoir; and H.R. 3910, Emergency Drought
Relief Act of 1996.
September 12, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3752, to preserve the
sovereignty of the United States over public lands and acquired
lands owned by the United States, and to preserve State
sovereignty and private property rights in non-Federal lands
surrounding those public lands and acquired lands.
September 17, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3862, to amend the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 to clarify the intent of
Congress and ensure that any person having any economic
interest that is directly or indirectly harmed by a designation
of critical habitat may bring a citizen's suit under that Act.
September 18, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 2392, to amend the
Umatilla Basin Project Act to establish boundaries for
irrigation districts within the Umatilla Basin; H.R. 3258, to
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain real
property located within the Carlsbad Project in New Mexico to
Carlsbad Irrigation District; H.R. 2561, Glacier Bay National
Park and Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act of 1995; H.R. 3973,
to provide for a study of the recommendations of the Joint
Federal-State Commission on Policies and Programs Affecting
Alaska Natives; H.R. 3752, American Land Sovereignty Protection
Act of 1996; H.R. 3155, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
by designating the Wekiva River, Seminole Creek, and Rock
Springs Run in the State of Florida for study and potential
addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; H.R.
3568, to designate 51.7 miles of the Clarion River, located in
Pennsylvania as a component of the National Wild and Scenic
Rivers System; H.R. 3497, Snoqualmie National Forest Boundary
Adjustment Act of 1996; H.R. 4067, to provide for
representation of the Northern Mariana Islands by a nonvoting
Delegate in the House of Representatives; and H.R. 2041, Guam
War Restitution Act.
B. Legislation Enacted
H.J. Res. 50, to designate the visitors center at the
Channel Islands National Park, California, as the ``Robert J.
Lagomarsino Visitors Center'' (enacted as part of Public Law
104-333).
H.R. 70, to permit exports of certain domestically produced
crude oil (enacted as part of Public Law 104-58).
H.R. 101, to transfer a parcel of land to the Taos Pueblo
Indians of New Mexico (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 256, to withdraw and reserve certain public lands and
minerals within the State of Colorado for military uses, and
for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 400, to provide for the exchange of lands within Gates
of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 401, the Kenai Natives Association Equity Act (enacted
as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 421, amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to
provide for the purchase of common stock of Cook Inlet Region,
and for other purposes (Public Law 104-10).
H.R. 402, amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act,
and for other purposes (Public Law 104-42).
H.R. 440, to provide for the conveyance of lands to certain
individuals in Butte County, California (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 497, creates the National Gambling Impact and Policy
Commission (Public Law 104-169).
H.R. 2726, makes certain technical corrections in laws
relating to Native Americans (Public Law 104-109).
H.R. 1266, provides for the exchange of lands within
Admiralty Island National Monument (Public Law 104-123).
H.R. 1786, to regulate fishing in certain waters of Alaska
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2561, to provide for an exchange of lands located near
Gustavus, Alaska (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2824, to authorize an exchange of lands in the State
of Utah at Snowbasin Ski Area (enacted as part of Public Law
104-333).
H.R. 3060, implements the Protocol on Environmental
Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Public Law 104-227).
H.R. 3660, amends the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (Public Law 104-266).
H.R. 3706, to designate the Mollie Beattie Alaska
Wilderness Area in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (enacted
as part of Public Law 104-167).
H.R. 3903, to require the Secretary of the Interior to sell
the Sly Park Dam and Reservoir, and for other purposes (enacted
as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3910, provides emergency drought relief to the City of
Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Canadian River Municipal Water
Authority, Texas (Public Law 104-273).
H.R. 3973, provides for a study of the recommendations of
the Joint Federal-State Commission on Policies and Programs
Affecting Alaska Natives (Public Law 104-270).
H.R. 4018, makes technical corrections in the Federal Oil
and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (Public Law 104-200).
H.R. 4168, amends the Helium Act to authorize the Secretary
to enter into agreements with private parties for the recovery
and disposal of helium on Federal lands (Public Law 104-273).
H.R. 4283, provides for ballast water management to prevent
the introduction and spread of nonindigenous species into the
waters of the United States (Public Law 104-273).
S. 395, authorizes and directs the Secretary of Energy to
sell the Alaska Power Administration, and to authorize the
export of Alaska North Slope crude oil, and for other purposes
(Public Law 104-58).
S. 1341, provides for the transfer of certain lands to the
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the City of
Scottsdale, Arizona (Public Law 104-102).
S. 1834, reauthorizes the Indian Environmental General
Assistance Program Act of 1992 (Public Law 104-233).
S. 1970, amends the National Museum of American Indian Act
to make improvements in the Act (Public Law 104-273).
S. 1973, provides for the settlement of the Navajo-Hopi
land dispute (Public Law 104-273).
D. Legislation Passed House
H.J. Res. 50, to designate the visitors center at the
Channel Islands National Park, California, as the ``Robert J.
Lagomarsino Visitors Center''.
H. Res. 544, providing for the concurrence by the House
with an amendment in the amendment of the Senate to H.R. 3378.
H.R. 70, to permit exports of certain domestically produced
crude oil, and for other purposes.
H.R. 101, to transfer a parcel of land to the Taos Pueblo
Indians of New Mexico.
H.R. 256, to withdraw and reserve certain public lands and
minerals within the State of Colorado for military uses, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 400, to provide for the exchange of lands within Gates
of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 401, the Kenai Natives Association Equity Act.
H.R. 402, to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act,
and for other purposes.
H.R. 421, to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
to provide for the purchase of common stock of Cook Inlet
Region, and for other purposes.
H.R. 440, to provide for the conveyance of lands to certain
individuals in Butte County, California.
H.R. 497, to create the National Gambling Impact and Policy
Commission.
H.R. 1266, to provide for the exchange of lands within
Admiralty Island National Monument, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1786, to regulate fishing in certain waters of Alaska.
H.R. 2505, to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
to make certain clarifications to the land bank protection
provisions, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2726, to make certain technical corrections in laws
relating to Native Americans, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3060, to implement the Protocol on Environmental
Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
H.R. 3286, to help families defray adoption costs, and to
promote the adoption of minority children.
H.R. 3660, to make amendments to the Reclamation
Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 3907, to facilitate the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in
the State of Utah at the Snowbasin Ski Area, to provide for the
acquisition of lands within the Sterling Forest Reserve, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 3910, to provide emergency drought relief to the City
of Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Canadian River Municipal
Water Authority, Texas, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3973, to provide for a study of the recommendations
of the Joint Federal-State Commission on Policies and Programs
Affecting Alaska Natives.
H.R. 4018, to make technical corrections in the Federal
Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982.
S. 1341, to provide for the transfer of certain lands to
the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the City of
Scottsdale, Arizona, and for other purposes.
S. 1834, to reauthorize the Indian Environmental General
Assistance Program Act of 1992, and for other purposes.
S. 1970, to amend the National Museum of the American
Indian Act to make improvements in the Act, and for other
purposes.
E. Legislation Ordered Reported by Committee
H.J. Res. 50 (H. Rept. 104-10), to designate the visitors
center at the Channel Islands National Park, California, as the
``Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitors Center.''
H.R. 70 (H. Rept. 104-139, Part I), to permit exports of
certain domestically produced crude oil, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 101 (H. Rept. 104-7), to transfer a parcel of land to
the Taos Pueblo Indians of New Mexico.
H. R. 256 (H. Rept. 104-28, Part I), to withdraw and
reserve certain public lands and minerals within the State of
Colorado for military uses, and for other purposes.
H.R. 400 (H. Rept. 104-8), to provide for the exchange of
lands within Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve,
and for other purposes.
H.R. 401 (H. Rept. 104-756), the Kenai Natives Association
Equity Act.
H.R. 402 (H. Rept. 104-73), to amend the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 421 (H. Rept. 104-40), to amend the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act to provide for the purchase of common
stock of Cook Inlet Region, and for other purposes.
H.R. 440 (H. Rept. 104-9), to provide for the conveyance
of lands to certain individuals in Butte County, California.
H.R. 1266 (H. Rept. 104-115), to provide for the exchange
of lands within Admiralty Island National Monument, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 1786 (H. Rept. 104-687), to regulate fishing in
certain waters of Alaska.
H.R. 2275 (H. Rept. 104-778, Part I), to reauthorize and
amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
H.R. 2505 (H. Rept. 104-797), to amend the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act to make certain clarifications to the
land bank protection provisions, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2560 (H. Rept. 104-643), to provide for conveyances
of certain lands in Alaska to Chickaloon-Moose Creek Native
Association, Inc., Ninilchik Native Association, Inc., Seldovia
Native Association, Inc., Tyonek Native Corporation, and
Knikatnu, Inc. under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
H.R. 2561 (H. Rept. 104-840, Part I), to provide for an
exchange of lands located near Gustavus, Alaska.
H.R. 2726 (H. Rept. 104-444), to make certain technical
corrections in laws relating to Native Americans, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 2738, to make amendments to the Central Valley
Project Improvement Act and to the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2824 (H. Rept. 104-493), to authorize an exchange of
lands in the State of Utah at Snowbasin Ski Area.
H.R. 3286 (H. Rept. 104-542, Part I), to help families
defray adoption costs, and to promote the adoption of minority
children.
H.R. 3660 (H. Rept. 104-703), to make amendments to the
Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities
Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3752 (H. Rept. 104-835), to preserve the sovereignty
of the United States over public lands and acquired lands owned
by the United States, and to preserve State sovereignty and
private property rights in non-Federal lands surrounding those
public lands and acquired lands.
H.R. 3828 (H. Rept. 104-808), to amend the Indian Child
Welfare Act of 1978, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3903 (H. Rept. 104-768), to require the Secretary of
the Interior to sell the Sly Park Dam and Reservoir, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 3910 (H. Rept. 104-770), to provide emergency drought
relief to the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Canadian
River Municipal Water Authority, Texas, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3973 (H. Rept. 104-838), to provide for a study of the
recommendations of the Joint Federal-State Commission on
Policies and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives.
H.R. 4067 (H. Rept. 104-856), to provide for representation
of the Northern Mariana Islands by a nonvoting Delegate in the
House of Representatives.
S. 1341 (H. Rept. 104-439, Part I), to provide for the
transfer of certain lands to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa
Indian Community and the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, and for
other purposes.
F. Legislation Discharged from the Committee
H.R. 497, to create the National Gambling Impact and
Policy Commission.
H.R. 3060, to implement the Protocol on Environmental
Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
H.R. 3907, to facilitate the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in
the State of Utah at the Snowbasin Ski Area, to provide for the
acquisition of lands within the Sterling Forest Reserve, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 4018, to make technical corrections in the Federal
Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982.
S. 1834, to reauthorize the Indian Environmental General
Assistance Program Act of 1992, and for other purposes.
S. 1970, to amend the National Museum of the American
Indian Act to make improvements in the Act, and for other
purposes.
IV. Oversight Activities of the Full Committee on Resources
A. Introduction
Trans-Alaska Pipeline
At the start of the 104th Congress, the Committee on
Resources expanded its jurisdiction over the trans-Alaska
pipeline. The Committee indicated that it would continue its
vigilant oversight of the operation and safety of the pipeline.
The Committee was particularly concerned that the repairs and
maintenance upgrades agreed to by the operator of the pipeline,
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, as a result of Federal and
internal audits be strictly adhered to. Regular briefings and
consultation were required from Alyeska and the regulating
agencies. In addition, Committee staff planned to perform field
inspections of Alyeska equipment and facilities at least once a
year to assess compliance. At the completion of repairs, the
Committee indicated that a hearing might be held to close out
this particular set of oversight concerns which were first
raised by the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of
the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the 103d Congress.
A Member field inspection of the pipeline was planned as a
component of an Alaska issues field trip in mid-1995.
During the course of the 104th Congress, virtually all of
the goals stated above were achieved. There were numerous
briefings in Washington and Anchorage by Federal and
interagency entities. Specifically, the Joint Pipeline Office
(JPO) (the Federal-State interagency regulatory entity
overseeing the pipeline) met many times with staff regarding
the status of repairs and responses to a variety of employee
and outside group concerns. Staff also met many times with
representatives of the companies that comprise Alyeska
regarding the Committee's concerns. The General Accounting
Office also briefed staff on the status of the repair work, and
JPO's regulatory effectiveness.
In addition, there was a Member field trip to Alaska in the
Summer of 1995, in which Members had an opportunity to tour the
Valdez Terminal and the Coast Guard facility, and to inspect
oil spill response equipment to get a first hand report of the
status of issues related to Alyeska's activities. There also
was staff inspection trip in the Summer of 1996 to view the
status of repairs at the terminal and along the pipeline.
While a close out hearing has not been held because of the
pending status of audit closure items, such a hearing is
anticipated during the 105th Congress. In the meantime, the
Committee intends to continue to exercise its oversight
responsibilities through close consultations with the Joint
Pipeline Office. The Committee will also continue to receive
regular briefings from all interested parties.
Alaska Public Lands
In addition to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the full
Committee retains jurisdiction over public lands in Alaska,
including forestry and forest management issues.
Congresses past have legislated that Alaska be home to 85
percent of the nation's acreage in the National Wildlife Refuge
system (75.3 million acres), 69 percent of the nation's acreage
in the National Park System (54.7 million acres) and roughly 70
percent of the nation's wilderness system. The sheer size of
Federal land holdings in parks, forests and other lands have
made Alaska a perennial concern of the Committee. The enormous
mineral reserves, including petroleum, are also of interest to
the Committee. At the start of the Congress it was decided that
as the situation warranted, the Committee would consider
holding one or more hearings on issues related to timber
production and conservation in the Tongass National Forest and
on potential petroleum production in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge. Management of the national parks in Alaska was
also recognized as another topic of interest.
Given the large number of new Members, including freshmen,
the Committee planned an oversight field trip to Alaska in mid-
1995 to acquaint members with a range of issues.
Several members participated in field trip to Alaska in the
Summer of 1995 which gave them an opportunity to see first hand
the practical affects of the statistics mentioned above. The
trip included a series of briefings and meetings with state,
Federal, industry, and Alaska native officials. Also, Members
visited Valdez to look at the site of the 1989 oil spill,
surveyed several working mines and fisheries, visited the
Tongass National Forest and inspected portions of the trans-
Alaska Pipeline.
Specific concerns regarding fishing, wildlife, mining, oil
exploration, timber, and Indian issues facing the state and the
nation were addressed through a broad cross section of hearings
discussed elsewhere in this activities report.
Regarding the Committee's action on matters related to the
Tongass National Forest, the Full Committee held five hearings
on two bills. Hearings were held in Wrangell, Ketchikan, Thorne
Bay, and Sitka, Alaska, on H.R. 2413, The Tongass Transfer and
Transition Act. The bill proposed a legal mechanism for the
State of Alaska to assume ownership of the Tongass National
Forest and for the transition from Federal to state ownership.
Most witnesses testifying supported the concept of State
ownership of the Tongass, including elected officials, Native
corporations, and other commercial interests. Many Alaskans
base their support of Tongass transfer on the belief that
Federal decision making with respect to the Tongass has moved
further and further away from Alaska and closer to Washington,
D.C. and, as a result, decisions are premised on popular,
paternalistic notions of a surmised need to ``protect'' the
``fragile'' Tongass from human activity.
The fifth hearing was on H.R. 3659, the Environmental
Improvement Timber Contract Extension Act. The bill proposed
extending the only remaining long-term timber sale contract
held by the Ketchikan Pulp Corporation (KPC) by fifteen years.
The bill's premise was that an extended contract justified
expenditure of approximately $200 million in environmental and
energy efficiency improvements to the mill by the mill's owner.
Without an extended contract, such an expenditure could not be
amortized. However, the bill was not acted upon, in large part
because of the Clinton Administration opposition. As a result,
the owners of the KPC pulp mill announced that closure would
occur in March 1997. Discussions are currently underway
(December 1996) between the Clinton Administration and the
company on providing a transitional timber supply sufficient to
keep the KPC sawmill open for up to two years. Approximately
500 people work at the KPC pulp mill and 500 work at the KPC
sawmill.
B. Oversight Hearings
January 26, 1995--Oversight hearing on ``Federal Efforts to
Introduce Canadian Gray Wolves into Yellowstone National Park
and the Central Idaho Wilderness''.
March 2, 1995--Oversight hearing on ``Trends in Federal
Land Ownership and Management.''
August 3, 1995--Oversight hearing on leasing of the 1002
study area of the Arctic Coastal Plain to oil exploration and
development.
November 16, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with Senate
Committee on Energy and National Resources and the Senate
Committee on Indian Affairs on the Federal-State Alaska Natives
Commission Report dated May 1994.
February 2, 1996--Oversight field hearing in Houston,
Texas, to examine the economic and employment implications of
declining U.S. oil and gas production.
March 20, 1996--Oversight hearing on the Endangered Species
Act of 1973.
April 17, 1996--Oversight hearing on Funding of Programs to
Protect Endangered Species.
April 18, 1996--Oversight hearing on Federal Management and
Policies on Federal Lands: State Legislators' Perspective.
April 24, 1996--Oversight hearing on a review of the
Department of the Interior's Activities and Programs and the
Department's fiscal year 1997 Budget.
May 15, 1996--Oversight hearing held on U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service activities and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
June 18, 1996--Oversight hearing held on Citizens'
Perspectives on Federal Land Use Policies.
June 25, 1996--Oversight hearing on lifting of the
moratorium on listings of species under the Endangered Species
Act.
July 24, 1996--Oversight hearing on Implementation of the
Endangered Species Act with regard to Section 10(a) permits
(Habitat Conservation Plan) and other incentives.
September 17, 1996--Oversight hearing on equal access to
the courts under the Endangered Species Act.
October 16, 1996--Joint oversight field hearing in
Anchorage, Alaska, with the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs,
to hear testimony on the proposed draft legislation on the
Joint Federal-State Alaska Native Commission Report.
v. full committee statistics
Total number of bills and resolutions held at Full Committee...... 70
Total number of bills held at Full Committee that were reported
from Committee................................................ 27
Total number of bills held at Full Committee that were passed by
the House..................................................... 25
Total number of bills held at Full Committee that were enacted
into law...................................................... 29
Public Hearings and Markups:
Legislative Hearings.......................................... 16
Oversight Hearings............................................ 15
Markup Sessions............................................... 29
Total number of meetings (days)............................... 59
Task Force on the Endangered Species Act
i. introduction
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was last reauthorized in
1988 for four years. Since that time, the listing of the
northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest, the golden cheek
warbler in Texas and a number of other species in various
regions of the country have led to widespread concern over the
implementation of the Act, including its effectiveness and
impact on property owners and communities.
The Task Force on Endangered Species of the Committee on
Resources was created in February 1995 to review and study the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the operations and regulations
of any Federal agency or entity having responsibility in or for
administration of that Act, to determine whether the ESA is
being implemented and carried out in accordance with the intent
of Congress and whether it is desirable to enact new or
additional legislation on the subject matter.
The Task Force held seven field hearings and three hearings
in Washington, D.C. (listed below.) (For further information
see the ``Report of the Committee on Resources--Report on the
Endangered Species Conservation and Management Act of 1995'' H.
Rept. 104-778.)
The Task Force identified a number of concerns to be
addressed in legislation, based on the testimony received from
the witnesses. The major areas of concern are:
Reform the ESA to balance the methods by which
endangered or threatened species are protected while
protecting rights of private property owners and
workers, meeting public safety and health needs, and
achieving species conservation and recovery.
Provide protection for private property rights and
provide incentives that would encourage private
landowners to protect species. Compensate private
property owners, through short- or long-term contracts,
when their property must be used by the public for
habitat for endangered or threatened species.
Give the States a greater role in Federal decision
making processes and encourage more delegation of the
ESA to the States.
Encourage voluntary measures that protect species.
Streamline and simplify the process for obtaining
permits or for using the consultation process to obtain
approvals for activities in areas where species might
be present.
Authorize general permits for routine activities with
minimal impacts.
Require the Federal Government to share the costs of
expensive ESA-mandated mitigation measures.
Limit the application of the ``take'' prohibition on
private property to only those actions that proximately
and foreseeably kill or physically injure an
identifiable member of an endangered species rather
than the broader prohibition on modification of
potential, as well as actual, habitat.
Provide sufficient funds to pay for the programs
authorized in the ESA.
Improve the credibility of the scientific
decisionmaking processes, particularly the listing
decision.
Protect endangered species and subspecies but limit
the listing of ``distinct population segments'' to
those of national interest as determined by Congress.
Clarify the distinction between regulations to
protect ``endangered species'' and those for
``threatened species''.
Give the Secretaries more flexibility after listing
to set achievable conservation objectives for the
species and develop conservation plans that consider
economic impacts, relying heavily on the advice and
assistance of a special assessment team.
Make better use of Federal lands already in
conservation status through the establishment of the
National Biological Diversity Reserve System.
Ensure that the ESA would not preempt other Federal
laws and is implemented consistently with other
important Federal missions.
Discourage unnecessary and frivolous litigation and
ensure that all parties have equal access to judicial
review.
ii. members
The Members of the Task Force on Endangered Species were:
Richard W. Pombo, Chairman
John T. Doolittle
Barbara Cubin
Helen Chenoweth
Linda Smith
George P. Radanovich
William M. (Mac) Thornberry
Jack Metcalf
Wes Cooley
Wayne T. Gilchrest
Richard (Doc) Hastings
J.D. Hayworth
Gerry E. Studds, Ranking Minority Member
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega
Calvin M. Dooley
Maurice D. Hinchey
W.J. (Billy) Tauzin*
Bruce F. Vento
Solomon P. Ortiz
* Congressman Tauzin later became a Member of the Republican
Conference.
iii. meetings
March 13, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with the Wetlands
Task Force in Belle Chase, Louisiana, on the Endangered Species
Act and Wetlands Issues.
March 20, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Boerne, Texas,
on the Endangered Species Act.
April 1, 1995--Joint oversight field hearing with the
Wetlands Task Force in New Bern, North Carolina, on the
Endangered Species Act and Wetlands Issues.
April 17, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Bakersfield,
California, on the Endangered Species Act.
April 24, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Vancouver,
Washington, on the Endangered Species Act.
April 26, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Riverside,
California, on the Endangered Species Act.
April 28, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Stockton,
California, on the Endangered Species Act.
May 10, 1995--Oversight hearing on the Endangered Species
Act.
May 18, 1995--Oversight hearing on the Endangered Species
Act.
May 25, 1995--Oversight hearing on the Endangered Species
Act.
iv. task force statistics
Oversight hearings held........................................... 3
Oversight field hearings held..................................... 7
Total hearings held............................................... 10
Task Force on Wetlands
i. introduction
The Committee's jurisdiction over wildlife and fish extends
to laws affecting the habitat of these biological resources. In
recent years, the expansion of Federal protection of wetlands
as biological habitat through the application of Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act has had huge effects on land use in many
parts of the country. The Task Force on Wetlands proposed to
gather information for use in considering any Clean Water Act
wetlands amendments which may be referred sequentially to the
Committee on Resources and for further use in fashioning
legislation pursuant to the Committee's primary jurisdiction in
this area.
The Task Force on Wetlands held three hearings in
California, North Carolina and Louisiana. The Federal wetlands'
regulatory program under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act has
been implemented as a national land use planning tool and it is
viewed by many interest groups as such. The Task Force hearings
resulted in documentation of tens of examples of how the
wetlands permitting program has been used to subvert private
property rights, take property, and harass property owners. The
cumbersome and often bureaucratic permitting process touches
communities in every corner of the Nation--from Alaska (with
170 million acres of wetlands) to Florida (with 11 million
acres of wetlands). The task force heard testimony from
farmers, ranchers, property owners, environmentalists, State
officials, local officials and other interested groups.
Testimony from witnesses justified several of the changes
in law that were proposed in H.R. 1330, which was incorporated
into the House-passed Clean Water Act Reform bill, H.R. 925.
That bill proposed regulating wetlands based on their value
classification. More valuable wetlands would be regulated more
strictly and very low value, abundant wetlands would be
regulated less strictly or not at all. The bill also
streamlined the wetlands permitting program by requiring agency
permit decisions within 90 days. Wetland delineation would be
made on a site-specific basis and on ``clear evidence'' of
wetland soil, vegetation and hydrology. Mitigation banking was
also established under the House-passed bill, as were general
permits for States, regions and classes of activities for the
entire country. Private property rights were also addressed
with a compensation provision, which contained a valuation
threshold after which property owners must be compensated if
the inability to receive a wetland permit devalued property.
Members of the Task Force on Wetlands contributed to the
refinement of legislative language based on task force hearing
testimony.
ii. members
The Members of the Task Force on Wetlands were:
John T. Doolittle, Chairman
Walter B. Jones, Jr.
Jack Metcalf
James B. Longley, Jr.
George Miller, Ranking Minority Member
Carlos A. Romero-Barcelo
W. J. (Billy) Tauzin *
* Congressman Tauzin later became a Member of the Republican
Conference.
iii. meetings
March 13, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with the Endangered
Species Act Task Force in Belle Chase, Louisiana, on the
Endangered Species Act and Wetlands Issues.
April 1, 1995--Joint oversight field hearing with the
Endangered Species Act Task Force in New Bern, North Carolina,
on the Endangered Species Act and Wetlands Issues.
April 19, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Roseville,
California, on Wetlands issues.
iv. task force statistics
Oversight hearings held........................................... 0
Oversight field hearings held..................................... 3
Total hearings held............................................... 3
Task Force on Private Property Rights
i. introduction
In the 103d Congress, the Committee on Resources dealt with
several related issues which arose under the issue of private
property rights. These included the use of eminent domain by
the Federal Government, regulatory takings as a Fifth Amendment
issue, the right to privacy on private property, the
application of State trespass laws to Federal agents, and the
ongoing public policy debate over the proper balance between
public benefits verses private costs. These issues continued to
resurface in the 104th Congress not only as incidents to
environmental legislation (including ESA and wetlands) but also
in relation to management of Federal lands (including
regulation of private inholdings and buffer areas) and Federal
land use regimes protecting historic, cultural and other
values. The Task Force on Private Property Rights proposed to
gather testimonial evidence and to study these issues for the
benefit of the Committee in dealing with legislation in this
Congress.
Private property is required for the capitalistic economic
system envisioned by the founding fathers of the United States,
who incorporated the principle of private property protection
into the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The property
clauses of the U.S. Constitution ensure that government does
not unnecessarily interfere with or appropriate private
property.
However, several Federal laws and programs have slowly been
interpreted by the courts and applied by the Federal Government
so as to erode the ability of private property owners to use
and enjoy their property. Two laws, the Endangered Species Act
and the Clean Water Act (Section 404 wetland provisions), have
been the basis for Federal regulators and agencies to place
restrictions on the use of private property and even prohibit
use of private property. Doing so is not ordinarily in the
property owner's best economic interest and often does not
improve environmental protection.
As the Committee on Resources undertook review of laws
within its jurisdiction in the 104th Congress, the Chairman
formed the Task Force on Private Property rights to examine the
balance of how issues of private property rights have shifted
in application of laws within the Committee's jurisdiction. The
Task Force was Chaired by Congressman John Shadegg and four
hearings were held. The Task Force heard from 87 witnesses
including Constitutional scholars, property owners subject to
Federal laws and regulation, litigants and attorneys with
pertinent property rights cases, environmental groups, elected
officials, corporate representatives and association
representatives.
Task Force testimony established, for example, the
following information in three volumes of Committee hearing
records:
Congress has a Constitutional basis to legislate
private property protection;
Congress has a basis to advance current court
interpretations of the Fifth Amendment (i.e., provide
greater protection of private property rights);
Property right infringements occur in wetlands
permitting under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
when permits are withheld for mitigation of damage to
wetlands;
Property right infringements occur in application of
the Endangered Species Act when the Federal agencies
demand that a portion of a property owner's land be
preserved for habitat;
Private nuisance actions can adequately address
disputes between property owners and Federal
legislation need not address this issue;
Federal legislation need not (and H.R. 925, the
House-passed Clean Water Act Reauthorization bill did
not) infringe on State and local authority to regulate
land use through zoning power;
The judicial process to enforce property rights from
Federal Government infringement is time-consuming and
expensive;
Property right infringements occur as a result of
other Federal actions such as the rails-to-trails
program and in designation of recreation and park
areas; and
Property rights infringements occur when unreasonable
restrictions are placed on Federal permits (such as
grazing permits).
ii. members
The Members of the Task Force on Private Property were:
John Shadegg, Chairman
Richard W. Pombo
Barbara Cubin
Helen Chenoweth,
William M. (Mac) Thornberry
Richard (Doc) Hastings
Jack Metcalf
Sam Farr, Ranking Minority Member
W. J. (Billy) Tauzin*
Bruce F. Vento
Robert A. Underwood
*Congressman Tauzin later became a Member of the Republican
Conference.
iii. meetings
May 17, 1995--Oversight hearing on Private Property Rights.
June 3, 1995--Oversight field hearing on Private Property
Rights.
June 13, 1995--Oversight hearing on Private Property
Rights.
July 17, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Sheridan,
Wyoming, on Private Property Rights.
iv. task force statistics
Oversight hearings held........................................... 3
Oversight field hearings held..................................... 1
Total hearings held............................................... 4
Task Force on Salvage Timber and Forest Health
i. introduction
The Timber Salvage and Forest Health Task Force was created
to oversee and report on implementation of the timber
provisions contained in Section 2001 of Public Law 104-13. This
legislation was developed by House (and then Senate)
authorizing committees in cooperation with the Committee on
Appropriations and the prime sponsor, Representative Charles
Taylor (R-NC).
There were two timber provisions in Section 2001. The first
provision was an expedited timber salvage program, which was
designed to ensure dead and dying ``salvage'' trees could be
expeditiously harvested while giving the Secretary of
Agriculture complete and total discretion to apply substantive
environmental laws (including forest standards and guidelines)
in preparing and offering the salvage sales. Hard target levels
were removed from the House version of the bill in conference.
The second provision was called the Section 318 proviso. The
Section 318 proviso provided sufficiency language to ensure
harvesting of timber sales that were presumed in the biological
analysis of the Northwest Forest Plan to be already harvested
with no significant impact to the environment. Subsection (d)
and subsection (k) of Section 2001 directed the release of
those sales to fulfill the obligations of the President's
Option 9 Northwest Forest Plan.
The Task Force held six hearings, including one joint
hearing with the Senate authorizing committee and three field
hearings. Testimony from Forest Service officials, timber
businesses, environmental groups, logging companies, State
officials, local officials and other interest groups form the
basis of the following observations from the hearing record:
Salvage timber sales reduce fire risk and can be used
to clean up forests for restocking after fires;
Salvage timber sales are helpful by improving the
health of forests;
Salvage timber accumulated on Forest Service lands
after the 1994 fire season was 18 billion board feet,
6-9 billion board feet of which is commercially
harvestable;
While the law provided ample latitude for foresters
to prepare and offer salvage timber sales, the
discretion was withheld by the Department of
Agriculture;
Withholding discretion prevented the achievement of
the level of salvage timber harvesting contemplated by
the sponsors of the salvage timber law (6 billion board
feet) over the time period of the law's applicability;
Withholding discretion may have also contributed to
the record fire season in 1996 (6 million acres
burned);
Harvesting more timber salvage would have provided
needed timber supply for mills (particularly small
business mills) that rely on pubic land timber to
maintain their operation and employment levels;
Because the law was not fully or properly utilized as
contemplated by the drafters, those relying on timber
for their careers, medical benefits and family income
became or remained unemployed due to lack of timber
supply;
Because the law was improperly implemented, the
forest health conditions have not improved on public
lands;
There was a high degree of frustration about
implementation of the law among those who rely on
timber for their livelihoods because the Administration
did not properly utilize its discretion to produce
salvage sales;
Contrary to claims by some environmental groups, the
law did not result in ``logging without laws'' because
the discretion to apply all standards and guidelines
remained with the Secretary of Agriculture and he
explicitly did not waive substantive laws, standards
and guidelines for the salvage sales; and
Contrary to claims by some environmental groups,
salvage sales were not old growth sales of healthy
trees (some groups confused sales authorized by the so-
called Section 318 proviso of the timber provisions of
Section 2001 with salvage sales).
ii. members
The Members of the Task Force* were:
Wes Cooley, Chairman
Helen Chenoweth
Richard W. Pombo
Frank Cremeans
George A. Radanovich
Walter B. Jones, Jr.
Richard (Doc) Hastings
Jack Metcalf
James B. Longley, Jr.
*The Minority choose not to appoint any Members to the Task Force.
III. meetings
October 6, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Lewiston,
Idaho, on Timber Salvage.
October 21, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Redding,
California, on Timber Salvage.
October 24, 1995--Oversight hearing on Timber Salvage.
November 4, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Medford,
Oregon, on Timber Salvage.
November 29, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with the Senate
Subcommittee on Forests and Public Lands Management of the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on the Emergency
Salvage Timber Sale Program Provisions of the Fiscal Year 1995
Rescissions Act.
December 19, 1995--Oversight hearing on Timber Salvage.
IV. task force statistics
Oversight hearings held........................................... 3
Oversight field hearings held..................................... 3
Total hearings held............................................... 6
Task Force on Indian Fund Management
i. introduction
The Task Force on Indian Trust Fund Management was created
on May 21, 1996, to review and study the management and
reconciliation of Indian trust fund accounts administered by
the Department of the Interior. The Task Force held hearings in
Washington, D.C., Alaska and Arizona on what was found to be
one of this Nation's longest scandals. Billions of dollars of
transactions conducted by Federal officials were found to be
unreconcilable by Arthur Andersen LLP in a reconciliation study
completed in 1995. A new task force may be created during the
105th Congress to follow up on the work completed in 1996 and
to recommend legislation which will effectively terminate the
Administration's mismanagement of Indian trust fund accounts
which continues to this day.
ii. members
The Members of the Task Force on Indian Trust Fund
Management were:
J.D. Hayworth, Chairman
Wayne T. Gilchrest
Ken Calvert
Richard W. Pombo
Barbara Cubin
Don Young (ex officio)
Dale E. Kildee, Ranking Minority Member
Pat Williams
Bill Richardson
Tim Johnson
George Miller (ex officio)
iii. meetings
June 18, 1996--Oversight hearing on Management of Indian
Trust Funds.
August 10, 1996--Oversight field hearing in Anchorage,
Alaska, on the mismanagement of Indian Trust Fund accounts
relating to Alaska Natives.
August 20, 1996--Oversight field hearing in Phoenix,
Arizona, on the mismanagement of Indian Trust Fund accounts by
the Department of the Interior.
September 26, 1996--Oversight hearing on the mismanagement
of Indian Trust Fund accounts by the Department of the
Interior.
iv. task force statistics
Oversight hearings held........................................... 2
Oversight field hearings held..................................... 2
Total hearings held............................................... 4
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands
i. introduction
The 104th Congress proved to be historic for the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands. Although the
Subcommittee has a long tradition of an aggressive legislative
agenda, the 104th Congress resulted in the passage of the
Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, which is
the largest and most important parks and public lands
legislation in nearly 20 years. In a truly bipartisan fashion,
H.R. 4236 includes measures that benefit Americans from coast
to coast. Overall, the Subcommittee, under the direction of
Chairman Jim Hansen, was referred 241 bills, held hearings on
102 different bills, and enacted in some form over 80 different
bills.
The Omnibus Parks bill created several new national park
units including the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in
Kansas, to protect one of the last remaining unplowed stretches
of tallgrass prairie; the Nicodemus National Historic Site, to
protect a historic community established for freed slaves; the
New Bedford National Historic Park, to honor the Nation's
whaling industry; Boston Harbor Islands, to protect unique
islands in Boston Harbor; and the Washita National Battlefield,
to preserve a Plains Indians battlefield. Moreover, the
Subcommittee included a unique provision to preserve the
Presidio of California that involves the National Park Service
and the newly created Presidio Trust that will allow private
non-profit management of the extensive resources of the
Presidio. The Omnibus bill also provides for the protection of
the Sterling Forest for the States of New Jersey and New York
through matching funds and State management. Much of the
success of the Subcommittee can be measured in terms of finding
new and better ways to manage our resources and the Presidio
and Sterling Forest initiatives are prime examples.
Historic preservation and the establishment of new
memorials were important parts of the Omnibus Parks bill.
Included are provisions to further protect the Manzanar
National Historic Site, Independence Hall, establishing a
historic trail to commemorate the Selma to Montgomery civil
rights march and reauthorization of the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation. Memorials were established for the
memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., Black Revolutionary War
Patriots and Japanese-American Patriots. Initiatives were also
included to preserve important battlefields from Independence
at Yorktown to Civil War sites in Virginia, Mississippi,
Louisiana and Georgia. Eight new National Heritage Areas were
established that will allow for the preservation of the customs
and culture of areas through unique Federal and local
management.
Other provisions of the Omnibus bill involve several land
exchanges, including the Snowbasin exchange that will
facilitate the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Utah. The Sand
Hollow land exchange near Zion National Park will allow a
historic water agreement between the State of Utah and the
Department of the Interior to ensure protection of Zion Park.
National Park Service administrative reform was included to
improve the management of the service, improve housing for Park
employee, eliminate unnecessary reporting requirements and
require Senate confirmation of the Park Service Director.
Overall, the 104th Congress will prove to be a landmark in
environmental responsibility. The Subcommittee recognizes
current budget and resource constraints and is finding new and
better ways to preserve our environment, our history and our
resources.
ii. jurisdiction
(1) Measures and matters related to the National Park
System and all of its units.
(2) National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, National Trails
System, national recreation areas, and other national units
established for protection, conservation, preservation or
recreational development administered by the Secretary of the
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture.
(3) Military parks, battlefields, cemeteries, and parks
administered by the Secretary of the Interior within the
District of Columbia.
(4) Except for Alaska, the National Wilderness Preservation
System generally, and all matters regarding wilderness in the
National Park System.
(5) Federal outdoor recreation plans, programs and
administration including the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
(6) Plans and programs concerning non-Federal outdoor
recreation and land use, including related plans and programs
authorized by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965
and the Outdoor Recreation Act of 1963.
(7) Preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of
interest on the public domain and other historic preservation
programs and activities, including programs for international
cooperation in the field of historic preservation.
(8) Matters concerning the following agencies and programs:
Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery Program, Historic American
Buildings Survey, Historic American Engineering Record,
American Conservation Corps, and U.S. Holocaust Memorial.
(9) Except for public lands in Alaska, public lands
generally, including measures or matters related to entry,
easements, withdrawals, and grazing.
(10) Except in Alaska, forest reservations, including
management thereof, created from the public domain.
(11) Forfeiture of land grants and alien ownership,
including alien ownership of mineral lands.
(12) Federal reserved water rights on public lands and
forest reserves.
(13) General and continuing oversight and investigative
authority over activities, policies and programs within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
III. Legislative Activities
A. Legislative Hearings and Markups
January 24, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 531, to designate the
Great Western Scenic Trail as a study trail under the National
Trails System Act; H.R. 536, to extend indefinitely the
authority of the Secretary of the Interior to collect a
commercial operation fee in the Delaware Water Gap National
Recreation Area; H.R. 517, to amend title V of Public Law 96-
550, designating the Chaco Culture Archeological Protection
Sites; H.R. 529, to authorize the exchange of National Forest
System lands in the Targhee National Forest in Idaho for non-
Federal lands within the forest in Wyoming; and H.R. 562, to
modify the boundaries of Walnut Canyon National Monument in the
State of Arizona.
January 26, 1995--Markup of H.R. 531, to designate the
Great Western Scenic Trail as a study trail under the National
Trails System Act; H.R. 536, to extend indefinitely the
authority of the Secretary of the Interior to collect a
commercial operation fee in the Delaware Water Gap National
Recreation Area; H.R. 517, to amend title V of Public Law 96-
550, designating the Chaco Culture Archeological Protection
Sites; H.R. 529, to authorize the exchange of National Forest
System lands in the Targhee National Forest in Idaho for non-
Federal lands within the Forest in Wyoming; and H.R. 562, to
modify the boundaries of Walnut Canyon National Monument in the
State of Arizona.
February 2, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 694, Minor Boundary
Adjustments and Miscellaneous Park Amendments Act of 1995; H.R.
606, to amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation Act of
1992; and H.R. 621, to amend the Act of January 26, 1915,
establishing Rocky Mountain National Park.
February 7, 1995--Markup of H.R. 694, Minor Boundary
Adjustments and Miscellaneous Park Amendments Act of 1995 and
H.R. 606, to amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation
Act of 1992.
February 23, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 260, National Park
Service Reform.
March 9, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1091, to improve the
National Park System in the Commonwealth of Virginia and H.R.
1077, to authorize the Bureau of Land Management.
March 28, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1280, to establish
guidelines for the designation of National Heritage Areas, and
H.R. 1301, to establish the American Heritage Areas Partnership
Program.
March 29, 1995--Markup of H.R. 260, National Park System
Reform Act; H.R. 1077, to reauthorize the Bureau of Land
Management; and H.R. 1091, to improve the National Park System
in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
May 16, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1296, to provide for the
administration of certain Presidio properties at minimal cost
to the Federal taxpayer.
May 18, 1995--Hearing on 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; H.R. 238, to provide for the protection of wild
horses within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and prohibit
the removal of such horses; H.R. 826, to extend the deadline
for the completion of certain land exchanges involving the Big
Thicket National Preserve in Texas; and H.R. 1508, to require
the transfer of title to the District of Columbia of certain
property in Anacostia Park to facilitate the construction of
National Children's Island, a cultural, educational, and
family-oriented park.
June 23, 1995--Field hearing in Cedar City, Utah, on H.R.
1745, to designate certain public lands in the State of Utah as
wilderness; and H.R. 1500, to designate certain Federal lands
in the State of Utah as wilderness.
June 24, 1995--Field hearing in Salt Lake City, Utah, on
H.R. 1745, to designate certain public lands in the State of
Utah as wilderness; and H.R. 1500, to designate certain Federal
lands in the State of Utah as wilderness.
June 27, 1995--Markup of 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; H.R. 1296, to provide for the administration of
certain Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal
taxpayer; and H.R. 1508, to require the transfer of title to
the District of Columbia of certain real property in Anacostia
Park to facilitate the construction of National Children's
Island, a cultural, education and family-oriented park.
June 29, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1745, to designate certain
public lands in the State of Utah as wilderness; and H.R. 1500,
to designate certain Federal lands in the State of Utah as
wilderness.
July 11, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1713, to provide uniform
management of livestock grazing on Federal land.
July 18, 1995--Markup of H.R. 238, Ozark Wild Horses
Protection Act, and H.R. 1745, Utah Public Lands Management Act
of 1995.
July 20, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 207, Cleveland National
Forest Land Exchange Act of 1995; H.R. 1163, to authorize the
exchange of National Park Service land in the Fire Island
National Seashore in the State of New York for land in the
Village of Patchogue, Suffolk County, New York; H.R. 1581, to
require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain lands
under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture to the
City of Sumpter, Oregon; H.R. 1585, Modoc National Forest
Boundary Adjustment Act; H.R. 1784, to validate certain
conveyances made by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company
within the cities of Reno, Nevada, and Tulare, California; H.R.
1838, to provide for an exchange of lands with the Water
Conservancy District of Washington County, Utah; and H.R. 1922,
to provide for the exchange of certain lands in Gilpin County,
Colorado.
July 25, 1995--Hearing on Title V (National Park
Concessions) of H.R. 721, to establish fair market value
pricing of Federal natural assets; H.R. 773, to reform the
concession policies of the National Park Service; H.R. 1527, to
amend the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 to
clarify the authorities and duties of the Secretary of
Agriculture in issuing ski area permits on National Forest
System lands and to withdraw lands within ski area permit
boundaries from the operation of the mining and mineral leasing
laws; and H.R. 2028, Federal Land Management Agency Concession
Reform Act of 1995.
July 27, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2081, to recognize the
validity of rights-of-way granted under Section 2477 of the
Revised Statutes.
August 1, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2032, to transfer the lands
administered by the Bureau of Land Management to the State in
which the lands are located.
August 3, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2107, to amend the Land and
Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to improve the quality of
visitor services provided by Federal land management agencies
through an incentive-based recreation fee program, and H.R.
2025, to amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965
as regards the National Park Service.
September 7, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1188, to provide for the
preservation of the coal mining heritage of southern West
Virginia; H.R. 1447, to revise the boundaries of the Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Massachusetts and
Rhode Island; H.R. 1542, to amend the Illinois and Michigan
Canal Heritage Corridor Act of 1984 to modify the boundaries of
the corridor; H.R. 1553, to establish the South Carolina
National Heritage Corridor; H.R. 1961, to designate the
Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area; H.R. 1999, to establish the
Augusta Canal National Heritage Area in the State of Georgia;
H.R. 2057, to establish the Cache La Poudre River National
Water Heritage Area in the State of Colorado; H.R. 2172, to
establish the Vancouver National Historic Reserve; H.R. 2186 to
establish the Ohio & Erie Canal Corridor National Heritage
Corridor in the State of Ohio; and H.R. 2188, to establish in
the Department of the Interior the Essex National Heritage Area
Commission.
September 12, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1280, to establish
guidelines for the designation of National Heritage Areas, and
H.R. 1713, to provide for uniform management of livestock
grazing on Federal land.
September 19, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1129, to amend the
National Trails Systems Act to designate the route from Selma
to Montgomery as a National Historic Trail, and H.R. 924, to
prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from transferring any
national forest system lands in the Angeles National Forest in
California out of Federal ownership for use as a solid waste
landfill.
September 28, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 194, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to make matching contributions toward
the purchase of the Sterling Forest in the State of New York;
H.R. 1256, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
provide funds to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission for
acquisition of land in the Sterling Forest area of the New
York/New Jersey Highlands Region; and H.R. 2402, to authorize
an exchange of lands in the State of Utah at Snowbasin Ski
Area.
October 10, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1020, to amend the
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.
October 17, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 207, Cleveland National
Forest Land Exchange Act of 1995; H.R. 826, to extend the
deadline for the completion of certain land exchanges involving
the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas; H.R. 924, to
prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from transferring any
national forest system lands in the Angeles National Forest in
California out of Federal ownership for use as a solid waste
landfill; H.R. 1163, to authorize the exchange of National Park
Service land in the Fire Island National Seashore in the State
of New York for land in the Village of Patchogue, Suffolk
County, New York; H.R. 1581, to require the Secretary of
Agriculture to convey certain lands under the jurisdiction of
the Department of Agriculture to the City of Sumpter, Oregon;
H.R. 1585, Modoc National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act; H.R.
1784, to validate certain conveyances made by the Southern
Pacific Transportation Company within the cities of Reno,
Nevada, and Tulare, California; H.R. 1838, to provide for an
exchange of lands with the Water Conservancy District of
Washington County, Utah; H.R. 2402, to authorize an exchange of
lands in the State of Utah at Snowbasin Ski Area; and H.R.
2437, to provide for the exchange of certain lands in Gilpin
County, Colorado.
October 24, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2466, Land Exchange
Reform Bill.
October 26, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2067, to facilitate
improved management of National Park Service Lands; H.R. 2025,
to amend the Land Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 as
regards the National Park Service (Sections 2(o), 4 and 6
only); H.R. 2465, to establish 5-year terms for, and require
the advice and consent of the Senate in the appointment of, the
Director of the National Park Service; and H.R. 2464, to amend
Public Law 103-93 to provide additional lands within the State
of Utah for the Goshute Indian Reservation.
October 31, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 2081, to recognize the
validity of rights-of-way granted under section 2477 of the
Revised Statutes; and H.R. 2172, to establish the Vancouver
National Historic Reserve.
November 14, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2528, to require the
Secretary of the Interior to renew to the heirs of permittees
permits for historic cabins located in the Mineral King
Addition of the Sequoia National Park; and H.R. 1666, to amend
the Act of October 21, 1970, establishing the Sleeping Bear
Dunes National Lakeshore to permit certain persons to continue
to use and occupy certain areas within the lakeshore.
December 7, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 810, to provide for the
study of battlefields of the Revolutionary War and the War of
1812; H.R. 848, to increase the amount authorized to be
appropriated for assistance for highway and relocation
regarding the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military
Park in Georgia; H.R. 970, to improve the administration of the
Women's Right National Historical Park in the State of New
York; and H.J. Res. 70, authorizing the Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity to establish a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr.
in the District of Columbia or its environs.
December 7, 1995--Mark up of H.J. Res. 70, authorizing the
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to establish a memorial to Martin
Luther King, Jr. in the District of Columbia or its environs.
December 19, 1995 Mark up of H.R. 1129, to amend the National
Trails Systems Act to designate the route from Selma to
Montgomery as a National Historic Trail; H.R. 1527, to amend
the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 to clarify the
authorities and duties of the Secretary of Agriculture in
issuing ski area permits on National Forest System lands and to
withdraw land within ski area permit boundaries from the
operation of the mining and mineral leasing laws; H.R. 2107, to
amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to
improve the quality of visitor services provided by Federal
land management agencies through an incentive-based recreation
fee program; and H.R. 2464, to amend Public Law 103-93 to
provide additional lands within the State of Utah for the
Goshute Indian Reservation.
March 5, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 2941, to improve the
quantity and quality of the quarters of land management agency
field employees.
March 20, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 563, to amend the National
Historic Preservation Act to prohibit the inclusion of certain
sites on the National Register of Historic Places; H.R. 1179,
to authorize appropriations for the preservation and
restoration of historic buildings at historically black
colleges and universities; and H.R. 3031, to amend the Act of
October 15, 1966 (80 Stat. 915), as amended, establishing a
program for the preservation of additional historic property
throughout the Nation.
April 5, 1996--Field hearing held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on
H.R. 3127, to provide for the orderly disposal of Federal lands
in Southern Nevada, and for the acquisition of certain
environmentally sensitive lands in Nevada.
April 16, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 639, West Virginia National
Rivers Technical Amendments Act of 1995; H.R. 640, West
Virginia National Rivers Boundary Modifications Act of 1995;
H.R. 1825, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to limit
acquisition of land on the 39-mile headwaters segment of the
Missouri River, Nebraska and South Dakota, designated as
arecreation river, to acquisition from willing sellers; H.R.
2255, Lamprey Wild and Scenic River Act; and H.R. 2292, Hanford
Reach Preservation.
April 18, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 810, to provide for the
study of battlefields of the Revolutionary War and the War of
1812; H.R. 848, to increase the amount authorized to be
appropriated for assistance for highway and relocation
regarding the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military
Park in Georgia; H.R. 970, to improve the administration of the
Women's Right National Historical Park in the State of New
York; H.R. 1179, to authorize appropriations for the
preservation and restoration of historic buildings at
historically black colleges and universities; H.R. 2941, to
improve the quantity and quality of the quarters of land
management agency field employees; H.R. 2028, Federal Land
Management Agency Concession Reform Act of 1995; and H.R. 194,
to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make matching
contributions toward the purchase of the Sterling Forest in the
State of New York.
April 23, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3127, to provide for the
orderly disposal of Federal lands in Southern Nevada, and for
the acquisition of certain environmentally sensitive lands in
Nevada.
May 9, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 2636, to transfer jurisdiction
over certain parcels of Federal real property located in the
District of Columbia; and H.R. 3006, to provide for disposal of
public lands in support of the Manzanar Historic Site in the
State of California.
May 30, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3147, to provide for the
exchange of certain Federal lands in the State of California
managed by the Bureau of Land Management for certain non-
Federal lands; H.R. 2135, to provide for the correction of
boundaries of certain lands in Clark County, Nevada, acquired
by persons who purchased such lands in good faith reliance on
existing private land surveys; and H.R. 2711, to provide for
the substitution of timber for the canceled Elkhorn Ridge
Timber Sale.
June 6, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 2122, to designate the Lake
Tahoe Basin National Forest in the States of California and
Nevada to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture; H.R.
2438, to provide for the conveyance of lands to certain
individuals in Gunnison County, Colorado; H.R. 2518, to
authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain
lands in the Wenatachee National Forest, Washington, for
certain lands owned by Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan
County, Washington; H.R. 2693, to require the Secretary of
Agriculture to make a minor adjustment in the exterior boundary
of the Hells Canyon Wilderness in the States of Oregon and
Idaho to exclude an established Forest Service road
inadvertently included in the wilderness; H.R. 2709, to provide
for the conveyance of certain land to the Del Norte County
Unified School District of Del Norte County, California; H.R.
3146, to provide for the exchange of certain Federal lands in
the State of California for certain non-Federal lands; and H.R.
3547, to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of real
property in the Apache National Forest in Arizona to the Alpine
Elementary School District 7 to be used for the construction of
school facilities and related playing fields.
June 13, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 3006, to provide for
disposal of public lands in support of the Manzanar Historic
Site in the State of California; H.R. 2636, to transfer
jurisdiction over certain parcels of Federal real property
located in the District of Columbia; H.R. 3127, to provide for
the orderly disposal of Federal lands in Southern Nevada, and
for the acquisition of certain environmentally sensitive lands
in Nevada; H.R. 2292, to preserve and protect the Hanford Reach
of the Columbia River; and H.R. 3534, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to renew certain permits for Mineral
King Addition of the Sequoia National Park, and to protect
historic and cultural resources in that National Park.
June 27, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 2122, to designate the Lake
Tahoe Basin National Forest in the States of California and
Nevada to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture; H.R.
2438, to provide for the conveyance of lands to certain
individuals in Gunnison County, Colorado; H.R. 2518, to
authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain
lands in the Wenatachee National Forest, Washington, for
certain lands owned by Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan
County, Washington; H.R. 2693, to require the Secretary of
Agriculture to make a minor adjustment in the exterior boundary
of the Hells Canyon Wilderness in the States of Oregon and
Idaho to exclude an established Forest Service road
inadvertently included in the wilderness; H.R. 2709, to provide
for the conveyance of certain land to the Del Norte County
Unified School District of Del Norte County, California; H.R.
3547, to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of real
property in the Apache National Forest in Arizona to the Alpine
Elementary School District 7 to be used for the construction of
school facilities and related playing fields; H.R. 3147, to
provide for the exchange of certain Federal lands in the State
of California managed by the Bureau of Land Management for
certain non-Federal lands; H.R. 2135, to provide for the
correction of boundaries of certain lands in Clark County,
Nevada, acquired by persons who purchased such lands in good
faith reliance on existing private land surveys; H.R. 2711, to
provide for the substitution of timber for the canceled Elkhorn
Ridge Timber Sale; and H.R. 2466, to improve the process for
land exchanges for the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management.
July 9, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3155, to amend the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act by designating the Wekiva River, Seminole
Creek, and Rock Springs Run in the State of Florida for study
and potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System; H.R. 3568, to designate 51.7 miles of the Clarion
River, located in Pennsylvania, as a component of the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System; and H.R. 3405, to designate a
portion of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers as a
component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
July 16, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3297, to provide for
improved access to and use of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness; H.R. 3298, to provide for the establishment of the
Voyageurs National Park Intergovernmental Council; and H.R.
3470, to enhance the conservation and protection of the
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Voyageurs
National Park.
July 25, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3099, to establish the
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site in the State of
Oklahoma; H.R. 3819, to amend the Act establishing the National
Park Foundation; H.R. 3486, to dispose of certain Federal
properties at Dutch John, Utah, and assist local government in
the interim delivery of basic services to the Dutch John
Community; H.R. 3769, to provide for the conditional transfer
of the Oregon and California Railroad Grant Lands, the Coos Bay
Military Wagon Road Grant Lands, and related public domain
lands to the State of Oregon; and H.R. 3497, to expand the
boundary of the Snoqualmie National Forests.
September 12, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 2712, to promote
balance between natural resources, economic development, and
job retention in Northwest California.
B. Legislation Enacted
H.J. Res. 70, authorizing the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to
establish a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. in the District
of Columbia or its environs (enacted as part of Public Law 104-
333).
H.R. 207, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to
enter into a land exchange involving the Cleveland National
Forest, California, and to require a boundary adjustment for
the national forest to reflect the land exchange, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 238, to provide for the protection of wild horses
within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and prohibit the
removal of such horses (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 466, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire and to convey certain lands or interests in lands to
improve the management, protection, and administration of
Colonial National Historical Park, and for other purposes
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 517, amends title V of Public Law 96-550, designating
the Chaco Culture Archeological Protection Sites (Public Law
104-11).
H.R. 529, to authorize the exchange of National Forest
System lands in the Targhee National Forest in Idaho for non-
Federal lands within the forest in Wyoming (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 531, to designate the Great Western Scenic Trail as a
study trail under the National Trails System Act, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 536, to extend indefinitely the authority of the
Secretary of the Interior to collect a commercial operation fee
in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and for
other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 562, to modify the boundaries of Walnut Canyon
National Monument in the State of Arizona (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 606, to amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage
Preservation Act of 1992, and for other purposes (enacted as
part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 621, to amend the Act of January 26, 1915,
establishing Rocky Mountain National Park, to provide for the
protection of certain lands in Rocky Mountain National Park and
along North St. Vrain Creek and for other purposes (enacted as
part of Public Law 104-333).
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 (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 639, to make technical amendments relating to three
units of the National Park System in the State of West Virginia
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 640, to modify the boundaries of three units of the
National Park System in the State of West Virginia (enacted as
part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 694, the Minor Boundary Adjustments and Miscellaneous
Park Amendments Act of 1995 (enacted as part of Public Law 104-
333).
H.R. 763, to establish the Shenandoah Valley National
Battlefields and Commission in the Commonwealth of Virginia,
and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 810, to provide for the study of battlefields of the
Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 826, to extend the deadline for the completion of
certain land exchanges involving the Big Thicket National
Preserve in Texas (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 848, to increase the amount authorized to be
appropriated for assistance for highway relocation regarding
the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in
Georgia (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 924, to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from
transferring any national forest system lands in the Angeles
National Forest in California out of Federal ownership for use
as a solid waste landfill (enacted as part of Public Law 104-
333).
H.R. 970, to improve the administration of the Women's
Right National Historical Park in the State of New York, and
for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1077, to authorize the Bureau of Land Management
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1091, to improve the National Park System in the
Commonwealth of Virginia (enacted as part of Public Law 104-
333).
H.R. 1129, to amend the National Trails Systems Act to
designate the route from Selma to Montgomery as a National
Historic Trail (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1179, to authorize appropriations for the preservation
and restoration of historic buildings at historically black
colleges and universities (enacted as part of Public Law 104-
333).
H.R. 1188, to provide for the preservation of the coal
mining heritage of southern West Virginia, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1296, to provide for the Administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1307, to establish the New Bedford Whaling National
Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1415, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
enter into an appropriate form of agreement with the town of
Grand Lake, Colorado, authorizing the town to maintain
permanently a cemetery in the Rocky Mountain National Park
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1447, to revise the boundaries of the Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Massachusetts and
Rhode Island, and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public
Law 104-333).
H.R. 1449, to provide for the establishment of the
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1508, requires the transfer of title to the District
of Columbia of certain real property in Anacostia Park to
facilitate the construction of National Children's Island, a
cultural, educational, and family-oriented park (Public Law
104-163).
H.R. 1527, to amend the National Forest Ski Area Permit
Act of 1986 to clarify the authorities and duties of the
Secretary of Agriculture in issuing ski area permits on
National Forest System lands and to withdraw lands within ski
area permit boundaries from the operation of the mining and
mineral leasing laws (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1542, to amend the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Heritage Corridor Act of 1984 to modify the boundaries of the
corridor, and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law
104-333).
H.R. 1548, to provide for an interpretive center at the
Civil War Battlefield of Corinth, Mississippi, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1553, to establish the South Carolina National
Heritage Corridor, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1581, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to
convey certain lands under the jurisdiction of the Department
of Agriculture to the City of Sumpter, Oregon (enacted as part
of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1585, to expand the boundary of the Modoc National
Forest to include lands presently owned by the Bank of
California, N.A. Trustee, to facilitate a land exchange with
the Forest Service, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1825, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to
limit acquisition of land on the 39-mile headwaters segment of
the Missouri River, Nebraska and South Dakota, designated as a
recreational river, to acquisition from willing sellers
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1838, to provide for an exchange of lands with the
Water Conservancy District of Washington County, Utah (enacted
as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1825, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to limit
acquisition of land on the 39-mile headwaters segment of the
Missouri River, Nebraska and South Dakota, designated as a
recreational river, to acquisition from willing sellers
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 1922, to provide for the exchange of certain lands in
Gilpin County, Colorado (enacted as part of Public Law 104-
158).
H.R. 1961, to designate the Tennessee Civil War Heritage
Area, and for other purposes; (enacted as part of Public Law
104-333).
H.R. 1999, to establish the Augusta Canal National
Heritage Area in the State of Georgia, and for other purposes
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2057, to establish the Cache La Poudre River National
Water Heritage Area in the State of Colorado, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-323).
H.R. 2067, to facilitate improved management of National
Park Service Lands (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2172, to establish the Vancouver National Historic
Reserve, and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law
104-333).
H.R. 2186, to establish the Ohio & Erie Canal Corridor
National Heritage Corridor in the State of Ohio (enacted as
part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2188, to establish in the Department of the Interior
the Essex National Heritage Area Commission, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2255, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to
designate certain segments of the Lamprey River in New
Hampshire as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System, and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law
104-333).
H.R. 2260, to establish America's Agricultural Heritage
Partnership in Iowa, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2266, to establish the Hudson River Valley American
Heritage Area (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2292, to preserve and protect the Hanford Reach of
the Columbia River, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2402, to authorize an exchange of lands in the State
of Utah at Snowbasin Ski Area (enacted as part of Public Law
104-333).
H.R. 2437, provides for the exchange of certain lands in
Gilpin County, Colorado (Public Law 104-158).
H.R. 2464, provides additional lands within the State of
Utah for the Goshute Indian Reservation (Public Law 104-211).
H.R. 2465, to establish 5-year terms for, and require the
advice and consent of the Senate in the appointment of, the
Director of the National Park Service, and for other purposes
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2473, to authorize funding within the Department of
the Interior to implement the plan of the Steel Industry
Heritage Project, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2636, to transfer jurisdiction over certain parcels
of Federal real property located in the District of Columbia,
and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2709, to provide for the conveyance of certain land
to the Del Norte County Unified School District of Del Norte
County, California (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2711, to provide for the substitution of timber for
the canceled Elkhorn Ridge Timber Sale (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2728, to amend the National Trails System Act to
designate the Old Spanish Trail and the Northern Branch of the
Old Spanish Trail for potential inclusion into the National
Trails System, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2763, to establish the Boston Harbor Islands National
Recreation Area, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2941, to improve the quantity and quality of the
quarters of land management agency field employees, and for
other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3006, to provide for disposal of public lands in
support of the Manzanar Historic Site in the State of
California, and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public
Law 104-333).
H.R. 3013, to increase the availability and continuity of
health coverage for individuals, small employers, and other
groups, to reduce paperwork and simplify administration of
health care claims, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3099, to establish the Washita Battlefield National
Historic Site in the State of Oklahoma (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3147, to provide for the exchange of certain Federal
lands in the State of California managed by the Bureau of Land
Management for certain non-Federal lands, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3155, amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by
designating the Wekiva River, Seminole Creek, and Rock Springs
Run in Florida for study and potential addition to the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System (Public Law 104-311).
H.R. 3193, to recognize the significance of the AIDS
Memorial Grove, located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco,
California, and to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
designate the AIDS Memorial Grove as a national memorial
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3256, to establish the Nicodemus National Historic
Site in Kansas, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3290, to authorize appropriations for the Bureau of
Land Management for each of the fiscal years 1997 through 2002
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3497, to expand the boundary of the Snoqualmie
National Forest, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-208).
H.R. 3547, to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of
real property in the Apache National Forest in the State of
Arizona to the Alpine Elementary School District 7 to be used
for the construction of school facilities and related playing
fields (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 3568, designates 51.7 miles of the Clarion River,
located in Pennsylvania as a component of the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System (Public Law 104-314).
H.R. 3707, to extend the legislative authority for the
Black Revolutionary War Patriots Foundation to establish a
commemorative work (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 4059, to provide for the acquisition of certain
property on Santa Cruz Island (enacted as part of Public Law
104-333).
H.R. 4236, provides for the administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer,
and for other purposes (Public Law 104-333).
S. 103, the Lost Creek Land Exchange Act of 1995 (enacted
as part of Public Law 104-333).
S. 1662, to establish areas of wilderness and recreation
in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes (enacted as part
of Public Law 104-333).
S. 1720, to establish the Nicodemus National Historic Site
and the New Bedford National Historic Landmark (enacted as part
of Public Law 104-333).
C. Legislation Passed House
H.J. Res. 70, authorizing the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
to establish a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. in the
District of Columbia or its environs.
H. Res. 316, deploring individuals who deny the historical
reality of the Holocaust and commending the vital, ongoing work
of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
H.R. 207, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to
enter into a land exchange involving the Cleveland National
Forest, California, and to require a boundary adjustment for
the national forest to reflect the land exchange, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 238, to provide for the protection of wild horses
within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and prohibit the
removal of such horses.
H.R. 517, to amend title V of Public Law 96-550,
designating the Chaco Culture Archeological Protection Sites,
and for other purposes.
H.R. 529, to authorize the exchange of National Forest
System lands in the Targhee National Forest in Idaho for non-
Federal lands within the forest in Wyoming.
H.R. 531, to designate the Great Western Scenic Trail as a
study trail under the National rails System Act, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 536, to extend indefinitely the authority of the
Secretary of the Interior to collect a commercial operation fee
in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 562, to modify the boundaries of Walnut Canyon
National Monument in the State of Arizona.
H.R. 606, to amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage
Preservation Act of 1992, and for other purposes.
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.
H.R. 694, the Minor Boundary Adjustments and Miscellaneous
Park Amendments Act of 1995.
H.R. 826, to extend the deadline for the completion of
certain land exchanges involving the Big Thicket National
Preserve in Texas.
H.R. 848, to increase the amount authorized to be
appropriated for assistance for highway relocation regarding
the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in
Georgia.
H.R. 924, to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from
transferring any national forest system lands in the Angeles
National Forest in California out of Federal ownership for use
as a solid waste landfill.
H.R. 1091, to improve the National Park System in the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
H.R. 1129, to amend the National Trails Systems Act to
designate the route from Selma to Montgomery as a National
Historic Trail.
H.R. 1163, to authorize the exchange of National Park
Service land in the Fire Island National Seashore in the State
of New York for land in the Village of Patchogue, Suffolk
County, New York.
H.R. 1179, to authorize appropriations for the preservation
and restoration of historic buildings at historically black
colleges and universities.
H.R. 1296, to provide for the Administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer.
H.R. 1508, to require the transfer of title to the District
of Columbia of certain real property in Anacostia Park to
facilitate the construction of National Children's Island, a
cultural, educational, and family-oriented park.
H.R. 1527, to amend the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act
of 1986 to clarify the authorities and duties of the Secretary
of Agriculture in issuing ski area permits on National Forest
System lands and to withdraw lands within ski area permit
boundaries from the operation of the mining and mineral leasing
laws.
H.R. 1581, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to
convey certain lands under the jurisdiction of the Department
of Agriculture to the City of Sumpter, Oregon.
H.R. 1585, to expand the boundary of the Modoc National
Forest to include lands presently owned by the Bank of
California, N.A. Trustee, to facilitate a land exchange with
the Forest Service, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1838, to provide for an exchange of lands with the
Water Conservancy District of Washington County, Utah.
H.R. 2122, to designate the Lake Tahoe Basin National
Forest in the States of California and Nevada to be
administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 2135, to provide for the correction of boundaries of
certain lands in Clark County, Nevada, acquired by persons who
purchased such lands in good faith reliance on existing private
land surveys.
H.R. 2292, to preserve and protect the Hanford Reach of the
Columbia River, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2437, to provide for the exchange of certain lands in
Gilpin County, Colorado.
H.R. 2438, to provide for the conveyance of lands to
certain individuals in Gunnison County, Colorado, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 2464, to amend Public Law 103-93 to provide additional
lands within the State of Utah for the Goshute Indian
Reservation, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2518, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to
exchange certain lands in the Wenatachee National Forest,
Washington, for certain lands owned by Public Utility District
No. 1 of Chelan County, Washington, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2636, to transfer jurisdiction over certain parcels of
Federal real property located in the District of Columbia, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 2709, to provide for the conveyance of certain land to
the Del Norte County Unified School District of Del Norte
County, California.
H.R. 2710, to provide for the conveyance of certain land in
the State of California to the Hoopa Valley Tribe.
H.R. 2711, to provide for the substitution of timber for
the canceled Elkhorn Ridge Timber Sale.
H.R. 2941, to improve the quantity and quality of the
quarters of land management agency field employees, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 3006, to provide for disposal of public lands in
support of the Manzanar Historic Site in the State of
California, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3147, to provide for the exchange of certain Federal
lands in the State of California managed by the Bureau of Land
Management for certain non-Federal lands, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 3155, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by
designating the Wekiva River, Seminole Creek, and Rock Springs
Run in the State of Florida for study and potential addition to
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
H.R. 3464, to make a minor adjustment in the exterior
boundary of the Devils Backbone Wilderness in the Mark Twain
National Forest, Missouri, to exclude a small parcel of land
containing improvements.
H.R. 3497, to expand the boundary of the Snoqualmie
National Forest, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3547, to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of
real property in the Apache National Forest in the State of
Arizona to the Alpine Elementary School District 7 to be used
for the construction of school facilities and related playing
fields.
H.R. 3568, to designate 51.7 miles of the Clarion River,
located in Pennsylvania, as a component of the National Wild
and Scenic Rivers System.
H.R. 3642, to provide for the transfer of public lands to
certain California Indian Tribes.
H.R. 4236, to provide for the administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer,
and for other purposes.
D. Legislation Ordered Reported by the Full Committee
H.J. Res. 70, authorizing the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to
establish a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. in the District
of Columbia or its environs.
H.R. 207 (H. Rept. 104-310) to authorize the Secretary of
Agriculture to enter into a land exchange involving the
Cleveland National Forest, California, and to require a
boundary adjustment for the national forest to reflect the land
exchange, and for other purposes.
H.R. 238 (H. Rept. 104-296) to provide for the protection
of wild horses within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and
prohibit the removal of such horses.
H.R. 260 (H. Rept. 104-133) to provide for the development
of a plan and a management review of the National Park System
and to reform the process by which areas are considered for
addition to the National Park System, and for other purposes.
H.R. 517 (H. Rept. 104-56) to amend title V of Public Law
96-550, designating the Chaco Culture Archeological Protection
Sites, and for other purposes.
H.R. 529 (H. Rept. 104-55) to authorize the exchange of
National Forest System lands in the Targhee National Forest in
Idaho for non-Federal lands within the forest in Wyoming.
H.R. 531 (H. Rept. 104-54) to designate the Great Western
Scenic Trail as a study trail under the National Trails System
Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 536 (H. Rept. 104-57) to extend indefinitely the
authority of the Secretary of the Interior to collect a
commercial operation fee in the Delaware Water Gap National
Recreation Area, and for other purposes.
H.R. 562 (H. Rept. 104-60) to modify the boundaries of
Walnut Canyon National Monument in the State of Arizona.
H.R. 606 (H. Rept. 104-58) to amend the Dayton Aviation
Heritage Preservation Act of 1992, and for other purposes.
H.R. 629 (H. Rept. 104-211) 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.
H.R. 694 (H. Rept. 104-59) the Minor Boundary Adjustments
and Miscellaneous Park Amendments Act of 1995.
H.R. 826 (H. Rept. 104-371) to extend the deadline for the
completion of certain land exchanges involving the Big Thicket
National Preserve in Texas.
H.R. 848 (H. Rept. 104-603) to increase the amount
authorized to be appropriated for assistance for highway
relocation regarding the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National
Military Park in Georgia.
H.R. 924 (H. Rept. 104-309) to prohibit the Secretary of
Agriculture from transferring any national forest system lands
in the Angeles National Forest in California out of Federal
ownership for use as a solid waste landfill.
H.R. 1077 (H. Rept. 104-155) to authorize the Bureau of
Land Management.
H.R. 1091 (H. Rept. 104-176) to improve the National Park
System in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
H.R. 1129 (H. Rept. 104-567) to amend the National Trails
Systems Act to designate the route from Selma to Montgomery as
a National Historic Trail.
H.R. 1163 (H. Rept. 104-313) to authorize the exchange of
National Park Service land in the Fire Island National Seashore
in the State of New York for land in the Village of Patchogue,
Suffolk County, New York.
H.R. 1179 (H. Rept. 104-758) to authorize appropriations
for the preservation and restoration of historic buildings at
historically black colleges and universities.
H.R. 1296 (H. Rept. 104-234) to provide for the
Administration of certain Presidio properties at minimal cost
to the Federal taxpayer.
H.R. 1508 (H. Rept. 104-277, Part I) to require the
transfer of title to the District of Columbia of certain real
property in Anacostia Park to facilitate the construction of
National Children's Island, a cultural, educational, and
family-oriented park.
H.R. 1527 (H. Rept. 104-516, Part I) to amend the National
Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 to clarify the authorities
and duties of the Secretary of Agriculture in issuing ski area
permits on National Forest System lands and to withdraw lands
within ski area permit boundaries from the operation of the
mining and mineral leasing laws.
H.R. 1581 (H. Rept. 104-308) to require the Secretary of
Agriculture to convey certain lands under the jurisdiction of
the Department of Agriculture to the City of Sumpter, Oregon.
H.R. 1585 (H. Rept. 104-307) to expand the boundary of the
Modoc National Forest to include lands presently owned by the
Bank of California, N.A. Trustee, to facilitate a land exchange
with the Forest Service, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1745 (H. Rept. 104-396) to designate certain public
lands in the State of Utah as wilderness, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 1784 (H. Rept. 104-691, Part I) to validate certain
conveyances made by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company
within the cities of Reno, Nevada, and Tulare, California, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 1838 (H. Rept. 104-306) to provide for an exchange of
lands with the Water Conservancy District of Washington County,
Utah.
H.R. 2107 (H. Rept. 104-757) to amend the Land and Water
Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to improve the quality of visitor
services provided by Federal land management agencies through
an incentive-based recreation fee program, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 2122 (H. Rept. 104-772, Part I) to designate the Lake
Tahoe Basin National Forest in the States of California and
Nevada to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 2135 (H. Rept. 104-755) to provide for the correction
of boundaries of certain lands in Clark County, Nevada,
acquired by persons who purchased such lands in good faith
reliance on existing private land surveys.
H.R. 2292 (H. Rept. 104-716) to preserve and protect the
Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2402 (H. Rept. 104-409) to authorize an exchange of
lands in the State of Utah at Snowbasin Ski Area.
H.R. 2437 (H. Rept. 104-305) to provide for the exchange
of certain lands in Gilpin County, Colorado.
H.R. 2438 (H. Rept. 104-766) to provide for the conveyance
of lands to certain individuals in Gunnison County, Colorado,
and for other purposes.
H.R. 2464 (H. Rept. 104-562) to amend Public Law 103-93 to
provide additional lands within the State of Utah for the
Goshute Indian Reservation, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2518 (H. Rept. 104-764) to authorize the Secretary of
Agriculture to exchange certain lands in the Wenatachee
National Forest, Washington, for certain lands owned by Public
Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, Washington, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 2636 (H. Rept. 104-368, Part II) to transfer
jurisdiction over certain parcels of Federal real property
located in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2693 (H. Rept. 104-779) to require the Secretary of
Agriculture to make a minor adjustment in the exterior boundary
of the Hells Canyon Wilderness in the States of Oregon and
Idaho to exclude an established Forest Service road
inadvertently included in the wilderness.
H.R. 2709 (H. Rept. 104-763) to provide for the conveyance
of certain land to the Del Norte County Unified School District
of Del Norte County, California.
H.R. 2710 (H. Rept. 104-762) to provide for the conveyance
of certain land in the State of California to the Hoopa Valley
Tribe.
H.R. 2711 (H. Rept. 104-761, Part I) to provide for the
substitution of timber for the canceled Elkhorn Ridge Timber
Sale.
H.R. 2941 (H. Rept. 104-802, Part I) to improve the
quantity and quality of the quarters of land management agency
field employees, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3006 (H. Rept. 104-709) to provide for disposal of
public lands in support of the Manzanar Historic Site in the
State of California, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3147 (H. Rept. 104-760) to provide for the exchange of
certain Federal lands in the State of California managed by the
Bureau of Land Management for certain non-Federal lands, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 3155 (H. Rept. 104-824) to amend the Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act by designating the Wekiva River, Seminole Creek, and
Rock Springs Run in the State of Florida for study and
potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System.
H.R. 3290 (H. Rept. 104-658) to authorize appropriations
for the Bureau of Land Management for each of the fiscal years
1997 through 2002.
H.R. 3497 (H. Rept. 104-816) to expand the boundary of the
Snoqualmie National Forest, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3534 (H. Rept. 104-866) to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to renew certain permits in the Mineral King
Addition of the Sequoia National Park and to protect historic
and cultural resources in that National Park, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 3547 (H. Rept. 104-759) to provide for the conveyance
of a parcel of real property in the Apache National Forest in
the State of Arizona to the Alpine Elementary School District 7
to be used for the construction of school facilities and
related playing fields.
H.R. 3568 (H. Rept. 104-825) to designate 51.7 miles of the
Clarion River, located in Pennsylvania, as a component of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
H.R. 3642 (H. Rept. 104-767) to provide for the transfer of
public lands to certain California Indian Tribes.
S. 1459 (H. Rept. 104-674, Part I) to provide for uniform
management of livestock grazing on Federal land, and for other
purposes.
E. Legislation Marked up at Subcommittee
H.J. Res. 70, authorizing the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to
establish a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. in the District
of Columbia or its environs.
H.R. 194, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make
matching contributions toward the purchase of the Sterling
Forest in the State of New York, and for other purposes.
H.R. 207, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to
enter into a land exchange involving the Cleveland National
Forest, California, and to require a boundary adjustment for
the national forest to reflect the land exchange, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 238, to provide for the protection of wild horses
within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and prohibit the
removal of such horses.
H.R. 260, to provide for the development of a plan and a
management review of the National Park System and to reform the
process by which areas are considered for addition to the
National Park System, and for other purposes.
H.R. 517, to amend title V of Public Law 96-550,
designating the Chaco Culture Archeological Protection Sites,
and for other purposes.
H.R. 529, to authorize the exchange of National Forest
System lands in the Targhee National Forest in Idaho for non-
Federal lands within the forest in Wyoming.
H.R. 531, to designate the Great Western Scenic Trail as a
study trail under the National Trails System Act, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 536, to extend indefinitely the authority of the
Secretary of the Interior to collect a commercial operation fee
in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 562, to modify the boundaries of Walnut Canyon
National Monument in the State of Arizona.
H.R. 606, to amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage
Preservation Act of 1992, and for other purposes.
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.
H.R. 694, the Minor Boundary Adjustments and Miscellaneous
Park Amendments Act of 1995.
H.R. 810, to provide for the study of battlefields of the
Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
H.R. 826, to extend the deadline for the completion of
certain land exchanges involving the Big Thicket National
Preserve in Texas.
H.R. 848, to increase the amount authorized to be
appropriated for assistance for highway relocation regarding
the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in
Georgia.
H.R. 924, to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from
transferring any national forest system lands in the Angeles
National Forest in California out of Federal ownership for use
as a solid waste landfill.
H.R. 1077, to authorize the Bureau of Land Management.
H.R. 1091, to improve the National Park System in the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
H.R. 1129, to amend the National Trails Systems Act to
designate the route from Selma to Montgomery as a National
Historic Trail.
H.R. 1163, to authorize the exchange of National Park
Service land in the Fire Island National Seashore in the State
of New York for land in the Village of Patchogue, Suffolk
County, New York.
H.R. 1179, to authorize appropriations for the preservation
and restoration of historic buildings at historically black
colleges and universities.
H.R. 1280, to establish guidelines for the designation of
National Heritage Areas, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1296, to provide for the Administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer.
H.R. 1508, to require the transfer of title to the
District of Columbia of certain real property in Anacostia Park
to facilitate the construction of National Children's Island, a
cultural, educational, and family-oriented park.
H.R. 1527, to amend the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act
of 1986 to clarify the authorities and duties of the Secretary
of Agriculture in issuing ski area permits on National Forest
System lands and to withdraw lands within ski area permit
boundaries from the operation of the mining and mineral leasing
laws.
H.R. 1581, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to
convey certain lands under the jurisdiction of the Department
of Agriculture to the City of Sumpter, Oregon.
H.R. 1585, to expand the boundary of the Modoc National
Forest to include lands presently owned by the Bank of
California, N.A. Trustee, to facilitate a land exchange with
the Forest Service, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1713, to provide for uniform management of livestock
grazing on Federal land, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1745, to designate certain public lands in the State
of Utah as wilderness, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1784, to validate certain conveyances made by the
Southern Pacific Transportation Company within the Cities of
Reno, Nevada, and Tulare, California, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1838, to provide for an exchange of lands with the
Water Conservancy District of Washington County, Utah.
H.R. 2028, to provide for a uniform concessions policy for
the Federal land management agencies, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2081, to recognize the validity of rights-of-way
granted under section 2477 of the Revised Statutes, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 2107, to amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Act of 1965 to improve the quality of visitor services provided
by Federal land management agencies through an incentive-based
recreation fee program, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2122, to designate the Lake Tahoe Basin National
Forest in the States of California and Nevada to be
administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 2135, to provide for the correction of boundaries of
certain lands in Clark County, Nevada, acquired by persons who
purchased such lands in good faith reliance on existing private
land surveys.
H.R. 2172, to establish the Vancouver National Historic
Reserve, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2292, to preserve and protect the Hanford Reach of the
Columbia River, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2402, to authorize an exchange of lands in the State
of Utah at Snowbasin Ski Area.
H.R. 2437, to provide for the exchange of certain lands in
Gilpin County, Colorado.
H.R. 2438, to provide for the conveyance of lands to
certain individuals in Gunnison County, Colorado, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 2464, to amend Public Law 103-93 to provide additional
lands within the State of Utah for the Goshute Indian
Reservation, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2466, to improve the process for land exchanges with
the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
H.R. 2518, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to
exchange certain lands in the Wenatachee National Forest,
Washington, for certain lands owned by Public Utility District
No. 1 of Chelan County, Washington, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2636, to transfer jurisdiction over certain parcels of
Federal real property located in the District of Columbia, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 2693, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to make
a minor adjustment in the exterior boundary of the Hells Canyon
Wilderness in the States of Oregon and Idaho to exclude an
established Forest Service road inadvertently included in the
wilderness.
H.R. 2709, to provide for the conveyance of certain land to
the Del Norte County Unified School District of Del Norte
County, California.
H.R. 2711, to provide for the substitution of timber for
the canceled Elkhorn Ridge Timber Sale.
H.R. 2941, to improve the quantity and quality of the
quarters of land management agency field employees, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 3006, to provide for disposal of public lands in
support of the Manzanar Historic Site in the State of
California, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3127, to provide for the orderly disposal of Federal
lands in Southern Nevada, and for the acquisition of certain
environmentally sensitive lands in Nevada, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 3147, to provide for the exchange of certain Federal
lands in the State of California managed by the Bureau of Land
Management of certain non-Federal lands, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 3290, to authorize appropriations for the Bureau of
Land Management for each of the fiscal years 1997 through 2002.
H.R. 3534, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
renew certain permits in the Mineral King Addition of the
Sequoia National Park and to protect historic and cultural
resources in that National Park, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3547, to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of
real property in the Apache National Forest in the State of
Arizona to the Alpine Elementary School District 7 to be used
for the construction of school facilities and related playing
fields.
F. Legislation Discharged from Subcommittee
H.R. 1020, to amend the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.
H.R. 2710, to provide for the conveyance of certain land in
the State of California to the Hoopa Valley Tribe.
H.R. 3155, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by
designating the Wekiva River, Seminole Creek, and Rock Springs
Run in the State of Florida for study and potential addition to
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
H.R. 3464, to make a minor adjustment in the exterior
boundary of the Devils Backbone Wilderness in the Mark Twain
National Forest, Missouri, to exclude a small parcel of land
containing improvements.
H.R. 3497, to expand the boundary of the Snoqualmie
National Forest, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3568, to designate 51.7 miles of the Clarion River,
located in Pennsylvania, as a component of the National Wild
and Scenic Rivers System.
S. 1459, to provide for uniform management of livestock
grazing on Federal land, and for other purposes.
iv. oversight activities of the subcommittee on national parks, forests
and lands
A. Introduction
While enacting many initiatives during the 104th Congress,
the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands
aggressively fulfilled its oversight mandate by conducting 23
oversight hearings on a wide variety of issues. The
Subcommittee focused its oversight on waste, fraud and abuse
within the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management
and the Forest Service. The Subcommittee also sought out
solutions to the problems identified in the course of the
oversight hearings and acted on those solutions. In its on-
going efforts to provide for better management of our Nation's
Federal lands, the Subcommittee probed the mismanagement of
funds, regulations that are overburdensome and outdated, access
to the public, health of our resources and alternative
management policies.
The National Park Service and the resources it manages were
a major focus of the Subcommittee's oversight activities. In
its proposed oversight plan, the Subcommittee proposed nine
oversight hearings to shed light on the problems facing the
National Park System. Seven of the proposed oversight hearings
were conducted by the Subcommittee. These hearings looked into
the financial mismanagement crisis facing the National Park
Service, the Park Service's re-organization plan, historic
preservation, subsidies to visitors, concessions reform, and
public access and use of National Parks. These oversight
activities resulted in significant Park Service reforms and
important progress on many other issues. These activities were
assisted by three completed General Accounting Office (GAO)
reports and the initiation of four other on-going reports.
Recognizing the many problems and issues facing America's
National Forests and their management, the Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests and Lands conducted ten oversight
hearings in a systematic approach to identify and isolate the
many complex issues facing the U.S. Forest Service. At a time
when forest health in the West is in a crisis, the Subcommittee
identified many problems such as salvage timber, fuel loads,
impacts of species recovery, the Forest Service planning
process, the Forest Service decision making process, eco-region
based decision making, implementation of the President's forest
plan, fire management and control, and the appeals process.
Correction of all these issues is critical to a sustainable
forest system for the future. Millions of acres of National
Forest were lost to a record fire season in 1996 and the
Subcommittee identified many of the issues that lead to this
level of destruction of the Nation's resources. Although the
Subcommittee proposed only seven oversight hearings, the ten
that were conducted establish the basis for Forest Service
reform that the Subcommittee will pursue in the upcoming
Congress.
The Subcommittee completed three of the four proposed
oversight hearings in carrying out its oversight
responsibilities of the Bureau of Land Management. These
oversight hearings investigated the Federal land exchange
process, RS 2477 right-of-way regulations and Federal versus
State management of public lands. These hearings identified
overly burdensome and unworkable regulations that have severe
impacts on those who live in the rural West. The Subcommittee
found that the land exchange process is currently unworkable
and makes land exchanges too expensive, too slow and too
expensive. This resulted in Chairman Hansen proposing
legislation to streamline the process and to make it more
accessible to small land owners. Likewise, the oversight into
RS 2477 rights-of-way found the proposed regulations by the
Administration would financially cripple many local governments
and would result in closing thousands of miles of roads
necessary for access across Federal lands.
National Park Service (NPS)
Status of the National Parks: The Subcommittee proposed to
hold a joint oversight hearing with the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee that would focus on a General
Accounting Office (GAO) report which states that the NPS
managers cannot provide any assurance that they are meeting the
dual agency mandates of protecting park resources or serving
park visitors. The Subcommittee held this hearing on March 7,
1995.
Budget Crisis Facing Our National Parks: Instead of a
hearing on the Clinton Budget proposal, the Subcommittee
proposed to hold a hearing on the broader topic of the NPS
budget shortfall and funding accountability. The main witnesses
were the GAO and the Interior Inspector General who were asked
to summarize many reports of recent years. The Subcommittee
explored these issues in a hearing held on February 9, 1995.
Reinventing the National Park Service: The NPS has a
proposal for a massive and costly reorganization plan. The
Subcommittee proposed to hold a joint hearing with the Interior
Appropriations Subcommittee, providing a chance to work
together with that Subcommittee while answering questions of
concern to both Subcommittees. These issues were taken up
during the oversight hearing held on February 9, 1995.
Heritage Areas: National Heritage Areas are an increasingly
popular designation for which no NPS policy or organic act
exists. The Subcommittee will consider legislation that will
establish the Park Service's role in these areas. An
investigation of one of the existing areas will help the
Members understand how these areas operate and to what extent
the Federal Government should be involved. The Subcommittee
held a hearing on proposed generic legislation on March 22,
1995.
Presidio Management: Management of the Presidio Army base
has passed to the NPS due to the Military Base Closure process.
Much debate has occurred over NPS management of what is
essentially a small city. The Subcommittee proposed to fully
investigate the true leasing potential of the facilities at the
Presidio, the cost to the NPS during and after any transition
period, and what areas of the Presidio belong in the park
system. The Subcommittee completed its oversight on this issue
in the hearing held on May 16, 1995.
Natural Resource Management and Wildlife Management Within
the Park System: A number of scientists have questioned the NPS
policy of natural regulation, especially with regard to
management of large mammals and fire. Some have even gone so
far as to question whether the NPS is in violation of the
Endangered Species Act in Yellowstone National Park where elk
have been allowed to far exceed the carrying capacity of the
range and have impacted several rare plant species. A hearing
was proposed to highlight the need for more enlightened and
activist resource management policies in our parks. Due to time
constraints this hearing was postponed until early in the 105th
Congress.
Oversight of Trail Usage and Programs: Congressman Bruce
Vento (D-MN) and Congressman Nick Jo Rahall, Jr., (D-WV) had
previously planned to hold this hearing and a group of
interested persons from the trail community held several public
meetings around the country to solicit public comment. They
planned to complete a report of their findings this spring. An
oversight hearing on this issue was proposed on what is
probably the most popular outdoor recreation activity. It is
important to define precisely what the role of the Federal
Government should be. This hearing is now planned for the 105th
Congress.
Concessions Reform: The Subcommittee proposed to explore
ways to reform concessions policy without negatively impacting
visitor services at our parks. The Department of the Interior
acknowledges these problems and is seeking a way to reform the
system that will benefit competition and retain excellent
visitor services. The Subcommittee proposed to investigate
several different types of concessionaires and the quality of
service they provide and what impact, if any, they are having
on park resources. Concessions reform was explored during
hearings held on July 25, 1995, and on July 18, 1996.
Historic Preservation: There are an increasing number of
issues surrounding historic preservation, especially with
regard to protection of private property. Additionally, there
has been criticism that the entire system is bureaucracy laden
and needs serious reform to ensure that more dollars are spent
on bricks and mortar as opposed to paying administrative
overhead expenses. How is the Federal side interacting with the
State side? Is there duplication of bureaucracy? Should the
Federal role be limited? The Subcommittee intended to pursue
these issues through an oversight hearing assessing the entire
system. This oversight hearing was held on March 20, 1996.
Forest Service
Emergency Salvage Sales: The Subcommittee proposed to
conduct an oversight hearing on forest health and the need for
emergency salvage sales. During last year's fire season this
nation lost millions of board feet of harvestable timber to
fires due to alleged mismanagement of our national forests. In
addition to the loss of timber, the Subcommittee is concerned
about unnecessary loss of life and property. A hearing was held
on February 10, 1995.
Appeals Reform: The Subcommittee proposed to investigate
and hear testimony on the effectiveness, fairness, and
efficiency of the current appeals process on Forest Service
actions. Issues that were investigated included: Is there a
level playing field in this process and are legitimate Forest
Service actions being thwarted through regulations that are not
achieving the just results intended from an appeals process?
How can the current process be streamlined, and reformed to
result in a fairer and more effective process? The Subcommittee
held a hearing on this issue on June 20, 1996.
Administration Reform: The Forest Service is currently
going through administrative reform. The Subcommittee proposed
to hold an oversight hearing on this reform, looking at the
impacts this reform will have on the Agency. Agency efficiency,
accountability for funds and products, outcomes, savings and
cost effectiveness will be the primary focus of this effort. A
hearing was postponed until the 105th Congress.
Below Cost Timber Sales: Over the past years the timber
industry has been accused of receiving subsidies due to ``below
cost'' timber sales on Federal lands. In fact, in 1993 the
Forest Service published a list of forests where all timber
sales will be terminated due to an allegation of below cost
sales. Others have alleged that the assumptions behind ``below
cost'' sales are fallacious due to many factors, including cost
accounting, Forest Service policies and other reasons. The
Subcommittee proposed to investigate these issues to fairly
determine whether Federal timber programs are subsidized. This
issues was explored during a hearing held on June 20, 1995.
Forest Service Planning Process: An oversight hearing was
proposed to assess the workability of the forest planning
process and the Agency's plans for regulatory change. The
hearing will identify changes needed, and assess the Agency's
compliance with current authorities. Planning is governed by
the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and is impacted by
the National Environmental Policy Act. Issues proposed to be
explored included: What does the Agency identify as major
problems with the present planning statutes and regulations?
What impact are those problems having on the ground and on the
timber industry? The Subcommittee held a series of oversight
hearings on this complex issue on February 29, 1996, March 26,
1996 and May 21, 1996.
Northwest Forest Plan: The Administration has implemented
the Northwest timber plan known as Option 9. The Subcommittee
proposed to examine the successes and failures of the plan thus
far. What have the impacts been on these communities and what
changes need to be made to make the program successful or does
Option 9 need to be terminated? A hearing was held on July 23,
1996.
Commodity Output Goals: The Forest Service is directed to
set and achieve commodity output goals under the Organic Act,
the Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act, and the NFMA. The
Subcommittee proposed to assess the Agency's performance in
setting these goals and the failure of the Agency to achieve
those output goals. Issues include what are the reasons behind
these failures and what type of policy initiatives should be
pursued to cure these failures? These issues were addressed in
a hearing held on November 30, 1995.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
RS 2477 Proposed Regulations: The Subcommittee proposed to
hold an oversight hearing on the current proposed RS 2477
regulations that greatly impact right-of-ways across Federal
lands. This is primarily a BLM issue and the proposed
regulations promise to close thousands of roads across the
West. The hearing focused on the history of RS 2477 right-of-
ways, legal rights of State and local governments, the
financial and administrative burden placed on these governments
to comply with the regulations and the impacts these
regulations will have on the surrounding communities. The
Subcommittee held a hearing on March, 16, 1995.
Federal versus State Management of Public Lands: The BLM
has been accused of subsidizing grazing, timber and other
commodity uses on public lands. There is an increasing interest
in turning these management responsibilities over to the States
where they so desire. Advocates say this will lift the burden
off the Federal Government and give the States more control
over the lands within their borders. There is increasing
opinion that the States manage their public lands more
efficiently and are producing resources in better condition
than those managed by the BLM. The Subcommittee proposed to
analyze the possibilities of State management of these lands
and the fiscal impacts on both the Federal and State
Governments. This issue was heard during a June 20, 1995,
hearing.
BLM Land Exchange Process: Currently the BLM
administratively exchanges Federal BLM lands identified for
disposal for State or private lands identified for acquisition
by the BLM. This process provides a way for the BLM to meet its
mission and allows inholders and other private interests to
resolve Federal ownership problems. An exchange under perfect
conditions takes approximately two years to complete at
enormous cost. Thus, only large and/or wealthy inholders are
able to take advantage of this process. The Subcommittee
proposed to hold an oversight hearing on the program and look
into ways the program can be streamlined and opened up to small
landowners. A hearing was held on May 9, 1995.
BLM Management of Wild Horses and Burros: Under the Wild
and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, these animals are
protected and managed by the BLM. These species create serious
resource management problems. The BLM has spent millions of
dollars attempting to manage these animals through adoption
programs, sterilization experiments and other methods. The
Subcommittee proposed to look at the success and failures of
this program and look into the needs and shortfalls of the
program. This hearing is now planned for the 105th Congress.
Miscellaneous Issues
Wilderness Criteria and Wilderness Management: The
Subcommittee proposed to explore the implementation of the 1964
Wilderness Act, including wilderness area under the 1964
Wilderness Act. This issue became very controversial during
debate of the California Desert Protection Act in the 103d
Congress: specifically, what does ``roadless'' mean? The
Subcommittee proposed to look at examples of areas designated
as wilderness to determine if they comply with the 1964 Act and
will explore amendments to the Act to resolve future issues.
This issue will be explored during the 105th Congress.
Recreational User Fees on Federal Lands: Recreational use
of Federal lands receives an annual subsidy of $1.2 billion.
The Subcommittee planned to conduct an oversight hearing on the
recreational use of all Federal lands to determine how these
uses can become more self-sufficient. This hearing was held on
May 11, 1995.
Single Land Use Agency: Currently, management of Federal
lands is conducted by four different agencies: Forest Service,
National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Fish
and Wildlife Service. These agencies have very similar missions
and their activities often overlap and are only separated by
political boundaries that do not make management sense. The
Subcommittee proposed to look into the feasibility of combining
these functions into a single land management agency. This
inquiry will discuss possible efficiencies, united policy
directions, cost savings and other management advantages. The
Subcommittee did not hold a hearing on this issue.
Wild and Scenic River Act Study Designations: Currently,
once a river is designated for study under the Act, it stays in
this status until the study is completed, and then up to three
additional years. The Subcommittee proposed to look at the
effects this has had on river management and the effects on
private interests on and around these study rivers. The
Subcommittee will hold this hearing during the 105th Congress.
Ecosystem Management: Ecosystem management is the new buzz
word in Federal lands management. While numerous agencies claim
to be practicing it, no one is quite sure exactly what it is.
The Administration has several pilot projects, one of the most
visible is South Florida where the cost to implement ecosystem
management is estimated to be $1-4 billion. An oversight
hearing was proposed to examine this program as well as some of
the underlying scientific assumptions. This issue was explored
during a hearing held on May 21, 1996.
B. Hearings
February 9, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with Subcommittee
on Interior of the Committee on Appropriations to review
financial management in the National Park Service and the
National Park Service Reorganization Plan.
February 10, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with
Subcommittee on Resources Conservation, Research, and Forestry
of the Committee on Agriculture, on the timber salvage
situation on National Forest and BLM lands.
March 7, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with Subcommittee on
Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation of the Senate
Committee on Energy, on Park Service Reform.
March 16, 1995--Oversight hearing held on RS 2477
regulations.
May 9, 1995--Oversight hearing on Federal Land Exchange
Policies and Regulations.
May 11, 1995--Oversight hearing on Recreation Fees on
Federal Lands.
June 6, 1995--Oversight hearing on California Spotted Owl
Recovery Plan on Forest Service lands in California.
June 20, 1995--Oversight hearing on State land management
versus Federal land management.
August 18, 1995--Joint oversight field hearing with the
Senate Subcommittee on Parks, Historic Preservation, and
Recreation, in International Falls, Minnesota, to conduct
oversight of visitor access and public use management in the
Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Voyageurs National Park.
October 28, 1995--Oversight field hearing held in St. Paul,
Minnesota, on visitor access and public use management in the
Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Voyageurs National Park.
November 30, 1995--Oversight hearing on Forest Timber
Salvage and Forest Health.
February 29, 1996--Oversight hearing on the Forest
Service's Draft 1995 Renewable Resources Planning Act Program.
March 20, 1996--Oversight hearing on Historic Preservation.
March 21, 1996--Oversight hearing on Federal lands and
Federal regulation of private property.
March 26, 1996--Oversight hearing on Forest Service's
decision-making process.
April 30, 1996--Oversight hearing on U.S. Forest Service's
river management policies for the Green River and Hells Canyon.
May 21, 1996--Oversight hearing on several ecoregion-based
assessments currently being conducted by the U.S. Forest
Service.
June 20, 1996--Oversight hearing on the Forest Service
Appeals Process.
June 22, 1996--Oversight field hearing in Roseburg, Oregon,
on transfer of the O&C land administered by the Bureau of Land
Management to the State of Oregon.
July 18, 1996--Oversight hearing held on Concessions
Management.
July 23, 1996--Oversight hearing on the Forest Service's
implementation of the President's Forest Plan.
July 30, 1996--Oversight hearing on Inspector General Audit
Report on Bureau of Land Management land transactions in
Nevada.
September 12, 1996--Oversight hearing on Forest Service
resource management and fire control.
v. subcommittee statistics
Total number of bills and resolutions referred.................... 241
Total number of bills reported from subcommittee.................. 56
Total number of bills reported from full committee................ 53
Total number of bills passed by the House......................... 46
Total number of bills enacted into law............................ 81
Public Hearings and Markups:
Legislative................................................... 36
Oversight..................................................... 23
Markup sessions............................................... 13
Total number of subcommittee meetings (days)...................... 69
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
i. introduction
Embodying the majority of the jurisdiction of the former
Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries (abolished at the
beginning of the 104th Congress), the Subcommittee on
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans brought a new set of
complimentary issues to the Members of the Resources Committee.
Drawing on its bi-coastal membership, the Subcommittee,
under the leadership of Chairman Jim Saxton of Mt. Holly, New
Jersey, explored topics ranging from the bottom of the ocean to
the top of the world in the Arctic.
During the first Republican-controlled Congress in over 40
years, Chairman Saxton promoted the goal of reducing the size
of the Federal Government by transferring title to seven
Federal fish hatcheries to State and local control; Federal
ocean programs were streamlined to increase effectiveness,
reduce bureaucratic costs, and improve Federal-State
coordination; realistic funding levels were implemented for the
Coastal Zone Management Program, the National Marine
Sanctuaries Program, the National Sea Grant College Program,
and other environmental laws to reflect budget constraints;
user fees were established to recover costs from a small group
of farmers who have requested fisheries certification from the
Federal Government; private property rights were recognized in
Federal land use decisions; a balance was created between the
need to protect fish and wildlife populations and compatible
multiple uses of public lands; the wise expenditure of
taxpayers money was ensured by demanding greater accountability
of Federal programs through increased oversight; free trade in
fisheries and wildlife areas was promoted; and cutting-edge
technology and its application in frontier regions was
examined.
The Subcommittee also had an extremely successful
legislative agenda during its debut Congress. Major bills
originating in the Subcommittee include:
Fisheries Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-43)
This comprehensive conservation measure provides effective
solutions to properly manage and protect international fishery
stocks. It requires the issuance of fishing permits to U.S.
vessels on the high seas; reauthorizes the Fishermen's
Protective Act; protects pollock stocks in the Sea of Okhotsk;
encourages the global ban on driftnets; extends U.S.
participation in International Convention for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas; and implements U.S.-Canada salmon agreement.
Coastal Zone Protection Act (Public Law 104-150)
This legislation extends the landmark Coastal Zone
Management Act of 1972, which encourages States to regulate
land and water uses that affect their coastal environment.
Twenty-nine of the 35 eligible coastal States and territories
have Federally approved coastal zone management plans. These
plans provide essential protection to 95,000 miles of coastline
or almost 95 percent of our Nation's total.
National Marine Sanctuaries Preservation Act (Public Law 104-238)
This measure reauthorizes the National Marine Sanctuaries
Act of 1972. The primary objective of this vital environmental
law is to protect marine resources, such as coral reefs, sunken
historical vessels, or unique habitats, while facilitating all
``compatible'' uses of those resources.
Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-297)
The fundamental goal of this Act is to improve the
conservation and management of Federal fishery resources within
the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. This legislation reauthorizes
the historic Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act
and it addresses a number of problems identified by the eight
Regional Fishery Management Councils.
National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act of 1996
This legislation amends the National Wildlife Refuge
Administration Act of 1966 to improve the management of our
Nation's National Wildlife Refuge System. This System needs to
have a statutory list of purposes, uniform guidelines to
determine what activities are permissible, comprehensive
conservation plans, and the enthusiastic support of the
American people.
ii. jurisdiction
(1) Fisheries management and fisheries research generally,
including the management of all commercial and recreational
fisheries, the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, interjurisdictional fisheries, international fisheries
agreements, aquaculture, seafood safety, and fisheries
promotion.
(2) Wildlife resources, including research, restoration,
refuges and conservation.
(3) All matters pertaining to the protection of coastal and
marine environments, including estuarine protection.
(4) Coastal barriers.
(5) Oceanography.
(6) Ocean engineering, including materials, technology, and
systems.
(7) Coastal zone management.
(8) Marine sanctuaries.
(9) U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
(10) Sea Grant programs and marine extension services.
(11) General and continuing oversight and investigative
authority over activities, policies and programs within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
iii. legislative activities
A. Legislative Hearings and Markups
January 25, 1995--Hearing on proposed High Seas Fisheries
Licensing Act; H.R. 715, Sea of Okhotsk Fisheries Enforcement
Act; H.R. 716, to extend authorization of the Fishermen's
Protective Act until the year 1998; H.R. 535, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey the Corning National Fish
Hatchery to the State of Arkansas; H.R. 584, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey the Fairport National Fish
Hatchery to the State of Iowa; H.R. 541, to reauthorize the
Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975; H.R. 542, to approve a
governing international fisheries agreement between the United
States and the People's Republic of China; and H.R. 543, to
approve a governing international fisheries agreement between
the United States and the Republic of Estonia.
February 1, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 715, Sea of Okhotsk
Fisheries Enforcement Act; H.R. 716, to extend authorization of
the Fishermen's Protective Act until the year 1998; H.R. 541,
to reauthorize the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975; H.R.
622, to implement the Convention on Future Multilateral
Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries; H.R. 535, to
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Corning
National Fish Hatchery to the State of Arkansas; H.R. 584, to
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Fairport
National Fish Hatchery to the State of Iowa; and H.R. 614, to
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the New London
National Fish Hatchery Production Facility to the State of
Minnesota.
February 23, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 39, to reauthorize the
Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act.
March 16, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1139, Striped Bass Act of
1995; and H.R. 1141, Sikes Act Improvement Amendments of 1995.
March 23, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1175, Marine Resources
Revitalization Act of 1995.
March 30, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 898, High Seas Fishing
Compliance Act; H.R. 1139, Striped Bass Act of 1995; H.R. 1141,
Sikes Act Improvement Amendments of 1995; and H.R. 1175, Marine
Resources Revitalization Act of 1995.
May 16, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1112, to transfer management
of the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge to the State of
Oklahoma.
May 25, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1675, National Wildlife
Refuge Improvement Act.
June 8, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 649/S. 268, Triploid Grass
Carp Certification.
June 27, 1995--Mark up on S. 268, to authorize the
collection of fees for expenses for triploid grass carp
certification inspections; and H.R. 1675, National Wildlife
Refuge Improvement Act of 1995.
July 27, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1741, Conveyance of C.S.S.
HUNLEY to the State of South Carolina; H.R. 2005, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to make technical corrections in maps
relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System; and H.R.
2100, technical changes to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act.
August 3, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1253, to rename the San
Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge as the Don Edwards San
Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge; H.R. 2005, to direct
the Secretary of the Interior to make technical corrections in
maps relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System; and H.R.
2160, Cooperative Fisheries Management Act.
September 12, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1965, to reauthorize
the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.
September 21, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 33, to transfer the
Fish Farming Experimental Laboratory in Stuttgart, Arkansas, to
the Department of Agriculture; and H.R. 1358, to require the
Secretary of Commerce to convey the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts the National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory
located on Emerson Avenue in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
October 18, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 33, to transfer the Fish
Farming Experimental Laboratory in Stuttgart, Arkansas, to the
Department of Agriculture; and H.R. 1965, to reauthorize the
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.
November 2, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2243, to amend the
Trinity River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Act of 1984,
to extend for three years the availability of moneys for the
restoration of fish and wildlife in the Trinity River.
November 7, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1741, Conveyance of
C.S.S. HUNLEY to the State of South Carolina; H.R. 2100,
technical changes to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act; and
H.R. 2243, to amend the Trinity River Basin Fish and Wildlife
Management Act of 1984, to extend for three years the
availability of moneys for the restoration of fish and wildlife
in the Trinity River.
December 12, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2655, to amend the
Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act to authorize the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council to prepare a fishery
management plan for Atlantic Striped Bass under the Magnuson
Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
December 14, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1772, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to acquire certain interests in the
Waihee Marsh for inclusion in the Oahu National Wildlife Refuge
Complex; H.R. 1836, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to acquire property in the town of East Hampton, Suffolk
County, New York, for inclusion in the Amagansett National
Wildlife Refuge; H.R. 2660, to increase the amount authorized
to be appropriated to the Department of the Interior for the
Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge; and H.R. 2679, to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make certain
boundary changes to the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge.
June 27, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 3287, the Crawford National
Fish Hatchery Conveyance Act; H.R. 3546, the Walhalla National
Fish Hatchery Conveyance Act; and H.R. 3557, the Marion
National Fish Hatchery Conveyance Act.
July 11, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3579, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain property containing
a fish and wildlife facility to the State of Wyoming.
B. Legislation Enacted
H.R. 33, to transfer the Fish Farming Experimental
laboratory in Stuttgart, Arkansas, to the Department of
Agriculture, and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public
Law 104-127).
H.R. 39, to amend the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and
Management Act to improve fisheries management (enacted as part
of Public Law 104-297).
H.R. 481, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make
technical corrections to maps relating to the Coastal Barrier
Resources System (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 535, directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey
the Corning National Fish Hatchery to the State of Arkansas
(Public Law 104-23).
H.R. 541, reauthorizes the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of
1975, and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law
104-43).
H.R. 543, reauthorizes the National Marine Sanctuaries Act
(Public Law 104-283).
H.R. 583, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
certain fish hatcheries to the States of Iowa, Minnesota, and
Arkansas (enacted as parts of Public Laws 104-23, 104-24, and
104-25).
H.R. 584, directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey a
fish hatchery to the State of Iowa (Public Law 104-24).
H.R. 614, directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey
to the State of Minnesota the New London National Fish Hatchery
production facility (Public Law 104-25).
H.R. 622, implements the Convention on Future Multilateral
Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (enacted as
part of Public Law 104-43).
H.R. 649, authorizes the collection of fees for expenses
for triploid grass carp certification inspections and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-40).
H.R. 715, amends the Central Bering Sea Fisheries
Enforcement Act of 1992 to prohibit fishing in the Central Sea
of Okhotsk by vessels and nationals of the United States
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-43).
H.R. 716, amends the Fishermen's Protective Act (Public Law
104-43).
H.R. 898, prohibits high seas fishing vessels from engaging
in harvesting operations on the high seas without specific
authorization from the Secretary of Commerce, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-43).
H.R. 1205, to transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture
jurisdiction over research and experimentation program to
develop methods for the commercial production of fish in
shallow reservoirs and flooded rice lands and to transfer the
experiment station in Marion, Alabama, established as part of
the program (enacted as part of Public Law 104-127).
H.R. 1253, renames the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife
Refuge as the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife
Refuge (Public Law 104-78).
H.R. 1358, requires the Secretary of Commerce to convey to
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the National Marine Fisheries
Service laboratory located on Emerson Avenue in Gloucester,
Massachusetts (Public Law 104-91).
H.R. 1407, to provide for the transfer of certain excess
property at Fort Devens Military Reservation to the Secretary
of the Interior for inclusion in the Oxbow National Wildlife
Refuge, and for the conveyance of a parcel of property at such
military reservation to the Town of Lancaster, Massachusetts
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-106).
H.R. 1465, to amend the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and
Management Act to establish additional prohibitions against
removing, damaging, tampering with, or moving fishing gear and
fish, including gear and fish from aquaculture operations in
the exclusive economic zone (enacted as part of Public Law 104-
297).
H.R. 1772, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire certain interests in the Waihee Marsh for inclusion in
the Oahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Public Law 104-209).
H.R. 1836, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire property in the town of East Hampton, Suffolk County,
New York, for inclusion in the Amagansett National Wildlife
Refuge and directs the Secretary of the Interior to make
technical corrections in maps relating to the Coastal Barrier
Resources System (Public Law 104-148).
H.R. 1965, reauthorizes the Coastal Zone Management Act of
1972 (Public Law 104-150).
H.R. 2005, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make
technical corrections in maps relating to the Coastal Barrier
Resources System (enacted as part of Public Law 104-148).
H.R. 2100, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make
technical corrections to maps relating to the Coastal Barrier
Resources System (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 2160, to authorize appropriations to carry out the
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 and the Anadromous
Fish Conservation Act (enacted as part of Public Law 104-297).
H.R. 2243, amends the Trinity River Basin Fish and Wildlife
Management Act of 1984, to extend for three years the
availability of moneys for the restoration of fish and wildlife
in the Trinity River (Public Law 104-143).
H.R. 2369, to provide for the development of the fishery
resource within the exclusive economic zone of the insular
areas of the United States, and for other purposes (enacted as
part of Public Law 104-297).
H.R. 2660, increases the amount authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of the Interior for the Tensas
River National Wildlife Refuge (Public Law 104-253).
H.R. 2679, revises the boundary of the North Platte
National Wildlife Refuge (Public Law 104-212).
H.R. 2982, directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey
the Carbon Hill National Fish Hatchery to the State of Alabama
(Public Law 104-213).
H.R. 3217, to provide for ballast water management to
prevent the introduction and spread of nonindigenous species
into the waters of the United States, and for other purposes
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-332).
H.R. 3287, directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey
the Crawford National Fish Hatchery to the City of Crawford,
Nebraska (Public Law 104-215).
H.R. 3303, to establish a national oceanographic
partnership program to promote the national goals of assuring
national security, advancing economic development, protecting
quality of life, and strengthening science education through
oceanographic research and development (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-201).
H.R. 3487, to reauthorize the National Marine Sanctuaries
Act, and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-
283).
H.R. 3546, directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey
the Walhalla National Fish Hatchery to the State of South
Carolina (Public Law 104-265).
H.R. 3579, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey certain property containing a fish and wildlife facility
to the State of Wyoming, and for other purposes (enacted as
part of Public Law 104-276).
H.R. 4048, to enhance California's habitat, water quality,
and water supply (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 4126, to support the California-Federal Bay-Delta
Program in developing, funding and implementing a balanced,
long-term solution to the problems of ecosystem quality, water
quality, water supply and reliability, and system vulnerability
affecting the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento San Joaquin Delta
Watershed in California (enacted as part of Public Law 104-208
and Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 4236, provides for the administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer,
and for other purposes (Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 4283, provides for ballast water management to prevent
the introduction and spread of nonindigenous species into the
waters of the United States, and for other purposes (Public Law
104-332).
S. 268, authorizes the collection of fees for expenses for
triploid grass carp certification inspections, and for other
purposes (Public Law 104-40).
S. 1662, to establish areas of wilderness and recreation in
the State of Oregon, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-333).
C. Legislation Vetoed
H.R. 2909, to amend the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and
Wildlife Refuge Act to provide that the Secretary of the
Interior may acquire lands for purposes of that Act only by
donation or exchange, or otherwise with the consent of the
owner of the lands.
D. Legislation Passed House
H.R. 33, to transfer the Fish Farming Experimental
laboratory in Stuttgart, Arkansas, to the Department of
Agriculture, and for other purposes.
H.R. 39, to amend the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and
Management Act to improve fisheries management.
H.R. 535, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
the Corning National Fish Hatchery to the State of Arkansas.
H.R. 543, to reauthorize the National Marine Sanctuaries
Act.
H.R. 584, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
a fish hatchery to the State of Iowa.
H.R. 614, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
to the State of Minnesota the New London National Fish Hatchery
production facility.
H.R. 622, implements the Convention on Future Multilateral
Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries.
H.R. 715, amends the Central Bering Sea Fisheries
Enforcement Act of 1992 to prohibit fishing in the Central Sea
of Okhotsk by vessels and nationals of the United States.
H.R. 716, to amend the Fishermen's Protective Act.
H.R. 1139, to amend the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation
Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1141, to amend the Act popularly known as the ``Sikes
Act'' to enhance fish and wildlife conservation and natural
resources management programs.
H.R. 1253, to rename the San Francisco Bay National
Wildlife Refuge as the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National
Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 1358, to require the Secretary of Commerce to convey
to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the National Marine
Fisheries Service laboratory located on Emerson Avenue in
Gloucester, Massachusetts.
H.R. 1675, to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966 to improve the management of the
National Wildlife Refuge System, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1772, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire certain interests in the Waihee Marsh for inclusion in
the Oahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
H.R. 1836, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire property in the town of East Hampton, Suffolk County,
New York, for inclusion in the Amagansett National Wildlife
Refuge.
H.R. 1965, reauthorizes the Coastal Zone Management Act of
1972.
H.R. 2005, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make
technical corrections in maps relating to the Coastal Barrier
Resources System.
H.R. 2160, to authorize appropriations to carry out the
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 and the Anadromous
Fish Conservation Act.
H.R. 2243, to amend the Trinity River Basin Fish and
Wildlife Management Act of 1984, to extend for three years the
availability of moneys for the restoration of fish and wildlife
in the Trinity River.
H.R. 2405, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years
1996 and 1997 for civilian science activities of the Federal
Government, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2660, to increase the amount authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of the Interior for the Tensas
River National Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 2679, to revise the boundary of the North Platte
National Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 2823, to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of
1972 to support the International Dolphin Conservation Program
in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2909, to amend the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and
Wildlife Refuge Act to provide that the Secretary of the
Interior may acquire lands for purposes of that Act only by
donation or exchange, or otherwise with the consent of the
owner of the lands.
H.R. 2982, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Carbon Hill National Fish Hatchery to the State of
Alabama.
H.R. 3217, to provide for ballast water management to
prevent the introduction and spread of nonindigenous species
into the waters of the United States, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3287, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Crawford National Fish Hatchery to the City of
Crawford, Nebraska.
H.R. 3322, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1997
for civilian science activities of the Federal Government, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 3487, to reauthorize the National Marine Sanctuaries
Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3546, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Walhalla National Fish Hatchery to the State of
South Carolina.
H.R. 3557, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Marion National Fish Hatchery to the State of
Alabama.
H.R. 3579, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey certain property containing a fish and wildlife facility
to the State of Wyoming, and for other purposes.
H.R. 4139, to reauthorize and amend the Atlantic Striped
Bass Conservation Act and the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act.
H.R. 4236, to provide for the administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer,
and for other purposes.
H.R. 4283, to provide for ballast water management to
prevent the introduction and spread of nonindigenous species
into the waters of the United States, and for other purposes.
S. 268, to authorize the collection of fees for expenses
for triploid grass carp certification inspections, and for
other purposes.
E. Legislation Ordered Reported by the Full Committee
H.R. 33 (H. Rept. 104-357) to transfer the Fish Farming
Experimental laboratory in Stuttgart, Arkansas, to the
Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
H.R. 39 (H. Rept. 104-171) to amend the Magnuson Fishery
Conservation and Management Act to improve fisheries
management.
H.R. 535 (H. Rept. 104-34) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey the Corning National Fish Hatchery to the
State of Arkansas.
H.R. 541 (H. Rept. 104-109, Part I) reauthorizes the
Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975, and for other purposes.
H.R. 584 (H. Rept. 104-35) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey a fish hatchery to the State of Iowa.
H.R. 614 (H. Rept. 104-36) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey to the State of Minnesota the New London
National Fish Hatchery production facility.
H.R. 622 (H. Rept. 104-41) implements the Convention on
Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic
Fisheries.
H.R. 715 (H. Rept. 104-42) amends the Central Bering Sea
Fisheries Enforcement Act of 1992 to prohibit fishing in the
Central Sea of Okhotsk by vessels and nationals of the United
States.
H.R. 716 (H. Rept. 104-47) to amend the Fishermen's
Protective Act.
H.R. 1139 (H. Rept. 104-105) to amend the Atlantic Striped
Bass Conservation Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1141 (H. Rept. 104-107, Part I) to amend the Act
popularly known as the ``Sikes Act'' to enhance fish and
wildlife conservation and natural resources management
programs.
H.R. 1175 (H. Rept. 104-123, Part I) to amend Public Law
89-454 to provide for the reauthorization of appropriations.
H.R. 1253 (H. Rept. 104-290) to rename the San Francisco
Bay National Wildlife Refuge as the Don Edwards San Francisco
Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 1358 (H. Rept. 104-287) to require the Secretary of
Commerce to convey to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the
National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory located on Emerson
Avenue in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
H.R. 1675 (H. Rept. 104-218) to amend the National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to improve the
management of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 1756, to abolish the Department of Commerce.
H.R. 1772 (H. Rept. 104-528) to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to acquire certain interests in the Waihee Marsh
for inclusion in the Oahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
H.R. 1815 (H. Rept. 104-237, Part II) to authorize
appropriations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration for fiscal year 1996, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1836 (H. Rept. 104-529) to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to acquire property in the town of East Hampton,
Suffolk County, New York, for inclusion in the Amagansett
National Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 1965 (H. Rept. 104-521) reauthorizes the Coastal Zone
Management Act of 1972.
H.R. 2005 (H. Rept. 104-288) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to make technical corrections in maps relating to the
Coastal Barrier Resources System.
H.R. 2100 (H. Rept. 104-452) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to make technical corrections to maps relating to the
Coastal Barrier Resources System.
H.R. 2160 (H. Rept. 104-517) to authorize appropriations to
carry out the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 and the
Anadromous Fish Conservation Act.
H.R. 2243 (H. Rept. 104-395) to amend the Trinity River
Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Act of 1984, to extend for
three years the availability of moneys for the restoration of
fish and wildlife in the Trinity River.
H.R. 2660 (H. Rept. 104-526) to increase the amount
authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the Interior
for the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 2679 (H. Rept. 104-527) to revise the boundary of the
North Platte National Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 2823 (H. Rept. 104-665, Part I) to amend the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to support the International
Dolphin Conservation Program in the eastern tropical Pacific
Ocean, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2909 (H. Rept. 104-579) to amend the Silvio O. Conte
National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act to provide that the
Secretary of the Interior may acquire lands for purposes of
that Act only by donation or exchange, or otherwise with the
consent of the owner of the lands.
H.R. 2982 (H. Rept. 104-568) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey the Carbon Hill National Fish Hatchery to
the State of Alabama.
H.R. 3287 (H. Rept. 104-700) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey the Crawford National Fish Hatchery to the
City of Crawford, Nebraska.
H.R. 3487 (H. Rept. 104-717) to reauthorize the National
Marine Sanctuaries Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3537 (H. Rept. 104-771, Part I) to improve
coordination of Federal Oceanographic programs.
H.R. 3546 (H. Rept. 104-701) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey the Walhalla National Fish Hatchery to the
State of South Carolina.
H.R. 3557 (H. Rept. 104-702) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey the Marion National Fish Hatchery to the
State of Alabama.
H.R. 3579 (H. Rept. 104-771) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey certain property containing a fish and
wildlife facility to the State of Wyoming, and for other
purposes.
S. 268 (H. Rept. 104-189) to authorize the collection of
fees for expenses for triploid grass carp certification
inspections, and for other purposes.
F. Legislation Marked up at Subcommittee
H.R. 33, to transfer the Fish Farming Experimental
laboratory in Stuttgart, Arkansas, to the Department of
Agriculture, and for other purposes.
H.R. 535, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
the Corning National Fish Hatchery to the State of Arkansas.
H.R. 541, reauthorizes the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of
1975, and for other purposes.
H.R. 584, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
a fish hatchery to the State of Iowa.
H.R. 614, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
to the State of Minnesota the New London National Fish Hatchery
production facility.
H.R. 622, implements the Convention on Future Multilateral
Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries.
H.R. 715, amends the Central Bering Sea Fisheries
Enforcement Act of 1992 to prohibit fishing in the Central Sea
of Okhotsk by vessels and nationals of the United States.
H.R. 716, to amend the Fishermen's Protective Act.
H.R. 898, to prohibit high seas fishing vessels from
engaging in harvesting operations on the high seas without
specific authorization from the Secretary of Commerce, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 1139, to amend the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation
Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1141, to amend the Act popularly known as the ``Sikes
Act'' to enhance fish and wildlife conservation and natural
resources management programs.
H.R. 1175, to amend Public Law 89-454 to provide for the
reauthorization of appropriations.
H.R. 1253, to rename the San Francisco Bay National
Wildlife Refuge as the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National
Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 1675, to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966 to improve the management of the
National Wildlife Refuge System, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1741, to provide for the conveyance of the C.S.S.
HUNLEY to the State of South Carolina.
H.R. 1772, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire certain interests in the Waihee Marsh for inclusion in
the Oahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
H.R. 1836, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire property in the town of East Hampton, Suffolk County,
New York, for inclusion in the Amagansett National Wildlife
Refuge.
H.R. 1965, reauthorizes the Coastal Zone Management Act of
1972.
H.R. 2005, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make
technical corrections in maps relating to the Coastal Barrier
Resources System.
H.R. 2100, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make
technical corrections to maps relating to the Coastal Barrier
Resources System.
H.R. 2160, to authorize appropriations to carry out the
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 and the Anadromous
Fish Conservation Act.
H.R. 2243, to amend the Trinity River Basin Fish and
Wildlife Management Act of 1984, to extend for three years the
availability of moneys for the restoration of fish and wildlife
in the Trinity River.
H.R. 2660, to increase the amount authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of the Interior for the Tensas
River National Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 2679, to revise the boundary of the North Platte
National Wildlife Refuge.
H.R. 2823, to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of
1972 to support the International Dolphin Conservation Program
in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2909, to amend the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and
Wildlife Refuge Act to provide that the Secretary of the
Interior may acquire lands for purposes of that Act only by
donation or exchange, or otherwise with the consent of the
owner of the lands.
H.R. 2982, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Carbon Hill National Fish Hatchery to the State of
Alabama.
H.R. 3287, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Crawford National Fish Hatchery to the City of
Crawford, Nebraska.
H.R. 3487, to reauthorize the National Marine Sanctuaries
Act, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3537, to improve coordination of Federal Oceanographic
programs.
H.R. 3546, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Walhalla National Fish Hatchery to the State of
South Carolina.
H.R. 3557, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Marion National Fish Hatchery to the State of
Alabama.
S. 268, to authorize the collection of fees for expenses
for triploid grass carp certification inspections, and for
other purposes.
G. Legislation Discharged from Subcommittee
H.R. 39, to amend the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and
Management Act to improve fisheries management.
H.R. 1358, to require the Secretary of Commerce to convey
to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the National Marine
Fisheries Service laboratory located on Emerson Avenue in
Gloucester, Massachusetts.
H.R. 1756, to abolish the Department of Commerce,
H.R. 1815, to authorize appropriations for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for fiscal year 1996,
and for other purposes.
H.R. 3579, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey certain property containing a fish and wildlife facility
to the State of Wyoming, and for other purposes.
IV. Oversight Activities of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and
Oceans
A. Introduction
Budget Review
The Subcommittee proposed to hold an oversight hearing to
evaluate the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 1996 budget
recommendations for the National Marine Fisheries Service and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, the
Subcommittee proposed to review selected programs administered
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
On February 16, 1995, the Subcommittee conducted a budget
oversight hearing. Testimony was obtained from Dr. D. James
Baker, Department of Commerce, Mr. George T. Frampton,
Department of the Interior, and Ms. Mollie Beattie, Director,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
During the Winter of 1996 the Subcommittee proposed to hold
an oversight hearing on the President's fiscal year 1997 budget
recommendations for the National Marine Fisheries Service, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the ``wet'' NOAA programs.
On March 27, 1996, the Subcommittee conducted an oversight
hearing on the Administration's fiscal year 1997 budget
recommendations. Testimony was obtained from a number of
individuals including: Dr. D. James Baker, Department of
Commerce, Dr. Robert W. Correll, National Science Foundation,
and Dr. Andrew Solow, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
National Marine Fisheries Services
Oversight Hearing on Various Fish Statutes: On Wednesday,
January 25, 1995, the Subcommittee held the first of a series
of oversight hearings on our Nation's major fish, wildlife and
oceanography laws. At that time, testimony was received on the
following statutes:
(1) Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967. Authorization for
the Fishermen's Guaranty Fund expired on September 30, 1993.
This Fund, which is voluntary and self-financed, compensates
U.S. fishermen for the seizure of their boats and catch by a
foreign country. Last year, 258 U.S. fishermen were forced to
pay $1,100 each to the Canadian Government for sailing through
the Inside Passage. These ``transit fees'' were illegal and the
Fishermen's Protective Act was amended by Public Law 104-43 to
allow these Americans to be compensated for their financial
loss.
(2) Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975. This statute
authorizes the United States participation in the International
Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. Its
authorization of appropriations expired September 30, 1993, but
was extended by Public Law 104-43.
(3) The Central Bering Sea Fisheries Enforcement Act. This
measure prohibited U.S. fishermen from fishing in an area of
international waters off the coast of Russia known as the Donut
Hole. Legislation was enacted (Public Law 104-43) to extend
this prohibition to another area known as the Peanut Hole.
On November 3, 1995, the President signed H.R. 716, the
Fisheries Act of 1995, into law. Incorporated within this
measure was a reauthorization of the Fishermen's Protective Act
of 1967 and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975. In
addition, the Act implemented the Central Bering Sea Fisheries
Enforcement Act, which will protect valuable pollack fishery
stocks in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act: This Act
provides a national program for the conservation and management
of the Nation's marine fishery resources within our 200-mile
Exclusive Economic Zone. The Act established eight Regional
Fishery Management Councils that have primary responsibility
for managing the fishery resources outside of State waters. The
authorization for this Act expired on September 30, 1993. On
October 11, 1996, the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 became
law (Public Law 104-297). This legislation reauthorizes and
reforms the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The fundamental purpose of this law is to conserve and manage
the Federal fishery resources within the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone.
Fish and Wildlife Service
Wildlife Management on Military Lands: The Sikes Act
governs the management of wildlife on Department of Defense
lands. The law's authorization for appropriations expired on
September 30, 1993. During the 104th Congress, the House
approved by voice vote H.R. 1141, the Sikes Act Improvement
Amendments, on July 11, 1995. In addition, the provisions of
this bill were incorporated within the House's version of the
National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 323). Unfortunately,
this provision was removed from the bill in Conference.
National Wildlife Refuge System: The Subcommittee has
jurisdiction over more than 91 million acres of Federal lands
within the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Subcommittee
conducted several oversight hearings on our Nation's National
Wildlife Refuge System (H.R. 1675). It also took a leadership
role in moving the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act.
This landmark legislation was approved by the House of
Representatives on April 24, 1996. The Senate took no action on
this proposal.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: The National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation assists in implementation of the North
American Waterfowl Management Plan and provides matching funds
for conservation activities nationwide. The law establishing
the Foundation expires on September 30, 1998. On May 16, 1996,
the Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing on the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Testimony was heard from the
Honorable Helen Chenoweth (R-ID), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, and public witnesses.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Anadromous Fish Conservation Act: This Act has been
primarily a Federal grant program to the States to assist them
in the management and conservation of various anadromous
species, which are fish that migrate up rivers from the sea to
reproduce in fresh water. Since in recent years there have been
separate initiatives for several high-profile anadromous
species, such as salmon, steelhead, and Atlantic striped bass,
the Subcommittee examined the ongoing need for this program and
whether its authorization of appropriations should be extended
beyond September 30, 1995. The Anadromous Fish Conservation Act
of 1965 was reauthorized until September 30, 2000, by Public
Law 104-297 (Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996).
Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act: This Act provides
Federal support for the enforcement of the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) striped bass management
program to conserve this species. Individual States are
required to implement management measures for their own waters
consistent with the ASMFC Interstate Management Plan for
striped bass. The authorization of appropriations for this Act
expired on September 30, 1993. The House of Representatives on
two separate occasions (H.R. 1139 and H.R. 4139) approved
legislation to extend this important conservation measure,
which has been largely responsible for the recovery of the
Atlantic striped bass. Sadly, the Senate took no action on
either measure.
National Sea Grant College Program: This is a program that
serves the marine science and business community. There are 29
university-based State Sea Grant College programs which fund
marine resource based research and provide marine advisory
service. The program also provides a limited number of
fellowships in marine affairs. Authorization of appropriations
for the program expired on September 30, 1995. The Subcommittee
conducted an oversight hearing on the National Sea Grant
College Program and approved a three-year reauthorization
measure. The House of Representatives took no action on H.R.
1175, the Marine Resources Revitalization Act.
Interjurisdictional Fisheries: The Interjurisdictional
Fisheries Act of 1986 is designed to provide management of
interjurisdictional fishery resources throughout their range,
as well as encourage State participation in management. The Act
expired on September 30, 1995. Authorization of appropriations
for three years for the Act was incorporated within Public Law
104-297, the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996.
Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA): Last authorized in
1990, this program encourages States to develop land use and
near shore management programs based on State and local laws to
better utilize and protect coastal resources. A State may veto
certain Federally-permitted activities if that activity is not
consistent with the State's program. Authorization for
appropriations expired on September 30, 1995. On May 21, 1996,
the President signed H.R. 1965, the Coastal Zone Protection
Act, into law (Public Law 104-150). This legislation
reauthorized funding for the Coastal Zone Management Act
program development, administrative, resource management,
enhancement, technical assistance, and estuarine grants until
September 30, 1999.
NOAA Corps: NOAA has under its jurisdiction a 405-person
uniformed corps that is trained in both science and vessel
operations. The Corps, which operates 18 active vessels and10
aircraft, receives military type pay and benefits. On June 15,
1995, the Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing on the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's ocean and
coastal programs. Testimony was received on a wide range of
NOAA programs, including its uniformed corps. The Corps was
proposed for phase-out and elimination in H.R. 1756, a bill to
abolish the Department of Commerce.
NOAA's Generic Laws: The Subcommittee proposed to hold
hearings on those NOAA programs and responsibilities under the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Resources. On June 15, 1995,
the Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing on the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's ocean and coastal
programs. Testimony was received on a wide range of NOAA
programs.
Seafood Safety and Inspection Programs: Legislation to
develop an expanded, mandatory national seafood safety program
has been introduced and debated at length in previous
Congresses. There is an ongoing debate over who should be the
lead agency for seafood safety, the Food and Drug
Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, or the Agriculture Department. The Subcommittee
proposed to hold an oversight hearing on this subject in Winter
1996, but took no action on this issue.
Fish Passages Technologies: Last Congress, the Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries requested that the Office of
Technology Assessment prepare a report on the state of
technology of fish passages and other systems for transferring
hatchlings around Federal power projects. The Subcommittee
proposed to have a hearing to assess this report in Winter
1996. The Subcommittee took no action on this issue.
Aquaculture: Each year, Federal funds are appropriated to
the National Marine Fisheries Service to promote the growth of
the marine aquaculture industry. The Subcommittee proposed to
hold an oversight hearing to evaluate the effectiveness of this
program and whether continued investment by the Federal
Government is warranted, but it took no action on this issue.
Dolphin/Tuna Issue: The Subcommittee has received
information that several of our trading partners are being
harmed by the embargo on any tuna caught using certain methods
of capture involving dolphins. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna
Commission has recommended tuna capture methods that include
dolphins, but which have reduced dolphin deaths to extremely
low levels. Several foreign governments have requested that the
U.S. take another look at our embargo due to these new
techniques. The Subcommittee proposed to hold an oversight
hearing in Spring 1996. During the 104th Congress, the
Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing on this issue and a
legislative hearing on H.R. 2823, the International Dolphin
Conservation Program Act. On July 31, 1996, the House of
Representatives approved this legislation, which implements the
international agreement known as the ``Panama Declaration''.
Pacific Salmon Treaty: The United States and Canada signed
the Pacific Salmon Treaty in 1985. Since then, the two
countries have met numerous times to further negotiate
outstanding issues related to the Treaty. The U.S. is currently
preparing an offer to resolve several critical issues. The
Subcommittee proposed to hold an oversight hearing on these
negotiations in Spring or Summer 1996. The Subcommittee did not
hold an oversight hearing on this issue, however, language was
incorporated into Public Law 104-293, the Sustainable Fisheries
Act, implementing a U.S.-Canada agreement on joint salmon
stocks.
NOAA Fleet Modernization: As part of the 1992 NOAA
Authorization Act, Congress required NOAA to prepare a fleet
modernization plan for the Agency's aging research vessel fleet
and to submit the plan to Congress. While NOAA has submitted
the plan, fundamental questions remain whether these vessels
should be replaced, the value of the data obtained and if these
functions could be contracted out to private sector vessels. On
June 15, 1995, the Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing
on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's ocean
and coastal programs. Testimony was received on a wide range of
NOAA programs, including its fleet program.
National Marine Sanctuaries Program: Operated by NOAA, the
National Marine Sanctuaries Program is comprised of 13
underwater preserves, stretching from Stellwagen Banks offshore
Massachusetts, to the Florida Keys, to a Hawaiian Humpback
Whale Sanctuary. The authorization of appropriations for this
Act expired on September 30, 1996. The Subcommittee proposed to
hold one or more hearings on NOAA's efforts to manage the
existing sanctuaries on a very limited budget; the status of
the newly designated sanctuaries; and NOAA's ability to solve
problems in resource management, including pollution threats,
salvage operations, conflicts with fishing and recreational
interests. The hearing was held on March 21, 1996. On October
11, 1996, the President signed H.R. 543, the National Marine
Sanctuaries Preservation Act, into law. The fundamental purpose
of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program is to protect marine
resources, such as coral reefs, sunken historical vessels, or
unique habitats, while facilitating the ``compatible'' uses of
those resources. The Act extended the authorization until
September 30, 1999.
Artificial Reefs: In recent years, there have been several
proposals to allow National Defense Reserve Fleet surplus ships
to be sold for scrap or used for artificial reefs. The
Subcommittee proposed to hold an oversight hearing on the
effectiveness of artificial reefs in building new fish and
shellfish habitats, but the Subcommittee took no action on this
issue.
Saltonstall-Kennedy Program: The Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant
Program is administered by the National Marine Fisheries
Service and is used to provide grants for fisheries research
and development projects. Funding is provided by the Department
of Agriculture as a percentage of the gross receipts collected
on imported fish and fish products. All grant projects undergo
technical and industry review and are encouraged to have a
cost-sharing component. The Subcommittee proposed to review the
amounts received and granted under this program. The
Subcommittee took no action on this issue.
Miscellaneous and Joint Agency Issues
Coastal Barrier Resource System: This Act was approved to
reduce Federal expenditures in flood-prone coastal areas and to
provide some environmental protection for certain coastal
barriers. Inclusion in the system results in a prohibition on
Federal funds for flood insurance, water and sewer grants, and
highway construction. The authorization of appropriations for
the program is set to expire on September 30, 1998. The
Subcommittee proposed to hold an oversight hearing on the Act
in 1996. During the 104th Congress, the Subcommittee conducted
an oversight hearing on the Coastal Barrier Resources System
and approved legislation that removed certain acreage from
Coastal Barrier units in Florida, New York, and South
Carolina.These modifications were signed into law by the President
(Public Law 104-148, Public Law 104-265 and Public Law 104-333).
Marine Mammal Protection Act: This Act, first enacted in
1972, governs a variety of subjects, including public display,
scientific research, subsistence use of marine mammals, and the
incidental take of marine mammals during commercial fishing
operations. Last year, Congress enacted a comprehensive
reauthorization bill, which made a number of important changes
to the Act. The Subcommittee intended to hold an oversight
hearing this Fall on the Act and to evaluate the effectiveness
of the new provisions and the implementation of regulations by
the appropriate agencies, but the Subcommittee took no action
on this issue.
North American Wetlands Conservation Act: The purpose of
this Act is to conserve wetland ecosystems and the species they
support, which are primarily waterfowl. While authorization of
appropriations for this Act does not expire until September 30,
1998, the Subcommittee proposed to hold an oversight hearing on
the effectiveness of this Act. The Subcommittee took no action
on this issue.
B. Hearings
February 16, 1995--Oversight hearing on the Fiscal Year
1996 Budget Request for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the
National Marine Fisheries Service, and certain programs of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
March 30, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with the
Subcommittee on Resource Conservation, Research and Forestry of
the Committee on Agriculture to Review Law Enforcement
Activities on Federal Lands.
April 22, 1995--Oversight field hearing held in Barnegat,
New Jersey, on Wildlife Refuge Reform.
June 8, 1995--Oversight hearing on Interjurisdictional
Fisheries Act, Anadromous Fish Conservation Act, the Great
Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Fisheries
Authorization Act.
June 15, 1995--Oversight hearing held on the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean and Coastal
Programs.
June 22, 1995--Oversight hearing held on Tuna/Dolphin
Issues.
July 18, 1995--Oversight hearing held on establishment of a
National Institute for the Environment.
September 21, 1995--Oversight hearing held on
Administration's Proposal to Transfer Certain Federal Fish
Hatcheries.
September 28, 1995--Oversight hearing on Wild Bird
Conservation Act of 1992.
October 18, 1995--Oversight hearing on Disaster Relief
Assistance for Fishermen.
December 6, 1995--Joint oversight hearing with
Subcommittee on Military Research and Development of the
National Security Committee on Ocean Disposal of Radioactive
Materials.
January 25, 1996--Joint oversight hearing with the
Subcommittee on Military Research and Development of the
Committee on National Security and the Subcommittee on Energy
and Environment of the Committee on Science, on leveraging
national oceanographic capabilities.
March 21, 1996--Oversight hearing on Marine Sanctuaries
Act.
March 27, 1996--Oversight hearing on fiscal year 1997
budget requests from National Marine Fisheries Service and
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
April 1, 1996--Oversight field hearing held in Toms River,
New Jersey, on examining the Federal role in the management of
bluefish.
April 10, 1996--Oversight field hearing held in Gillette,
Wyoming, on wildlife conservation on private and public lands
in Wyoming.
May 16, 1996--Oversight hearing on National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation.
June 6, 1996--Oversight hearing on ``Teaming with
Wildlife'' Idea.
June 13, 1996--Oversight hearing on the examination of the
science and permitting processes relating to the management of
bluefin tuna.
June 20, 1996--Oversight hearing on the African Elephant
Conservation Act of 1988 and the Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Act of 1994.
July 11, 1996--Oversight hearing on Nonindigenous Species.
July 25, 1996--Oversight hearing on National Wildlife
Refuge System.
August 1, 1996--Oversight hearing on the economic effects
of the New England Groundfish Management Plan (Amendment 7).
August 6, 1996--Oversight field hearing in Seaside Park,
New Jersey, on the Impact of Offshore Sand Production on Fish
and Wildlife Populations.
September 12, 1996--Oversight hearing on the
implementation of provisions of the Fisheries Act of 1995--
(Public Law 104-43)
September 19, 1996--Oversight hearing on operations and
maintenance backlog at National Wildlife Refuge System (Part
II).
V. Subcommittee Statistics
Total number of bills and resolutions referred.................... 92
Total number of bills reported from subcommittee.................. 33
Total number of bills reported from full committee................ 36
Total number of bills passed by the House......................... 37
Total number of bills enacted into law............................ 42
Total number of bills vetoed...................................... 1
Public Hearings and Markups:
Legislative................................................... 18
Oversight..................................................... 26
Markup sessions............................................... 10
Total number of subcommittee meetings (days)...................... 47
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
i. introduction
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources had
successful legislative initiatives in the 104th Congress, with
three bills becoming law. The most significant piece of
legislation to be enacted was the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty
Fairness and Simplification Act. This comprehensive law will
serve both the Federal Government and the Federal lessee to
streamline, clarify and provide certainty for royalty payments
made for Federal onshore and Outer Continental Shelf oil and
gas production. The Act is the first legislative initiative in
13 years to cost-effectively increase the Nation's third
largest source of revenue--oil and gas royalties. The bill
enjoyed the support of 14 Governors from States cumulatively
accounting for over 98 percent of the onshore Federal
production. The Governors saw this bill as an avenue to
participate more actively in collection of the significant
source of revenue that Federal oil and gas production brings
into the State treasuries. By assuming some of the Federal
collection responsibilities, the States can do these jobs
better, fairer, and less expensively, thereby increasing
revenues to the State and Federal treasury.
Legislation was also enacted to end the Federal
Government's participation in the production and refining of
helium. The Helium Act reduces the deficit, ensures repayment
of the Federal helium program debt, returns all proceeds from
the sale of the facilities and equipment to the Treasury, and
applies all revenue received from the private sector as the
result of crude helium sales towards repayment of the debt. The
Act gets the Federal Government out of the helium business,
including sale of the stockpile, and shuts down an inefficient
helium refinery without undue disruption of the private helium.
Additionally, legislation was enacted to authorize
appropriations for a mining institute or institutes to develop
domestic technological capabilities for the recovery of nonfuel
minerals from the Nation's deep seabed, shallow Outer
Continental Shelf sand and gravel resources, and arctic/cold
water regions. A bill to reauthorize the National Geologic
Mapping Act of 1992 was passed by the House of Representatives
but failed to be acted upon by the full Senate.
The Subcommittee held a legislative hearing on a bill to
amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide for a royalty payment
for heavy crude oil produced from the public lands which is
based on the degree of API gravity. The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has always had the authority to grant royalty
reduction on a case-by-case basis. However, the agency has not
provided many lessees relief because of the onerous application
process. The Subcommittee pursued the BLM's proposed rule in a
legislative hearing to broaden the scope of the models used to
justify the benefits and trade-offs of royalty relief for
higher gravity oil.
Furthermore, the Subcommittee held a legislative hearing
and mark-up on a bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act of 1977 to determine the proper role of Federal
oversight of State regulatory programs. After more than a dozen
years since most States achieved primacy under the Act, the
Office of Surface Mining can, and does, exercise authority to
issue notices of violation to coal operators in primacy states
where a valid State-issued permit has already been granted.
These enforcement actions remain contentious for those State
governments that adequately regulate active coal mining and for
which the Federal role ought to be limited to broad oversight
of the adequacy of States' enforcement provisions.
ii. jurisdiction
(1) All measures and matters concerning the U.S. Geological
Survey.
(2) All measures and matters affecting geothermal
resources.
(3) Conservation of United States uranium supply.
(4) Mining interests generally, including all matters
involving mining regulation and enforcement, including the
reclamation of mined lands, the environmental effects of
mining, and the management of mineral receipts, mineral land
laws and claims, long-range mineral programs, and deep seabed
mining.
(5) Mining schools, experimental stations and long-range
mineral programs.
(6) Mineral resources on public lands.
(7) Conservation and development of oil and gas resources
of the Outer Continental Shelf.
(8) Petroleum conservation on the public lands and
conservation of the radium supply in the United States.
(9) General and continuing oversight and investigative
authority over activities, policies and programs within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
iii. legislative activities
A. Legislative Hearings and Markups
May 16, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 699, to amend the Mineral
Leasing Act to provide for a royalty payment for heavy crude
oil produced from the public lands which is based on the degree
of API gravity.
June 22, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 846, to amend the Helium Act
to require the Secretary of the Interior to sell Federal real
and personal property held in connection with activities
carried out under the Helium Act; H.R. 873, to amend the Helium
Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to sell Federal
real and personal property held in connection with activities
carried out under the Helium Act; and S. 898, to amend the
Helium Act to cease operation of the government helium
refinery, authorize facility and crude helium disposal, and
cancel the helium debt.
July 18, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1975, to provide certainty,
clarity and simplicity for Federal onshore and Outer
Continental Shelf oil and gas lease royalty payments.
August 4, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 699, to amend the Mineral
Leasing Act to provide for a royalty payment for heavy crude
oil produced from the public lands which is based on the degree
of API gravity.
November 9, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2372, to amend the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.
February 28, 1996--Mark up on H.R. 1975, to improve the
management of royalties from Federal and Outer Continental
Shelf oil and gas leases.
March 7, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 1813, to establish a
Minerals Management Service within the Department of the
Interior.
April 23, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3198, to reauthorize and
amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.
May 9, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3249, to authorize
appropriations for a mining institute to develop domestic
technological capabilities for the recovery of minerals from
the nation's seabed.
July 18, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 2372, to amend the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to minimize
duplication in regulatory programs and to give States exclusive
responsibility under approved States programs for permitting
and enforcement of the provisions of that Act with respect to
surface coal mining and reclamation.
B. Legislation Enacted
H.R. 846, to amend the Helium Act to require the Secretary
of the Interior to sell Federal real and personal property held
in connection with activities carried out under the Helium Act,
and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-273).
H.R. 873, to amend the Helium Act to require the Secretary
of the Interior to sell Federal real and personal property held
in connection with activities carried out under the Helium Act,
and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-273).
H.R. 1975, improves the management of royalties from
Federal and Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leases (Public
Law 104-185).
H.R. 2106, to provide for the energy security of the Nation
through encouraging the production of domestic oil and gas
resources in deep water on the Outer Continental Shelf in the
Gulf of Mexico (enacted as part of Public Law 104-58).
H.R. 2906, to amend the Helium Act to authorize the
Secretary to enter into agreements with private parties for the
recovery and disposal of helium on Federal lands, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-273).
H.R. 3008, to amend the Helium Act to authorize the
Secretary to enter into agreements with private parties for the
recovery and disposal of helium on Federal lands, and for other
purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-273).
H.R. 3249, authorizes appropriations for a mining institute
to develop domestic technological capabilities for the recovery
of minerals from the nation's seabed (Public Law 104-312).
H.R. 4168, amends the Helium Act to authorize the Secretary
to enter into agreements with private parties for the recovery
and disposal of helium on Federal lands, and for other purposes
(Public Law 104-273).
C. Legislation Passed House
H.R. 1975, to improve the management of royalties from
Federal and Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leases.
H.R. 3008, to amend the Helium Act to authorize the
Secretary to enter into agreements with private parties for the
recovery and disposal of helium on Federal lands, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 3198, to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic
Mapping Act of 1992, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3249, to authorize appropriations for a mining
institute to develop domestic technological capabilities for
the recovery of minerals from the nation's seabed.
H.R. 4168, to amend the Helium Act to authorize the
Secretary to enter into agreements with private parties for the
recovery and disposal of helium on Federal lands, and for other
purposes.
D. Legislation Ordered Reported by the Full Committee
H.R. 1975 (H. Rept. 104-667) to improve the management of
royalties from Federal and Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas
leases.
H.R. 3198 (H. Rept. 104-668) to reauthorize and amend the
National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3249 (H. Rept. 104-673) to authorize appropriations
for a mining institute to develop domestic technological
capabilities for the recovery of minerals from the nation's
seabed.
E. Legislation Marked up at Subcommittee
H.R. 699, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide for a
royalty payment for heavy crude oil produced from the public
lands which is based on the degree of API gravity, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 1975, to improve the management of royalties from
Federal and Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leases.
H.R. 2372, to amend the Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act of 1977 to minimize duplication in regulatory
programs and to give States exclusive responsibility under
approved States program for permitting and enforcement of the
provisions of that Act with respect to surface coal mining and
reclamation operations, and for other purposes.
F. Legislation Discharged from Subcommittee
H.R. 3198, to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic
Mapping Act of 1992, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3249, to authorize appropriations for a mining
institute to develop domestic technological capabilities for
the recovery of minerals from the nation's seabed, and for
other purposes.
IV. Oversight Activities of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral
Resources
A. Introduction
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources was active
in the oversight of Federal agencies and programs concerning
exploration for and development (or nondevelopment, as the case
may be) of minerals from Federal lands and interests in lands,
including the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Additionally, the
Subcommittee oversees the regulation of the impacts of surface-
mined coal (and lignite) anywhere in the U.S. irrespective of
the mineral ownership through jurisdiction of the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act. In general, the
Subcommittee's oversight activities endeavored to find ways to
empower States with respect to decisions regarding onshore
Federal mineral resources which clearly affect the States
fiscally, and to establish rationale for reforms of OCS lease-
related provisions which now diminish receipts to the U.S.
Treasury.
Oversight hearings began immediately, with a hearing on the
flight of domestic hardrock mineral exploration and development
investment to overseas venues and its causes. Thereafter the
Subcommittee examined the Fiscal Year 1996 budget proposals of
the departmental agencies within its purview: the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS), Bureau of Mines, Minerals Management
Service (MMS), Bureau of Land Management (energy and minerals
programs), and Office of Surface Mining (OSM), with
recommendations for the full committee budget views and
estimates. The Subcommittee's recommendations with respect to
OSM in particular were instrumental in the Appropriations
Committee reporting a significantly reduced budget for that
agency.
Subsequently, the Subcommittee held oversight hearings on
issues involving barriers to sodium mining in Wyoming;
streamlining of onshore Federal oil and gas lease activities
via State agency substitution; allowing ``primacy'' States to
regulate coal mine operators with lessened Federal enforcement
interference in permit decisions; and the Administration
proposal to sell off the OCS royalty stream and devolve MMS
functions to another Federal agency. Hearings on oversight of
energy policy generally (in Houston) and specifically with
respect to the potential for Federal lands (including the OCS)
to provide an exploration base for new discoveries and to
increase domestic reserves were also held. Thereafter the
Subcommittee examined the USGS' mineral resources survey
program, as reviewed by a panel of the National Academy of
Science/National Research Council; the Bureau of Land
Management's (BLM) regulatory burdens on small oil and gas
operators; taking royalty in-kind (rather than in-value) for
certain Gulf of Mexico natural gas production; leasing and/or
development moratoria for various portions of the OCS; and
progress on negotiations between the States and BLM toward
State takeover of oil lease inspection duties.
Agency Budget Oversight: The Subcommittee oversees four
Interior Department agencies in toto and programs in two
others: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Bureau of Mines (BOM),
Office of Surface Mining (OSM), Minerals Management Service
(MMS), the energy and minerals program of the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), and the minerals and geology program of the
Forest Service (FS). On February 14, 1995, the Subcommittee
examined these agencies' programs for streamlining and
privatization opportunities. Budget oversight of the science
agencies (USGS, BOM) occurred February 23, 1995, and examined
opportunities for contracting out work or otherwise
streamlining research programs. Outside witnesses familiar with
the programs' output testified regarding prioritizing programs/
turning work over to State agencies and the private sector,
including orderly phase-out of the Federal Helium Reserve
Program.
The Subcommittee's oversight contributed to the Full
Committee's fiscal year 1996 Views and Estimates report to the
Committee on Budget concerning the aforementioned agencies. The
Subcommittee concluded, in particular, that OSM could and
should absorb a significant reduction commensurate with a
proper role of oversight of primacy States' programs rather
than its current practice of performing Federal oversight of
the States through direct inspection and enforcement
activities. Ultimately, both Congress and the Administration
agreed, via the Omnibus Appropriations Act (Public Law 104-
131), which reduced OSM's Federal regulatory program budget by
approximately 26 percent. Furthermore, Subcommittee
recommendations regarding the Bureau of Mines and Geological
Survey contributed to the merger of some of the former agency's
functions into the latter, which was likewise mandated by
Public Law 104-131. The other bureaus' programs within the
Subcommittee bailiwick received little or none of the increase
in funding sought by the Administration. For fiscal year 1997,
the Subcommittee's oversight was less formal, but no less
effective, as the Congress and the Administration effectively
agreed to level funding for these programs.
Hardrock Mineral Exploration and Development: The
Subcommittee explored investment trends for so-called hardrock
minerals mining in an effort to ascertain ways to improve the
U.S. business climate for such ventures, particularly with
respect to access to public lands for exploration and
development. Such oversight is preparatory for beginning the
legislative process for reform of the Mining Law of 1872.
A hearing was held on January 31, 1995, examining factual
investment data for trends in capital flow with industry and
environmental testimony explaining reasons for these trends. An
additional hearing with testimony from foreign nationals
explaining their systems for balancing attracting investment
versus regulatory oversight of mining proposals was scheduled
after agency budget hearings in Spring 1995. A possible
oversight hearing was proposed to focus on royalty definitional
terms workable for the vast range of hardrock mineral
commodities.
The oversight gained on this issue led Chairmen Don Young
(R-AK) and Ken Calvert (R-CA) to introduce H.R. 1580, a bill to
amend the general mining laws to provide a reasonable royalty
from mineral activities on Federal lands, to specify
reclamation requirements for mineral activities, and to create
a State program for the reclamation of abandoned hard rock
mining sites. H.R. 1580 served generally as the basis for
provisions within H.R. 2491, the Balanced Budget Act of 1995,
vetoed by the President on December 7, 1996, which would have
levied a royalty on metallic (and certain other) minerals mined
from public lands for the first time since 1847 when President
Polk signed legislation repealing royalties on lead mined in
Wisconsin and Missouri territories. Furthermore, H.R. 2491's
Mining Law Revenue Act of 1995 would have required the payment
of fair market value for the land within claim boundaries to be
patented together with a right-of-reentry by the United States
if the patented land is used for non-mining purposes
thereafter.
Coal Mining Regulatory Reform: The Surface Mining Control
and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) governs the manner in which
all coal is mined by surface methods in the U.S., and
underground-mining operations for which surface impacts occur.
SMCRA mandates regulatory primacy be turned over to the States
which seek it and which meet a minimum program requirement.
Since the mid-1980's all but two coal-producing States have
achieved primacy, but OSM continues to ``second guess'' State
regulatory agencies' decisions. Following the OSM budget
oversight, the Subcommittee proposed to further explore
abolition of the Federal oversight role of OSM.
After an oversight hearing held on June 27, 1995,
Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (R-WY) introduced H.R. 2372, a bill
to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977
to minimize duplication in regulatory programs and to give
States exclusive responsibility under approved State programs
for permitting and enforcement of the provisions of that Act. A
similar bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Robert F.
Bennett (R-UT). A legislative hearing on H.R. 2372 was held in
November, 1995, after which OSM and member States
representatives of the Interstate Mining Compact Commission
unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate their differences. A
Subcommittee mark-up of H.R. 2372 was conducted in July, 1996.
No further action was taken. As outlined above in the budget
oversight section, OSM's program budget for Federal enforcement
activities was significantly reduced in fiscal year 1996 and
1997 from previous levels, largely because of the
Subcommittee's posture on oversight and by action on H.R. 2372.
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Production-
Boosting Initiatives: The OCS Lands Act of 1954 governs the
leasing of tracts in Federal waters off our coasts for oil and
gas exploration. This program is by far the biggest revenue
raiser of all Department of the Interior programs and is likely
the second biggest in all the Federal Government (after the
Internal Revenue Service). The MMS collects about $3 billion
per year in bonus bids, rentals and royalties from oil and gas
producers, a portion of which goes into the Land and Water
Conservation Fund for Federal and State land acquisition
programs. The OCS leasing program has been subjected to
numerous leasing and drilling bans via appropriations bills,
and threatened executive order. The Subcommittee proposed to
investigate the rationale for retention versus elimination of
such bans on activity in various waters in an effort to find
acceptable ways to increase production from the OCS.
Oversight hearings on ``energy policy'' generally were held
in February and March 1996 with emphasis on the role of public
lands and the OCS in raising domestic production levels. An
oversight hearing on OCS leasing and drilling moratoria was
held in July 1996 at which many Members expressed strong
opinions regarding segments of the OCS adjacent to their
States. No effective change from existing appropriations-based
moratoria on OCS leasing was possible given the strongly
bipartisan appeal for the status quo.
The Subcommittee planned an oversight follow-up to a 103d
Congress hearing into ``deepwater and frontier area'' royalty
relief to stimulate investment in parts of the Gulf of Mexico
and Alaskan OCS. Issues to be discussed included: Is it
necessary at projected resource prices? How should such relief
be configured? Without other measures such as alternative
minimum tax relief will a royalty ``holiday'' stimulate
drilling? Oversight of MMS' OCS Policy Committee recommendation
for ``conflict resolution'' and of the property rights question
regarding drilling bans on already leased OCS tracts were
expected.
The Subcommittee participated strongly in the legislative
effort to promote development of greater than 200 meters water
depths tracts in the western and central Gulf of Mexico region.
Public Law 104-58 contained such provisions. The first lease
sale held by MMS after enactment gained over one-third of a
billion dollars for the U.S. Treasury in bonus bids, no doubt
stimulated by the provisions of the deepwater royalty relief
law.
Onshore Federal Oil and Gas Initiatives: The BLM, lessor of
Federal onshore minerals, is currently undergoing an oil and
gas ``performance review.'' The Subcommittee proposed to hold
an oversight hearing on the need for ``heavy oil'' royalty
reduction to stimulate production from reservoirs with highly
viscous crude oil, e.g. Kern County, California. The need for
an oversight hearing was obviated when the Subcommittee held a
legislative hearing on H.R. 699, a bill to amend the Mineral
Leasing Act to provide for a royalty payment for heavy crude
oil produced from the public lands which is based on the degree
of API gravity. Thereafter, the BLM agreed administratively to
reduce heavy oil royalties in a somewhat similar fashion,
albeit with a slightly different formula. The pressure brought
to bear by the Subcommittee's action clearly contributed to the
action taken by the Administration.
The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 grants rights-of-way to
Federal lessees for pipelines from producing fields but
obligates ``common carriers'' to ensure equitable access to the
transportation system. The Subcommittee proposed to hold an
oversight hearing to explore the issues of ensuring this
obligation is being met everywhere. The Subcommittee worked
behind the scenes with the Committee on Government Reform and
Oversight's Subcommittee on Government Management investigating
the Federal Government's potential loss of royalty revenue from
undervaluation of crude oil from Federal onshore and OCS leases
in California. A Department of the Interior-led task force
reviewed these allegations and recently announced that the
Secretary would make demands of twenty different oil company
lessees of the U.S. for back royalties of approximately $400
million, including interest. To date, approximately $160
million of demands have issued.
Disposition of Other Federal Minerals: The so-called
fertilizer minerals, trona (a sodium carbonate mineral),
phosphate and potash, are produced from Federal leases in
California, Wyoming, Idaho and New Mexico. The Subcommittee
proposed to hold an oversight hearing to examine a number of
associated issues. An oversight hearing was held on May 9,
1995, on the issue of proper valuation of royalty rates in a
factual situation such as occurs in the Green River Basin of
Wyoming. Governor Geringer of Wyoming, among others, testified
as to the importance of the trona industry to the State. The
Secretary of the Interior delayed for a year an increase in the
royalty rate, perhaps as a result of the Subcommittee hearing,
but later held a lease sale for several sections of trona
leases at an eight percent royalty rate.
B. Hearings
January 31, 1995--Oversight hearing on Investment in
Hardrock Mineral Exploration and Development.
February 14, 1995--Oversight hearing on Office of Surface
Mining, Minerals Management Service, and Bureau of Land
Management (Energy and Minerals Program Only) fiscal year 1996
Budget Requests.
February 23, 1995--Oversight hearing on U.S. Geological
Survey and Bureau of Mines fiscal year 1996 Budget Requests.
May 9, 1995--Oversight hearing held on Sodium mineral
leasing issues: ``What is fair market value royalty on trona,
and what are its implications on the export market for soda
ash?''.
June 8, 1995--Oversight hearing to investigate sound
alternatives for streamlining and better management of onshore
Federal mineral activities.
June 27, 1995--Oversight hearing on amending the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 consistent with
granting primacy to States with approved regulatory programs.
July 27, 1995--Oversight hearing on the management of Outer
Continental Shelf oil and gas resources, including the
Administration's proposals to (1) sell the royalty stream, and
(2) transfer the Minerals Management Service to another Federal
agency.
March 21, 1996--Oversight hearing on Energy Policy.
May 30, 1996--Oversight hearing on mineral resources survey
programs of the United States Geological Survey.
June 20, 1996--Oversight hearing on Bureau of Land
Management's oil and gas inspection, enforcement
responsibilities, and regulatory burdens on small operations.
June 27, 1996--Oversight hearing on Royalty-In-Kind for
natural gas (lessons learned from the Gulf of Mexico pilot
program).
July 25, 1996--Oversight hearing on Outer Continental Shelf
Moratoria.
September 25, 1996--Oversight hearing to investigate the
progress of a 1995 REGO II proposal to allow states to perform
BLM's inspection and enforcement on Federal lands.
V. Subcommittee Statistics
Total number of bills and resolutions referred.................... 32
Total number of bills reported from subcommittee.................. 3
Total number of bills reported from full committee................ 3
Total number of bills passed by the House......................... 5
Total number of bills enacted into law............................ 8
Public Hearings and Markups:
Legislative................................................... 7
Oversight..................................................... 13
Markup sessions............................................... 3
Total number of subcommittee meetings (days)...................... 23
Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources
i. introduction
A. Legislation to streamline the Federal Government and move power out
of Washington
There was a recognition by the 104th Congress that although
the Federal Government had built major civil works projects
throughout the United States, the Government is now involved in
operating facilities and programs in which there is no longer a
compelling Federal interest. In addition, insufficient
operation and maintenance funds are available to Federal
agencies for the maintenance of these aging Federal facilities,
many of which continue to deteriorate. These facilities could
be better maintained by non-Federal entities, including water
districts and other units of local government. Citing these
concerns, the Subcommittee approved several bills to move
facilities out of Federal ownership, including:
S. 395/H.R. 1122 (Public Law 104-58), authorizes and
directs the Secretary of Energy to sell the Alaska Power
Administration.
The Power Marketing Administration Sale/Study (the study
provisions of this language were included in H.R. 2491, the
Balanced Budget Act vetoed by the President). The Resources
Committee bill would have sold the Southeastern Power
Administration, the underlying power generation assets, and the
associated dams and reservoirs. The bill provided for the
control of rate increases, protection of existing contracts and
obligations, placed the sale assets under the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission control, opened the sale to both
customers and non-customers, and provided further information
for evaluating the sale of the remaining Power Marketing
Administrations.
H.R. 3903, the Sly Park Unit Conveyance Act, would provide
for the sale and conveyance by the Secretary of the Interior of
the Sly Park Unit of the Central Valley Project to the El
Dorado Irrigation District, Placerville, El Dorado County,
California. The bill as amended was ordered favorably reported
to the House of Representatives by voice vote (H. Rept. 104-
768).
H.R. 3258, would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey certain real property located within the Carlsbad
Project in New Mexico to the Carlsbad Irrigation District. This
bill was ordered reported from the Full Committee on September
18, 1996. No further action was taken.
Collbran Project Unit Conveyance. Language to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey the Collbran Reclamation
Project in Colorado to the Ute Water Conservancy District and
the Collbran Conservancy District was approved by the Congress
as part of H.R. 2491, the Balanced Budget Act, which was vetoed
by the President.
B. Legislation to improve existing Federal programs and enhance agency
flexibility
Several bills approved by the Subcommittee are designed to
improve existing Federal programs by refocusing goals to meet
contemporary needs, tightening or restructuring eligibility
criteria, reducing authorization ceilings to reflect
appropriations levels, or providing agencies with flexibility
to make Treasury payments. Legislation approved by the
Subcommittee in this area includes:
H.R. 930 (Public Law 104-20), amends the Colorado River
Basin Salinity Control Act to authorize additional measures to
carry out the control of salinity upstream of Imperial Dam in a
cost-effective manner. Salinity in the Colorado River increases
dramatically as the River makes its 1,400-mile journey. Almost
half of the salinity occurs naturally, although another major
contributor to the River's salinity is the use of water for
agriculture. The new program would enable the Bureau of
Reclamation to accept proposals from non-Federal entities for
salinity control measures, and then provide funding to the most
cost-effective proposals. The existing salinity control program
was inflexible and relied on expensive hardware solutions to
water quality problems. Public Law 104-20 will for the first
time allow private companies and other organizations to
participate in creative solutions to salinity control in the
Colorado River Basin.
H.R. 799, Bonneville Power Administration Appropriations
Refinancing Act, provides for the reconstitution of outstanding
repayment obligations of the Administrator of the Bonneville
Power Administration (BPA) for the appropriated capital
investments in the Federal Columbia River Power System. This
Act raised the low interest rates on BPA's old appropriated
debt up to current Treasury rates. The Act actually increased
revenues to the U.S. Treasury, because BPA agreed to pay an
additional $100 million to be able to restructure this debt. An
amended version of this bill was incorporated into Public Law
104-134.
H.R. 1743 (Public Law 104-147), reauthorizes an ongoing
program administered through the United States Geological
Survey. It provides a research funding program at the 54 State
Water Resources Research Institutes located at the land grant
university in each of the 50 States and several of the
territories. These institutes are a primary link between the
academic community, the water-related personnel in Federal and
State government, and the private sector. The law reduces the
authorization ceiling to reflect amounts actually appropriated
for the program in recent years.
H.R. 1823 (Public Law 104-286), provides the Secretary of
the Interior with the authority to accept prepayment from the
Central Utah Water Conservancy District for the costs of
certain project features associated with the Bonneville Unit of
the Central Utah Project. This legislation will result in the
Federal treasury receiving repayment by 2002 of over $140
million that would otherwise be repaid through 2048.
H.R. 3660 (Public Law 104-266), the Reclamation Wastewater
and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act. This law amends a
1992 act (Public Law 102-575) that directed the Secretary of
the Interior to study cost-shared opportunities to reclaim and
reuse wastewater and naturally impaired ground and surface
water, and authorized five specific feasibility studies and
four demonstration projects. H.R. 3660 adds several new
projects that would be eligible to receive Federal cost-share
funding under the existing program. Further, the bill
establishes more stringent criteria for receiving
appropriations for any project, including requirements for
feasibility studies and for cost-sharing agreements with the
Secretary of the Interior.
H.R. 2738, the Central Valley Project Reform Act. This
bill was intended to address concerns that had been raised
about the implementation of the 1992 Central Valley Project
Improvement Act (Title XXIV of Public Law 102-575). The bill
was ordered reported from the Committee on December 13, 1995,
but further action was suspended on the bill in May 1996, at
the request of California water users and Interior Department
officials. The bill did result in a formal administrative
process involving the various stakeholders, initiated by the
Interior Department in late 1995, to address ongoing problems
with implementation of the 1992 Act. The success of this
administrative process has yet to be determined, and it will be
the subject of additional oversight hearings by the
Subcommittee in the 105th Congress.
C. Legislation targeted to resolving specific problems
The Subcommittee approved several bills in the 104th
Congress aimed at solving problems in specific geographic
locations, or at targeting scarce Federal research funds. The
bills moved by the Subcommittee to meet these objectives
include:
S. 811 (Public Law 104-298), Water Desalinization Research
and Development Act of 1996, authorizes research into the
desalinization and reclamation of water and authorizes a
program for States, cities, or qualifying agencies desiring to
own and operate a water desalinization or reclamation facility
to develop such facilities, and for other purposes.
S. 1467/H.R. 2819 (Public Law 104-300), Fort Peck Rural
Water Supply System Act. This Act authorizes appropriations of
$5.8 million for the construction of a rural water supply
distribution facility for Fort Peck Rural County Water
District, Montana. Currently, 95 percent of the residents of
the area must haul their drinking water from Fort Peck Lake to
meet domestic needs. The process of hauling water is difficult
and expensive, particularly during the cold winter months. In
addition, this area receives more than 280,000 visits each year
by recreational users at Fort Peck Reservoir, and a reliable
supply of good quality drinking water is needed to serve these
visitors. The Act contains a sunset provision that deauthorizes
the project if appropriations are not obtained within a
specified timeframe.
H.R. 3910 (Public Law 104-318), Emergency Drought Relief
Act of 1996. This Act provides emergency drought relief to the
City of Corpus Christi and the Canadian River Municipal Water
Authority, both in Texas, by suspending their repayment
obligations to the Federal Government for five and three years,
respectively. This will free up the money they need to develop
alternate water supplies. The Act also provides that if the
construction of alternative water supplies for the City of
Corpus Christi requires a Federal permit for use of Bureau of
Reclamation lands or facilities, the Secretary of the Interior
shall issue such permit within 90 days of enactment.
II. Jurisdiction
(1) Generation and marketing of electric power from Federal
water projects by Federally chartered or Federal regional power
marketing authorities.
(2) All measures and matters concerning water resources
planning conducted pursuant to the Water Resources Planning
Act, water resource research and development programs, saline
water research and development.
(3) Compacts relating to the use and apportionment of
interstate waters, water rights, and major interbasin water or
power movement programs.
(4) All measures and matters pertaining to irrigation and
reclamation projects and other water resources development
programs, including policies and procedures.
(5) General and continuing oversight and investigative
authority over activities, policies and programs within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
III. Legislative Activities
A. Legislative Hearings and Markups
March 15, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1122, Alaska Power
Administration Sale Act.
May 11, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1122, Alaska Power
Administration Sale Act.
May 11, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 930, to reauthorize Title II
of the Salinity Control Act; and H.R. 1070, to designate a
certain lake in California as ``Trinity Lake.''
June 8, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 599, Bonneville Power
Administration Appropriations Refinancing Act; H.R. 799,
Bonneville Power Administration Appropriations Refinancing Act;
and H.R. 1743, to reauthorize the Water Resources Institutes.
June 15, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1823, to amend the Central
Utah Project Completion Act to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to allow for prepayment contracts between the United
States and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District dated
December 28, 1965, and November 26, 1985.
July 13, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1743, to amend the Water
Resources Research Act of 1984 to extend the authorizations of
appropriations through fiscal year 2000.
July 20, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1906, to amend the Central
Valley Project Improvement Act.
October 24, 1995--Mark up of a Committee Print entitled the
``Central Valley Project Reform Act of 1995''.
November 2, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1803, to amend the
Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act
to authorize additional projects; and H.R. 2549, to authorize
the Secretary of the Interior to enter into contracts to assist
the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, California, to
implement a basin management plan for the elimination of
groundwater overdraft and seawater intrusion.
November 16, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1232, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey, upon request, certain
property in Federal reclamation projects to beneficiaries of
the projects and to set forth a distribution scheme for
revenues from reclamation project lands; H.R. 2609, the Texas
Reclamation Projects Indebtedness Purchase Act; and H.R. 2644,
the Missouri River Basin, Pick-Sloan Projects Facility
Transfers Act.
April 18, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 2392, to amend the Umatilla
Basin Project Act to establish boundaries for irrigation
districts within the Umatilla Basin; H.R. 2781, to authorize
the Secretary of the Interior to provide loan guarantees for
water supply, conservation, quality, and transmission projects;
H.R. 3041, to supplement the Small Reclamation Projects Act of
1956 and to supplement the Federal reclamation laws by
providing for Federal cooperation in non-Federal projects and
participation by non-Federal agencies in Federal projects; H.R.
2819, to authorize the construction of the Fort Peck Rural
County Water Supply System, to authorize assistance to the Fort
Peck Rural County Water District, Inc., a nonprofit
corporation, for the planning, design, and construction of the
water supply system; and H.R. 3258, to direct the Secretary of
the Interior to convey property in New Mexico to the Carlsbad
Irrigation District.
July 11, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 2392, to amend the Umatilla
Basin Project Act to establish boundaries for irrigation
districts within the Umatilla Basin; S. 1467, to authorize the
construction of the Fort Peck Rural County Water Supply System,
to authorize assistance to the Fort Peck Rural County Water
District, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, for the planning,
design, and construction of the water supply system; H.R. 3258,
to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain real
property within the Carlsbad Project in New Mexico to Carlsbad
Irrigation District; and a Subcommittee Print, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to sell the Sly Park Dam and
Reservoir.
September 26, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3777, Oroville-Tonasket
Claim Settlement and Conveyance Act.
B. Legislation Enacted
H.R. 599, to provide for the reconstitution of outstanding
repayment obligations of the Administrator of the Bonneville
Power Administration for the appropriated capital investments
in the Federal Columbia River Power System (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-134).
H.R. 799, to provide for the reconstitution of outstanding
repayment obligations of the Administrator of the Bonneville
Power Administration for the appropriated capital investments
in the Federal Columbia River Power System (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-134).
H.R. 930, to amend the Colorado River Basin Salinity
Control Act to authorize additional measures to carry out the
control of salinity upstream of Imperial Dam in a cost-
effective manner (enacted as part of Public Law 104-20).
H.R. 1122, to authorize and direct the Secretary of Energy
to sell the Alaska Power Administration, and for other purposes
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-58).
H.R. 1743, amends the Water Resources Research Act of 1984
to extend the authorization of appropriations through fiscal
year 2000 (Public Law 104-147).
H.R. 1803, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize additional
projects (enacted as part of Public Law 104-266).
H.R. 1823, amends the Central Utah Project Completion Act
to direct the Secretary of the Interior to allow for prepayment
of repayment contracts between the United States and the
Central Utah Water Conservancy District dated December 28,
1965, and November 26, 1985 (Public Law 104-286).
H.R. 1879, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in the Alamitos Barrier Recycled Water Project and
in the Long Beach Water Desalination and Reuse Research and
Development Project (enacted as part of Public Law 104-266).
H.R. 2512, provides for certain benefits of the Missouri
River basin Pick-Sloan project to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
(Public Law 104-223).
H.R. 2819, to authorize the construction of the Fort Peck
Rural County Water Supply System, to authorize assistance to
the Fort Peck Rural County Water District, Inc., a nonprofit
corporation, for the planning, design and construction of the
water supply system, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-300).
H.R. 3350, to extend contracts between the Bureau of
Reclamation and irrigation districts in Kansas and Nebraska,
and for other purposes (enacted as part of Public Law 104-326).
H.R. 4048, to enhance California's habitat, water quality,
and water supply (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 4126, to support the California-Federal Bay-Delta
Program in developing, funding and implementing a balanced,
long-term solution to the problems of ecosystem quality, water
quality, water supply and reliability, and system vulnerability
affecting the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento San Joaquin Delta
Watershed in California (enacted as part of Public Law 104-208
and Public Law 104-333).
H.R. 4188, to authorize the construction of the Fort Peck
Reservation Rural Water System, Montana, and for other purposes
(enacted as part of Public Law 104-300).
H.R. 4236, provides for the administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer,
and for other purposes (Public Law 104-333).
S. 523, amends the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control
Act to authorize additional measures to carry out the control
of salinity upstream of Imperial Dam in a cost-effective
manner, and for other purposes (Public Law 104-20).
S. 811, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
studies regarding the desalinization of water and water reuse
(Public Law 104-298).
S. 1467, authorizes the construction of the Fort Peck Rural
County Water Supply System, to authorize assistance to the Fort
Peck Rural County Water District, Inc., a nonprofit
corporation, for the planning, design, and construction of the
water supply system (Public Law 104-300).
S. 1662, to establish areas of wilderness and recreation in
the State of Oregon (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
C. Legislation Passed House
H.R. 1070, to designate the reservoir created by Trinity
Dam in the Central Valley project, California, as ``Trinity
Lake.''
H.R. 1743, to amend the Water Resources Research Act of
1984 to extend the authorization of appropriations through
fiscal year 2000.
H.R. 1823, to amend the Central Utah Project Completion Act
to direct the Secretary of the Interior to allow for prepayment
of repayment contracts between the United States and the
Central Utah Water Conservancy District dated December 28,
1965, and November 26, 1985.
H.R. 2512, to provide for certain benefits of the Missouri
River basin Pick-Sloan project to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.
H.R. 4236, to provide for the administration of certain
Presidio properties at minimal cost to the Federal taxpayer,
and for other purposes.
S. 523, to amend the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control
Act to authorize additional measures to carry out the control
of salinity upstream of Imperial Dam in a cost-effective
manner, and for other purposes.
S. 811, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct studies regarding the desalinization of water and water
reuse.
S. 1467, to authorize the construction of the Fort Peck
Rural County Water Supply System, to authorize assistance to
the Fort Peck Rural County Water District, Inc., a nonprofit
corporation, for the planning, design, and construction of the
water supply system.
D. Legislation Ordered Reported by the Full Committee
H.R. 1070, (H. Rept. 104-134) to designate the reservoir
created by Trinity Dam in the Central Valley project,
California, as ``Trinity Lake.''
H.R. 1122 (H. Rept. 104-187, Part I) to authorize and
direct the Secretary of Energy to sell the Alaska Power
Administration, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1743 (H. Rept. 104-242) to amend the Water Resources
Research Act of 1984 to extend the authorization of
appropriations through fiscal year 2000.
H.R. 1823 (H. Rept. 104-531) to amend the Central Utah
Project Completion Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior
to allow for prepayment of repayment contracts between the
United States and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District
dated December 28, 1965, and November 26, 1985.
H.R. 2392 (H. Rept. 104-680) to amend the Umatilla Basin
Project Act to establish boundaries for irrigation districts
within the Umatilla Basin, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2512 (H. Rept. 104-675) to provide for certain
benefits of the Missouri River basin Pick-Sloan project to the
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.
H.R. 3258, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey certain real property located within the Carlsbad
Project in New Mexico to Carlsbad Irrigation District.
S. 523 (H. Rept. 104-132) to amend the Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control Act to authorize additional measures to carry
out the control of salinity upstream of Imperial Dam in a cost-
effective manner, and for other purposes.
S. 811 (H. Rept. 104-790, Part I) to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to conduct studies regarding the
desalinization of water and water reuse.
S. 1467 (H. Rept. 104-769) to authorize the construction of
the Fort Peck Rural County Water Supply System, to authorize
assistance to the Fort Peck Rural County Water District, Inc.,
a nonprofit corporation, for the planning, design, and
construction of the water supply system.
E. Legislation Marked up at Subcommittee
H.R. 1122, to authorize and direct the Secretary of Energy
to sell the Alaska Power Administration, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 1743, to amend the Water Resources Research Act of
1984 to extend the authorization of appropriations through
fiscal year 2000.
H.R. 2392, to amend the Umatilla Basin Project Act to
establish boundaries for irrigation districts within the
Umatilla Basin, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3258, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey certain real property located within the Carlsbad
Project in New Mexico to Carlsbad Irrigation District.
S. 1467, to authorize the construction of the Fort Peck
Rural County Water Supply System, to authorize assistance to
the Fort Peck Rural County Water District, Inc., a nonprofit
corporation, for the planning, design, and construction of the
water supply system.
F. Legislation Discharged from Subcommittee
H.R. 1070, to designate the reservoir created by Trinity
Dam in the Central Valley project, California, as ``Trinity
Lake.''
H.R. 1823, to amend the Central Utah Project Completion Act
to direct the Secretary of the Interior to allow for prepayment
of repayment contracts between the United States and the
Central Utah Water Conservancy District dated December 28,
1965, and November 26, 1985.
H.R. 2512, to provide for certain benefits of the Missouri
River basin Pick-Sloan project to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe,
and for other purposes.
S. 523, to amend the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control
Act to authorize additional measures to carry out the control
of salinity upstream of Imperial Dam in a cost-effective
manner, and for other purposes.
S. 811, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct studies regarding the desalinization of water and water
reuse.
IV. oversight activities of the subcommittee on water and power
resources
A. Introduction
Budget Overview: The Subcommittee proposed to hold a
hearing on that portion of the President's budget proposal
falling within its jurisdiction each year. The Subcommittee
held a hearing on that portion of the President's budget
proposal falling within its jurisdiction on March 7, 1995.
Administration officials representing the Department of Energy
and the Department of the Interior testified.
Central Valley Project Improvement Act Implementation
(CVPIA): The Subcommittee proposed to review actions taken by
Federal, State and other organizations to implement the various
provisions of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act
(CVPIA). Early in the 104th Congress, the Resources Committee
was contacted by a number of California interests, including
irrigation districts, municipalities, and power customers
concerned about the way provisions of the CVPIA were being
implemented or interpreted. The Subcommittee held four hearings
(in California as well as in Washington) related to the
implementation of the CVPIA. In June of 1995, legislation was
introduced to reform the CVPIA. After the introduction of the
CVPIA Reform Act, the Department of the Interior started an
administrative process to resolve problems with the
implementation of the CVPIA--an explicit recognition that
significant problems existed. The Subcommittee held an
oversight hearing on the status of the administrative process.
At that hearing, the Administration witness requested that
action on the bill be suspended until the administrative
process was completed. In May 1996, action on the CVPIA reform
bill was suspended, conditioned on the administrative process
producing real results and meeting its self-imposed deadlines.
On September 12, 1996, the Subcommittee held another
oversight hearing on the administrative process. At that
hearing, two stakeholder groups testified that some legislative
changes to the CVPIA will be needed once the administrative
process is completed. Some deadlines in the administrative
process have slipped, and there is an ongoing concern that
certain problems are not being addressed through the process at
all.
Regulation Reform: The Subcommittee proposed to review the
need for and advisability of reducing and eliminating those
Federal rules and regulations falling within its jurisdiction.
The Subcommittee conducted numerous investigations and informal
reviews concerning the Bureau of Reclamation's regulatory
program. Subcommittee Chairman John T. Doolittle (R-CA) joined
Chairman Don Young (R-AK) in urging the Department of the
Interior to comply with court settlements requiring the
reissuance of the water conservation regulations under the
Reclamation Reform Act of 1982. No formal Subcommittee hearings
or other actions were taken.
Restructuring the Bureau of Reclamation: The Subcommittee
proposed to review current efforts to downsize the Bureau of
Reclamation and will consider new proposals relating to the
further reduction or termination of the existence of that
bureau. The Subcommittee held several hearings on Bureau of
Reclamation operations. These hearings included: a March 30,
1995, oversight hearing on Bureau of Reclamation operational
issues; a June 15, 1995, oversight hearing on the possible
transfer of Reclamation facilities out of Federal control;
field hearings in Oregon and Idaho in October 1995 on Federal
Government actions affecting water rights; and a March 7, 1996,
hearing on dams safety and deferred maintenance issues at
Bureau of Reclamation facilities. The Subcommittee approved
several bills to transfer specific Reclamation facilities out
of Federal ownership, thereby reducing the size and scope of
the Bureau of Reclamation.
California Bay--Delta Agreement: The Subcommittee proposed
to review the agreement reached between the Federal Government,
the State of California and various other parties relating to
the protection of the Sacramento Delta estuary and the supply
of water to farms and cities in a major portion of California.
The issues related to the implementation of the December 1994
agreement are similar, and in some instances linked, to the
implementation of the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement
Act (CVPIA). The Subcommittee's actions on the CVPIA are
discussed above. However, the Committee was supportive of
efforts to fund the Federal share of a balanced, long-term
solution to the problems of the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-
San Joaquin Delta Watershed. This authorization language was
included in Public Law 104-333 and Public Law 104-208.
Central Arizona Project Debt Repayment: The Subcommittee
proposed to review proposals made by the Administration to
restructure the debt currently held by the owners of the
Central Arizona Project. Negotiations to reach a settlement
agreement on the repayment issues pertaining to the Central
Arizona Project (CAP) were unsuccessful, and these issues are
now in litigation. The litigation has limited the ability of
the Subcommittee to investigate certain issues that are the
subject of the lawsuit. However, the Subcommittee did ask the
General Accounting Office to conduct a preliminary
investigation concerning the appropriateness of the Bureau of
Reclamation's use of funds from the Lower Colorado River Basin
Development Fund for certain costs related to the Central
Arizona Project. The Subcommittee staff have also received
briefings from the Department on the various Basin Funds, and
on the operation of the Central Arizona Project. In addition,
Chairman John T. Doolittle (R-CA) wrote the Department in
September 1996 asking detailed questions about CAP operations.
The Subcommittee will continue its oversight of the Bureau's
role in the Central Arizona Project. Hearings are possible in
the 105th Congress.
Sale of Federal Power Marketing Administrations: The
Subcommittee proposed to review proposals to sell those
agencies within the Department of Energy known as power
marketing administrations (PMAs) which market the electrical
power produced at Federal water projects. The Resources
Committee approved provisions in its part of the reconciliation
bill that would have sold the Southeastern Power
Administration, the underlying power generation assets, and the
associated dams and reservoirs. The bill provided for the
control of rate increases, protection of existing contracts and
obligations, placed the sale assets under Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission control, opened the sale to both
customers and non-customers, and provided further information
for evaluating the sale of the remaining PMAs. However, only a
study version of this language was included in H.R. 2491, the
Balanced Budget Act vetoed by the President.
The debate over the various PMA proposals introduced or
considered during the First Session of the 104th Congress
raised many policy issues. Therefore, in December 1995 Chairman
John T. Doolittle (R-CA) sent a letter to the General
Accounting Office (GAO) requesting that the GAO conduct certain
investigations. This request resulted in three separate GAO
reports that were the subject of the following hearings: May 2,
1996, hearing on Pick-Sloan Project Repayment Issues; July 25,
1996, hearing on Deferred Maintenance and Energy Reliability
Issues at Facilities Generating Power Marketed by the
Southeastern Power Administration; September 19, 1996, hearing
on accounting practices for Federal power marketing
administrations.
Oversight of Bonneville Power Administration Management:
The Subcommittee proposed to hold hearings on the actions taken
by the management of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
relating to various matters of concern. The Subcommittee agreed
to defer significant actions on the management of the
Bonneville Power Administration until the December 1996
completion of the Comprehensive Review of the Northwest Energy
System, a regional review commissioned by the four Northwest
Governors.
Nonetheless, the Subcommittee did hold two hearings on BPA-
related issues. The first hearing was on May 21, 1996, on
Bonneville Power Administration Operations and the Status of
the Comprehensive Review of the Northwest Energy System. The
second hearing was a field hearing on November 7, 1996, on
issues and recommendations concerning the August 10, 1996,
Bonneville/Western U.S. Power Outage.
In addition, the Committee approved H.R. 799, the
``Bonneville Power Administration Appropriations Refinancing
Act,'' as amended, which provides for the reconstitution of
outstanding repayment obligations of the Administrator of the
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for the appropriated
capital investments in the Federal Columbia River Power System.
This Act raised the low interest rates on BPA's old
appropriated debt up to current Treasury rates. The Act
actually increased revenues to the U.S. Treasury, because BPA
agreed to pay an additional $100 million to be able to
restructure this debt. An amended version of H.R. 799 was
eventually incorporated into Public Law 104-134.
Hoover Dam Visitors Center: The Subcommittee proposed to
hold hearings on the expenditures over budget for the Hoover
Dam Visitors center. Bureau of Reclamation officials were
subjected to lengthy questioning on this issue at the March 30,
1995, oversight hearing on Bureau of Reclamation operational
issues. Written follow-up questions on Hoover Dam were also
submitted to the Department.
Oversight of Colorado River Operations: The Subcommittee
proposed to hold hearings on the operation of the Colorado
River in both the Upper and Lower basins. The Subcommittee held
a May 11, 1995, hearing to examine the significant impacts of
high salinity levels on human health and the environment. The
Subcommittee subsequently moved legislation, now Public Law
104-20, to revise the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control
Program.
With respect to the impact of hydropower production on
Colorado River operations, the Subcommittee held a March 19,
1996, oversight hearing on Western Area Power Administration
Construction and Maintenance Activities and Bureau of
Reclamation Power Facilities Management.
Further, the issues raised with respect to the Central
Arizona Project, discussed above, are linked to any
investigation of Colorado River Operations, since the CAP was
constructed to deliver Colorado River water within Arizona.
Water Technology Development: The Subcommittee proposed to
hold hearings on various aspects of water technology
development which will impact Federal waste water reclamation
activities. Although the Subcommittee did not hold hearings on
water technology development, the Committee did approve two
bills to address waste water reclamation. They are: H.R. 3660
(Public Law 104-266), the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act; and S. 811 (Public Law
104-298), the Water Desalinization Research and Development Act
of 1996.
DOI Irrigation Drainage Program: The Subcommittee proposed
to hold hearings on the Department of the Interior's Irrigation
Drainage Program. A major unresolved drainage issue at the
beginning of the 104th Congress was how to allocate the costs
for the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program and the cleanup of
selenium from drainage water at the Kesterson Wildlife Refuge
in California. This cost-allocation issue was finally resolved
in the fiscal year 1997 Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Act. Chairmen Don Young (R-AK) and John T.
Doolittle (R-CA) wrote in support of this agreement. Beyond
this action, the Subcommittee took no further actions on the
Department's Irrigation Drainage Program.
B. Hearings
March 7, 1995--Oversight hearing held on the Department of
Energy and Bureau of Reclamation fiscal year 1996 Budget
Requests.
March 30, 1995--Oversight hearing on Department of Energy
and Bureau of Reclamation Operational Issues.
April 18, 1995--Oversight field hearing in Sacramento,
California, on the transfer of the Central Valley Project (CVP)
out of Federal ownership and the implementation of the CVP
Improvement Act.
May 18, 1995--Oversight hearing on the potential transfer
of the Power Marketing Administrations out of Federal
ownership.
June 15, 1995--Oversight hearing on the possible transfer
of Reclamation facilities out of Federal control.
July 25, 1995--Oversight hearing held on the Trinity River
Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Program.
October 4, 1995--Oversight field hearing on Hermiston,
Oregon, on Federal Government Actions Affecting Oregonians'
Water Rights.
October 5, 1995--Oversight field hearing held in Boise,
Idaho, on Federal Government Actions Affecting Idahoans' Water
Rights.
February 23, 1996--Oversight field hearing held in
Stockton, California, on water supply issues in San Joaquin
County, California.
March 7, 1996--Oversight hearing on dam safety and deferred
maintenance issues at Bureau of Reclamation facilities.
March 19, 1996--Oversight hearing on Western Area Power
Administration Construction and Maintenance Activities and
Bureau of Reclamation Power Facilities Management.
April 18, 1996--Oversight hearing held on Results/Status
Report of Administrative Process on CVPIA Implementation.
May 2, 1996--Oversight hearing on Pick-Sloan Project
Repayment Issues.
May 21, 1996--Oversight hearing on Pacific Northwest Water
and Power Issues.
July 19, 1996--Oversight field hearing in Corpus Christi,
Texas, on Emergency Drought Conditions Affecting Reclamation
Facilities in Texas.
July 25, 1996--Oversight hearing on Deferred Maintenance
and Energy Reliability Issues at Facilities Generating Power
Marketed by the Southeastern Power Administration.
September 12, 1996--Oversight hearing on progress report on
the administrative efforts to implement the Central Valley
Project Improvement Act.
September 19, 1996--Oversight hearing held on accounting
practices for Federal hydropower marketing.
November 7, 1996--Oversight field hearing held in Los
Angeles, California, on Issues and Recommendations Concerning
the August 10, 1996, Bonneville/Western U.S. Power Outage.
v. subcommittee statistics
Total number of bills and resolutions referred.................... 54
Total number of bills reported from subcommittee.................. 5
Total number of bills reported from full committee................ 10
Total number of bills passed by the House......................... 8
Total number of bills enacted into law............................ 19
Public Hearings and Markups:
Legislative................................................... 9
Oversight..................................................... 19
Markup sessions............................................... 4
Total number of subcommittee meetings (days)...................... 29
Subcommittee on Native American and Insular Affairs
i. introduction
A. Native American Issues
A large number of bills relating to Native Americans was
considered by the 104th Congress. The following is a
compilation of that Native American-related legislation,
referred to the Resources Committee and, in most instances, to
the Native American and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, which
were enacted into law:
The Advisory Council on California Indian Policy Act
was amended to extend the term of the Advisory Council
from 18 to 36 months.
Public Law 104-16 was enacted to reauthorize funding
for two years for grants to tribes for treatment
programs for Indians who have been victims of child
sexual abuse, for the development of Indian Child
Protection and Family Violence Prevention programs, and
for the funding of Indian Child Resource and Family
Service Centers.
The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development
Trust Fund Act of 1996, Public Law 104-223, was enacted
to create a $27.5 million dollar development fund to
provide the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe with resources for
health care facilities, a water system, recreational
facilities, and other projects and programs.
Legislation was enacted which amends the Utah Schools
and Lands Improvement Act to provide for lands and
mineral interests to be added to the Goshute Indian
Reservation.
Legislation was enacted to amend the Indian Health
Care Improvement Act to extend the demonstration
program for direct billing of Medicare, Medicaid, and
other third party payers.
The Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996
was enacted to implement a Federal court-ordered
settlement agreement entered into between the Hopi
Tribe, Navajo families who reside of Hopi lands, and
the Federal Government.
The Indian Environmental General Assistance Program
Act, which provides funding to all Tribes for the
implementation of solid and hazardous waste programs,
was reauthorized by Public Law 104-233.
Section 401 of Public Law 100-581 was amended to
provide authority to the Army Corps of Engineers to
provide funding for the operation and maintenance of
certain in lieu fishing access sites.
The Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act was amended by Public Law 104-109 to
provide that participating tribes may elect to include
any or all provisions of Title 1, which deals with
Public Law 93-638 contracts, in Title III and Title IV
Self-Governance compacts. That Act was also amended by
Public Law 104-133 to extend the authority for
promulgating regulations under the Act.
The Jicarilla Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement
Act was amended to extend for two years the deadline
for the parties to that water rights settlement to
complete certain requirements provided for in the Act.
Authority was granted to the Lac Vieux Desert Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians to amend its base
membership roll.
Authority was provided to the Secretary of the
Interior to reprogram, in accordance with resolutions
approved by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, certain funds
awarded to the Tribe by the Indian Claims Commission.
Legislation was enacted to revoke the charter of
incorporation of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, as
requested by the Tribe, pursuant to the Indian
Reorganization Act.
Public Law 104-15 was enacted to reauthorize funding
for two years for the housing relocation portion of the
Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act.
Authority was granted to the Ponca Indian Tribe of
Nebraska to utilize funds provided in prior fiscal
years to acquire, develop, and maintain a transitional
living facility for Indian adolescents. Section 5 of
the Ponca Restoration Act was amended to modify the
service area of the Tribe to include tribal members
living in Sarpy, Burt, Platte, Stantion, Hall, Holt and
Wayne counties in Nebraska and tribal members living in
Woodbury and Pottawattomie counties in Iowa.
Legislation was enacted to revoke the charter of
incorporation of the Prairie Island Indian Community,
as requested by the Tribe, pursuant to the Indian
Reorganization Act.
Public Law 104-102 was enacted to ratify and
implement a land settlement agreement between the
Resolution Trust Corporation, the City of Scottsdale,
and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
The San Carlos Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement
Act was amended to extend until June 30, 1997, the
deadline for the parties to the settlement to complete
certain agreements between the San Carlos Apache Tribe,
the Phelps-Dodge Corporation and the Town of Globe.
Legislation was enacted which transferred 764 acres
of land, known as the Bottleneck tract, to management
by the Taos Pueblo to be a part of the Pueblo de Taos
Reservation.
Minor technical amendments were made to the following
Indian-related statutes:
(1) the American Indian Trust Fund Management
Reform Act;
(2) the Auburn Indian Restoration Act;
(3) the Crow Boundary Settlement Act;
(4) the Indian Dams Safety Act;
(5) the Indian Lands Open Dump Cleanup Act;
(6) the Indian Self-Determination Contract
Reform Act;
(7) the Native American Languages Act;
(8) the Odawa and Ottawa Restoration Act;
(9) the Pascua Yaqui Indians Act;
(10) the Pokagon Potawatomi Restoration Act;
and
(11) the Tlingit and Haida Status
Clarification Act.
B. Insular Affairs
The Subcommittee on Native American and Insular Affairs
legislative focus on insular issues centered on increasing
local self-government in the islands and reforming Federal
policies for the administration of the insular areas.
Significant legislative accomplishments reflected in laws
enacted during the 104th Congress included the termination of
the Department of the Interior's Office of Territorial and
International Affairs and the political position of the
Assistant Secretary for Territorial and International Affairs,
reduction in the size of unnecessary Federal territorial staff
and programmatic funding, phase-out of the special annual grant
to the Northern Mariana Islands, and completion of a final
resettlement plan for Rongelap Atoll. In addition, legislation
was reported by the Committee to establish a process leading to
the resolution of Puerto Rico's political status, the largest
island group with 90 percent of the population of all of
America's territories. These legislative and other activities
include:
Title I of H.R. 602 (later incorporated into H.R. 1332)
terminated the Department of the Interior Office of Territorial
and International Affairs and the position of Assistant
Secretary, and reduced Federal insular staff and program
funding was provided for in the Fiscal Year 1997 Appropriations
Act (Public Law 104-208).
Title III of H.R. 1332, which was reported by the
Committee, would have immediately eliminated the annual special
grant to the Northern Mariana Islands. Congress enacted an
alternative phased-out of the funds in the 1997 Fiscal Year
Appropriations Act (Public Law 104-208).
Originating as Title I of H.R. 1332, Public Law 104-208
provided for a final resettlement of the Rongelap Community and
the radiological rehabilitation of the atoll.
H.R. 3024 provided a Federally-authorized process to
resolve Puerto Rico's political status. Similar legislation was
introduced in the Senate, S. 2019. The bill was reported
unanimously by the Subcommittee and favorably by the Committees
on Resources and Rules.
Title III of H.R. 602 would grant Hawaii jurisdiction for
seven small U.S. territorial islands and atolls near the State.
The legislation received support from the Senate of Hawaii,
which adopted S.R. No. 21 on April 10, 1995, urging the
Congress to support this provision. Companion legislation was
introduced in the Senate (see S. 1906).
H.R. 3634, the Virgin Islands Organic Revision Act of
1996, was incorporated into H.R. 1332 and passed by the House.
The measure increased the powers of local self-government for
the Virgin Islands.
Title VII of H.R. 3721 provided a non-paid commission of
limited duration involving the private sector to consider
alternative economic development strategies for the Virgin
Islands. The bill passed the House as part of H.R. 1332.
H.R. 2254 repealed the separate ballot requirement for the
Delegate representing Guam. The bill was incorporated into H.R.
1332 and passed by the House.
H.R. 2624 established a non-paid commission of 18-months
to address American Samoa's history and economic options. The
bill was incorporated into H.R. 1332.
H.R. 1306 provided funding for economic development in
American Samoa. The bill was incorporated into H.R. 1332. An
alternative funding provision for American Samoa was provided
for in the Fiscal Year 1996 Appropriations Act (Public Law 104-
134).
H.J. Res. 192, the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act
Amendments, was incorporated into H.R. 1332 and passed by the
House.
H.R. 4067 would authorize the local election of a non-
voting delegate to Congress for the Northern Mariana Islands.
The bill was reported from the Committee on Resources.
H.R. 602 would authorize a commission to identify those
individuals on Guam who qualify for World War II restitution.
The bill was incorporated into H.R. 2041 and ordered reported.
H.R. 2159, which would provide for the transfer of certain
lands on the Island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, to the
Municipality of Vieques, was approved by the Subcommittee.
II. jurisdiction
(1) Except for Native Alaskans, measures relating to the
welfare of Native Americans, including management of Indian
lands in general and special measures relating to claims which
are paid out of Indian funds.
(2) Except for Native Alaskans, all matters regarding the
relations of the United States with the Indians and the Indian
tribes, including special oversight functions under clause 3(e)
of Rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
(3) All matters regarding Native Hawaiians.
(4) Except for Native Alaskans, all matters related to the
Federal trust responsibility to Native Americans and the
sovereignty of Native Americans.
(5) All matters regarding insular areas of the United
States.
(6) All measures or matters regarding the Freely Associated
States and Antarctica.
(7) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve
international programs for the protection of the environment
and the conservation of natural resources within the
jurisdiction of the Committee.
(8) General and continuing oversight and investigative
authority over activities, policies and programs within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
III. legislative activities
A. Legislative Hearings and Markups
January 31, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 602, Omnibus Territories
Act; the impact of the Contract With America on the
territories, reducing and reforming government through the
termination of the Office of Territorial and International
Affairs; and general oversight of the territories.
March 29, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1306, America Samoa
Economic Development Act; and H.R. 1332, Rongelap Recovery and
Community Self-Reliance Act.
April 5, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 1332, Rongelap Recovery and
Community Self-Reliance Act.
May 10, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 1448, Indian Child Welfare
Act.
June 22, 1995--Joint hearing with Senate Committee on
Indian Affairs on S. 487, to amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act.
August 3, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 2159, to provide for the
transfer of certain lands on the Island of Vieques, Puerto
Rico, to the Municipality of Vieques.
November 14, 1995--Hearing on H.R. 2591, to provide for
administrative procedures to extend Federal recognition to
certain Indian groups; H.R. 2490, Saddleback Mountain-Arizona
Settlement Act of 1995; and H.R. 377, Burt Lake Band
Recognition Act.
November 14, 1995--Mark up of H.R. 377, Burt Lake Band
Recognition Act.
March 23, 1996--Field hearing held in San Juan, Puerto
Rico, on H.R. 3024, to provide a process leading to full self-
government for Puerto Rico.
April 25, 1996--Joint hearing with Senate Committee on
Indian Affairs, on H.R. 2512/S. 1264, to provide for certain
benefits of the Missouri River basin Pick-Sloan project to the
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.
June 12, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 3024, to provide a process
leading to full self-government for Puerto Rico.
June 19, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3640, to provide for the
settlement of issues and claims related to the trust lands of
the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.
June 19, 1996--Mark up of H.R. 3640, to provide for the
settlement of issues and claims related to the trust lands of
the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians; H.R. 3642, to
provide for the transfer of public lands to certain California
Indian Tribes; and H.R. 2591, to provide for administrative
procedures to extend Federal recognition to certain Indian
groups.
June 26, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3634, to amend provisions of
the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands; and H.R. 3635,
transfer of management authority for the Christiansted Historic
Site.
July 17, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 2710, to provide for the
conveyance of certain lands in the State of California to the
Hoopa Valley Tribe; and H.R. 3671, to provide for the
recognition of the United Houma Nation and to provide for the
settlement of land claims of the United Houma Nation.
July 24, 1996--Hearing on certain provisions of H.R. 3721,
the Omnibus Territories Act.
August 1, 1996--Hearing on H.R. 3595, to make available to
the Senate Sioux Tribe of Nebraska its proportionate share of
funds awarded in Docket 74-A to the Sioux Indian Nation.
B. Legislation Enacted
H.R. 1431, to make certain technical corrections in laws
relating to Native Americans (enacted as part of Public Law
104-91).
H.R. 2369, to provide for the development of the fishery
resource within the exclusive economic zone of the insular
areas of the United States, and for other purposes (enacted as
part of Public Law 104-297).
H.R. 2490, to provide for the transfer of certain lands to
the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the City of
Scottsdale, Arizona, and for other purposes (enacted as part of
Public Law 104-102).
H.R. 2512, provides for certain benefits of the Missouri
River basin Pick-Sloan project to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
(Public Law 104-223).
H.R. 3034, amends the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act to extend for two months the authority
for promulgating regulations under the Act (Public Law 104-
133).
H.R. 3068, accepts the request of the Prairie Island Indian
Community to revoke their charter of incorporation issued under
the Indian Reorganization Act (Public Law 104-261).
H.R. 3378, amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to
extend the demonstration program for direct billing of
Medicare, Medicaid, and other third party payors (Public Law
104-313).
S. 349, reauthorizes appropriations for the Navajo-Hopi
Relocation Housing Program (Public Law 104-15).
S. 441, reauthorizes appropriations for certain programs
under the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence
Prevention Act (Public Law 104-16).
S. 1662, to establish areas of wilderness and recreation in
the State of Oregon (enacted as part of Public Law 104-333).
S. 1973, provides for the settlement of the Navajo-Hopi
land dispute, and for other purposes (Public Law 104-301).
C. Legislation Passed House
H.R. 1332, to establish certain policies and
responsibilities with respect to the administration of the
Rongelap Resettlement Trust Fund, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2512, to provide for certain benefits of the Missouri
River basin Pick-Sloan project to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.
H.R. 3034, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act to extend for two months the authority
for promulgating regulations under the Act.
H.R. 3068, to accept the request of the Prairie Island
Indian Community to revoke their charter of incorporation
issued under the Indian Reorganization Act.
H.R. 3378, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
to extend the demonstration program for direct billing of
Medicare, Medicaid, and other third party payors.
H.R. 3640, to provide for the settlement of issues and
claims related to the trust lands of the Torres-Martinez Desert
Cahuilla Indians.
H.R. 3642, to provide for the transfer of public lands to
certain California Indian Tribes.
H.R. 3804, to remove the restriction on the distribution of
certain revenues from the Mineral Springs parcel to certain
members of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
S. 349, to reauthorize appropriations for the Navajo-Hopi
Relocation Housing Program.
S. 441, to reauthorize appropriations for certain programs
under the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence
Prevention Act.
S. 1973, to provide for the settlement of the Navajo-Hopi
land dispute, and for other purposes.
D. Legislation Ordered Reported by the Full Committee
H.R. 1332 (H. Rept. 104-471) to establish certain policies
and responsibilities with respect to the administration of the
Rongelap Resettlement Trust Fund, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2041 (H. Rept. 104-867, Part I) to amend the Organic
Act of Guam to provide restitution to the people of Guam who
suffered atrocities such as personal injury, forced labor,
forced marches, internment, and death during the occupation of
Guam in World War II, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2512 (H. Rept. 104-765) to provide for certain
benefits of the Missouri River basin Pick-Sloan project to the
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.
H.R. 3024 (H. Rept. 104-713, Part I) to provide a process
leading to full self-government for Puerto Rico.
H.R. 3034, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act to extend for two months the authority
for promulgating regulations under the Act.
H.R. 3068 (H. Rept. 104-584) to accept the request of the
Prairie Island Indian Community to revoke their charter of
incorporation issued under the Indian Reorganization Act.
H.R. 3378 (H. Rept. 104-742, Part I) to amend the Indian
Health Care Improvement Act to extend the demonstration program
for direct billing of Medicare, Medicaid, and other third party
payors.
H.R. 3640 (H. Rept. 104-777) to provide for the settlement
of issues and claims related to the trust lands of the Torres-
Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.
H.R. 3642 (H. Rept. 104-767) to provide for the transfer of
public lands to certain California Indian Tribes.
E. Legislation Marked up at Subcommittee
H.R. 377, to reaffirm and clarify the Federal relationship
of the Burt Lake Band as a distinct Federally recognized Indian
Tribe, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1332, to establish certain policies and
responsibilities with respect to the administration of the
Rongelap Resettlement Trust Fund, and for other purposes.
H.R. 2159, to provide for the transfer of certain lands on
the Island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, to the Municipality of
Vieques.
H.R. 2591, to provide for administrative procedures to
extend Federal recognition to certain Indian groups, and for
other purposes.
H.R. 3024, to provide a process leading to full self-
government for Puerto Rico.
H.R. 3640, to provide for the settlement of issues and
claims related to the trust lands of the Torres-Martinez Desert
Cahuilla Indians.
H.R. 3642, to provide for the transfer of public lands to
certain California Indian Tribes.
F. Legislation Discharged from Subcommittee
H.R. 2041, to amend the Organic Act of Guam to provide
restitution to the people of Guam who suffered atrocities such
as personal injury, forced labor, forced marches, internment,
and death during the occupation of Guam in World War II, and
for other purposes.
H.R. 2512, to provide for certain benefits of the Missouri
River basin Pick-Sloan project to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.
H.R. 3034, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act to extend for two months the authority
for promulgating regulations under the Act.
H.R. 3068, to accept the request of the Prairie Island
Indian Community to revoke their charter of incorporation
issued under the Indian Reorganization Act.
H.R. 3378, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
to extend the demonstration program for direct billing of
Medicare, Medicaid, and other third party payors.
S. 349, to reauthorize appropriations for the Navajo-Hopi
Relocation Housing Program.
S. 441, to reauthorize appropriations for certain programs
under the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence
Prevention Act, and for other purposes.
IV. Oversight Activities of the Subcommittee on Native American and
Insular Affairs
A. Introduction
Native American Issues
Budget Overview: The Subcommittee held a hearing on that
portion of the President's budget proposal falling within its
jurisdiction for Fiscal Year 1996.
Administration of Indian Trust Accounts: The Task Force on
Indian Trust Fund Management was created to review actions
taken by the Department of the Interior to audit and account
for mismanagement of Indian trust accounts. Much of the money
which tribes receive from land or water settlements or treaty
provisions, and which individual tribal members receive from
the same sources or from oil or gas leases on reservation, is
placed in trust fund accounts managed by the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA).
Hearings were held in Washington, D.C., Anchorage, Alaska,
and Phoenix, Arizona. It was found that there are almost
317,000 such accounts and that the Department of the Interior
(DOI), in reviewing a mere 2000 of these accounts, could not
reconcile $2.4 billion in account transactions conducted since
1972. It is expected that a new Task Force will be created
during the 105th Congress to continue that work performed
during the 104th Congress.
Regulation Reform: The Subcommittee staff reviewed the need
for and advisability of reducing and eliminating those Federal
rules and regulations falling within its jurisdiction. Hearings
were not held but may become necessary during the 105th
Congress.
Restructuring of the Bureau of Indian Affairs: The
Subcommittee staff reviewed various proposals to reorganize the
BIA. It has been alleged that the BIA is the worst-run and most
inept Federal agency in the Federal Government. The
Subcommittee was concerned about claims by tribes that most of
the money appropriated to the BIA is never received by the
tribes, but is eaten up by the bureaucracy. These claims were
disputed by officials within the DOI. Oversight hearings on
proposals to reorganize the BIA may be held during the 105th
Congress.
Promulgation of Rules Concerning Scope of Self Governance
Program: Under the BIA's Self-Governance Program, tribes can
contract with the BIA to perform services formerly provided by
that agency. For example, the BIA maintains police forces on
several reservations. Under self governance, a tribe can
contract with the BIA to provide the service itself. The BIA
then transfers to the tribe the block of funds allocated for
that tribe's police force and allows the tribe do the hiring,
supervision, and control. The Subcommittee staff reviewed the
rules promulgated by the BIA concerning the scope of the
programs which fall within the range of those tribes which
choose to participate in the Self Governance Program.
Indian Gaming: The Subcommittee held hearings concerning
various proposals to amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of
1988 as well as the activities of the Indian Gaming Commission
created pursuant to that Act. Although the conduct of Indian
gaming has resulted in extensive litigation throughout the
Nation, the 104th Congress, like those Congresses preceding it,
was unable to craft and pass legislation which would resolve
the many gaming-related issues in dispute between tribes and
the States.
Insular Affairs
The Subcommittee on Native American and Insular Affairs
dealt with oversight of insular issues primarily through
legislative and oversight hearings in Washington and in the
islands. The following are the oversight activities of the
Subcommittee in addressing the insular affairs priorities
identified in the Committee's Oversight Plan for the 104th
Congress:
Economic Self-Sufficiency through Trade in U.S.
Territories: A legislative hearing was held in Washington
regarding ``Consultation of and Efforts to Include Territories
Regarding Free Trade Agreements,'' as contained in Title VII of
H.R. 602. Oversight meetings were conducted with private
industry in certain territories regarding the process of
becoming part of the United States Custom Territory. There was
continuous monitoring of the expansion of the North American
Free Trade Agreement and the development of the Asia-Pacific
free trade agreement of the Asia Pacific Economic Conference
and the impact on the inclusion and exclusion of the
territories.
The Impact of the Contract With America for the
Territories: A legislative hearing was held which addressed the
adverse impact of the current fiscal relationship between the
Federal Government and the territories. The General Accounting
Office produced testimony and documentation regarding the
negative Federal budgetary impact due to the lack of fiscal
integration: Federal expenditure in the territories exceeds
receipts by more than $9 billion per year. The territories do
not pay Federal taxes (except for Social Security taxes and
certain fees and taxes on U.S.-source income) and a possessions
tax credit. Generic legislation was developed to provide a
mechanism for territories to opt for fiscal integration in
exchange for special economic and fiscal incentives and equal
treatment in benefits. Meetings were conducted with other
Committees with fiscal, budget, and programmatic jurisdiction
to develop a legislative proposal which produced a net gain in
revenue to the U.S. Treasury while permitting fiscal
integration with the territories. Congress acted to phase-out
the possessions tax credit over ten years, but without
providing for alternative economic and fiscal incentives and
the option of fiscal integration for the territories (see
Public Law 104-188 and GAO reports GAO/GGD-95-71 AND GAO/GGD-
96-184R).
Consolidating Smaller Island Possessions: A legislative
hearing was held regarding ``The Insular Areas Consolidation
Act,'' a major provision of H.R. 602. This measure would give
the State of Hawaii the option for including in the State's
jurisdiction a number of smaller territories which have
historical, cultural, and geographic links to Hawaii. This
would provide for increased local control over the future use
of the islands by eliminating Federal administration.
Discussions were conducted with offices of the Governor of
Hawaii, members of the Legislature, other organizations and the
owners of two of the islands. The Senate of Hawaii enacted
Senate Resolution No. 21, supporting the ``Insular Areas
Consolidation Act,'' of H.R. 602. Companion legislation was
introduced in the Senate, S. 1906.
Modification of Authority to the Northern Mariana Islands
(NMI): Legislative and oversight hearings were held on a number
of proposals to change Federal policies in the NMI regarding
temporary authority provided to the islands before the
residents became U.S. citizens and under the sovereignty of the
United States. In part as a result of the Federal oversight
process, the NMI modified their local tax rebate structure,
increased enforcement of immigration practices, and authorized
the establishment of an NMI private-public wage review board to
establish a minimum wage on an industry-by-industry basis.
Congress also acted to phase-out a special annual grant to the
NMI, considered extending some mechanism to establish a Federal
minimum wage, reviewed immigration practices and policies in
the islands, and filed a report on the need for a non-voting
delegate from the NMI to the House of Representatives.
Responding to the Results of the Puerto Rico Plebiscite: A
joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Native American and
Insular Affairs and the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere of
the Committee on International Relations was held in Washington
during the first session of the 104th Congress on the results
of the November 1993 Puerto Rico Status Plebiscite, in which a
locally-defined enhanced ``Commonwealth'' definition received
48 percent of the vote, versus 46 percent for statehood, and
four percent for independence. The Puerto Rico legislature
requested Congress to respond to the plebiscite and to clarify
what were the acceptable status alternatives to resolve Puerto
Rico's status problem. Extensive discussions were held
regarding all status alternatives. Formal separate responses
from Chairmen and Minority Ranking Members of the committees of
jurisdiction regarding various aspects of Puerto Rico's status
were transmitted to the leadership of the Puerto Rico House and
Senate regarding the lack of viability of the 1993 enhanced
``Commonwealth'' ballot definition.
Extensive testimony was received during the Subcommittee's
legislative hearing in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on the United
States-Puerto Rico Political Status Act, H.R. 3024. Continuing
dialogue was conducted with the proponents of different status
options for Puerto Rico, with numerous suggestions being
incorporated into the legislation. An extensive report, H.
Rept. 104-713, Parts I and II, was filed on H.R. 3024,
legislation to provide a final response to the Puerto Rico
plebiscite results through a complete and balanced process
leading to full self-government for Puerto Rico. Additional
discussions and input without and within the Congress regarding
the substance and scope of a response to Puerto Rico's
political status resulted in modifications contained in an
Updated United States-Puerto Rico Political Status Act, H.R.
4281. Discussions were also conducted on a bicameral basis and
similar legislation was introduced in the Senate, S. 2019.
American Samoa Self-Sufficiency: Oversight and legislative
hearings were conducted on various proposals to provide for
increased self-sufficiency in American Samoa. Discussions were
conducted with former and current leaders as well as the
private sector on ways to improve the economy and efficiency in
local government. Considerable input was sought and received
from the Department of the Interior Inspector General regarding
the establishment of measurable audit criteria to be used to
advance accountability and self-sufficiency by the American
Samoa Government. Congress enacted limited standards as
conditions for receiving certain appropriated Federal funds for
capital improvements and considered the establishment of a non-
paid private-public commission to examine in part economic
development alternatives for American Samoa.
Oversight of the progress of the Compacts of Free
Association: A joint hearing was held by the Subcommittee on
Native American and Insular Affairs and the Subcommittee on
Asia and the Pacific of the Committee on International
Relations regarding the Micronesian compacts of Free
Association. Testimony was secured and input sought from
diverse U.S. government and private sectors regarding the
success of the current relationships under the Compacts and
future prospects. Oversight is crucial as the United States is
getting closer to the end of two 15-year relationships defined
in Compacts of Free Association with the Republic of the
Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Disposal of Water Island in the Virgin Islands: Letters
were written to the Department of the Interior during the first
session to spur the Administration in completing the transfer
of title of residential home sites to the lessees who had
entered into contracts to purchase their lots in 1992. Title
was transferred to private lessees and to the local government
after two hearings of the Subcommittee in the second session of
Congress.
B. Hearings
March 7, 1995--Oversight hearing on Bureau of Indian
Affairs Fiscal Year 1996 Budget Request.
August 3, 1995--Oversight hearing on American Samoa White
Collar Crime Assessment.
October 17, 1995--Joint oversight hearing held with
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere of the Committee on
International Relations, on review of Puerto Rico status
plebiscite.
June 26, 1996--Oversight hearing on Northern Mariana
Islands issues.
July 24, 1996--Oversight hearing on territorial technical
matters, including the disposal of Water Island in the Virgin
Islands, and Resolution 433 of the Guam Legislature requesting
that Congress permit Guam to determine the method of selecting
the Attorney General of Guam.
September 25, 1996--Joint oversight hearing held with
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, Committee on
International Relations, on U.S. interests in the South
Pacific.
V. Subcommittee Statistics
Total number of bills and resolutions referred.................... 69
Total number of bills reported from subcommittee.................. 7
Total number of bills reported from full committee................ 9
Total number of bills passed by the House......................... 11
Total number of bills enacted into law............................ 11
Public Hearings and Markups:
Legislative................................................... 12
Oversight..................................................... 5
Markup sessions............................................... 6
Total number of subcommittee meetings (days).................. 18
A P P E N D I C E S
----------
Printed Hearings
SJ-1/Senate Hearing No. 104-83--Joint Oversight Hearing on
the General Accounting Office's Study of the National Park
System. March 7, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation, and the House Committee on
Resources, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands)
SJ-2/Senate Hearing No. 104-232--Joint Hearing on S. 487,
Gaming Regulatory Act Amendments Act of 1995. June 22, 1995, in
Washington, DC. (Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and House
Committee on Resources, Subcommittee on Native American and
Insular Affairs)
104-1--Hearing on H.R. 260, National Park System Reform
Act. February 23, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-2--Joint Oversight Hearing on Financial Management in
the National Park Service. February 9, 1995, in Washington, DC.
(Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands of the
Committee on Resources, and Subcommittee on Interior of the
Committee on Appropriations)
104-3--Oversight Hearing on Trends in Federal Ownership and
Management. March 2, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Full Committee)
104-4--Oversight Hearing on Introducing Gray Wolves in
Yellowstone and Idaho. January 26, 1995, in Washington, DC.
(Full Committee)
104-5--Hearing on H.R. 602, Impact of Contract With America
on the Territories. January 31, 1995, in Washington, DC.
(Subcommittee on Native American and Insular Affairs)
104-6--Oversight Field Hearings on the Impacts of
Endangered Species Act and Wetlands on the States of Louisiana
and Texas. March 13, 1995, in Belle Chasse, LA (ESA and
Wetlands), March 20, 1995, in Boerne, TX (ESA). (Task Force on
Endangered Species Act and Task Force on Wetlands)
104-7--Oversight Field Hearings on the Impacts of
Endangered Species Act and Wetlands on the State of North
Carolina. April 1, 1995, in New Bern, NC (Task Force on
Endangered Species Act and Task Force on Wetlands)
104-8--Hearing on H.R. 1280 and H.R. 1301, Technical
Assistance and American Heritage Areas Acts of 1995. March 28,
1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Lands)
104-9--Oversight Field Hearing on the Impact and Cost of
Wetlands Regulations. April 19, 1995, in Roseville, CA. (Task
Force on the Endangered Species Act)
104-10--Oversight Hearing on the Impact of the Endangered
Species Act on the Nation. May 10, 1995, in Washington, DC.
(Task Force on the Endangered Species Act)
104-11--Oversight Field Hearing on the Impact of the
Endangered Species Act on the Area Around Riverside,
California. April 26, 1995, in Riverside, CA. (Task Force on
the Endangered Species Act)
104-12--Hearing on H.R. 70, To Permit Exports of Certain
Domestically Produced Crude Oil. May 9, 1995, in Washington,
DC. (Full Committee)
104-13--Oversight Field Hearing on the Impact of the
Endangered Species Act on the Area of Bakersfield, California.
April 17, 1995, in Bakersfield, CA. (Task Force on the
Endangered Species Act)
104-14--Oversight Hearing on the Impact of the Endangered
Species Act on the Nation (Part II). May 18, 1995, in
Washington, DC. (Task Force on the Endangered Species Act)
104-15--Oversight Field Hearing on Local Impacts of the
Endangered Species Act. April 24, 1995, in Vancouver, WA. (Task
Force on the Endangered Species Act)
104-16--Oversight Field Hearing on the Impact of the
Endangered Species Act on Northern California. April 28, 1995,
in Stockton, CA. (Task Force on the Endangered Species Act)
104-17--Oversight Hearing on Investment in Hardrock Mineral
Exploration and Development. January 31, 1995, in Washington,
DC. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-18--Oversight Hearing on the Impact of the Endangered
Species Act on the Nation (Part III). May 25, 1995, in
Washington, DC. (Task Force on the Endangered Species Act)
104-19--Oversight Hearings on Crafting the Best Possible
Legislation to Prevent Excessive Federal Regulations on Private
Property Owners (Part I). May 17, 1995, in Washington, DC and
June 3, 1995, in Phoenix, AZ. (Task Force on Private Property
Rights)
104-20--Oversight Hearing on the State of the Law in the
Taking of Private Property Rights by the Government and the
Experiences of Citizens in this Matter (Part II). June 13,
1995, in Washington, DC. (Task Force on Private Property
Rights)
104-21--Hearings on the Expansion of and Public Access to
the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. April 22, 1995,
in Barnegat, NJ; H.R. 1112, to Transfer Management of the
Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma to the State of
Oklahoma, and H.R. 1675, to amend the National Wildlife Refuge
System Administration Act of 1966 to Improve the Management of
the National Wildlife Refuge System. May 16 and 25, 1995, in
Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and
Oceans)
104-22--Oversight Hearing on the Forest Service's Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
Regarding the Management of the Sierra Nevada Range in
California. June 6, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-23--Oversight Hearing on Management Transfer of Public
Lands from the Federal Government to the States. June 20, 1995,
in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands)
104-24-- Hearings on H.R. 1500, to Designate Certain
Federal Lands in the State of Utah as Wilderness; and H.R.
1745, to Designate Certain Public Lands in the State of Utah as
Wilderness. June 23, 1995, in Cedar City, UT. June 24, 1995, in
Salt Lake City, UT. June 29, 1995, in Washington, DC.
(Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-25--Oversight Hearing on Reviewing the Issue of State
Primacy in the Regulation of Active Coal Mining Operations
under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.
June 27, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Energy and
Mineral Resources)
104-26--Oversight Hearing on Review of Administration's
Proposal Regarding Management of Onshore Federal Mineral
Leasing Tasks and Consideration of BLM's Oil and Gas
Performance Review Draft Proposals. June 8, 1995, in
Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-27--Hearing on H.R. 1975, To Improve the Management of
Royalties from Federal and Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas
Leases. July 18, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-28--Oversight Hearing on the Potential Transfer of the
Power Marketing Administrations Out of Federal Ownership. May
18, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Water and Power
Resources)
104-29--Oversight Hearing on Review of the REGO II Proposal
to Devolve the Functions of the MMS With Regard to Leasing and
Operations Management of the OCS Energy and Mineral Resources
to Another Agency, Together With a Proposal to Sell a Portion
of the OCS Royalty Stream MMS Collects on Behalf of the Federal
Treasury. July 27, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-30--Hearing on Federal Land Concessions Reform (H.R.
721, H.R. 773, H.R. 1527, and H.R. 2028). July 25, 1995 in
Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands)
104-31--Hearing on H.R. 2081, Rights of Way. July 27, 1995
in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands)
104-32--Hearing on H.R. 2032, Transfer of BLM-Managed Lands
to the States. August 1, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-33--Oversight Hearing on Leasing of the 1002 Area of
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to the Oil
Exploration and Development Industry. August 3, 1995, in
Washington, DC. (Full Committee)
104-34--Oversight Hearing on Leasing of Sodium Compounds.
May 9, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Energy and
Mineral Resources)
104-35--Hearing on Recreation Fees: Oversight Hearing on
May 11, 1995, in Washington, DC; and on H.R. 2107 and H.R. 2025
on August 3, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on National
Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-36--Hearing on H.R. 1906, Central Valley Project
Improvement Act. July 20, 1995, in Washington, DC (Subcommittee
on Water and Power Resources)
104-37--Hearing on H.R. 2275, Endangered Species Act
Amendments. September 20, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Full
Committee)
104-38--Hearing on H.R. 1713, Livestock Grazing on Federal
Lands. July 11, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-39--Oversight Hearing on Wild Bird Conservation Act.
September 28, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-40--Oversight Hearing on the State of the Law in the
Taking of Private Property Rights by the Government and the
Experiences of Citizens in this Matter (Part III). July 17,
1995, in Sheridan, WY (Task Force on Private Property Rights)
104-41--Hearing on H.R. 1020, Nuclear Waste Policy Act
Amendment. October 10, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-42--Hearing on National Park Service Legislation (H.R.
2025, H.R. 2067, H.R. 2464, and H.R. 2465). October 26, 1995,
in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands)
104-43--Oversight Field Hearings on Voyageurs National Park
and Boundary Waters Canoe Area. August 18, 1995, in
International Falls, MN (Joint with Senate Subcommittee on
Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation). October 28, 1995,
in St. Paul, MN. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands)
104-44--Oversight Hearing on Salvage Timber and Forest
Health (Part I). October 6, 1995, in Lewiston, ID, and October
21, 1995, in Redding, CA. (Task Force on Salvage Timber and
Forest Health)
104-45--Oversight Field Hearings on Salvage Timber and
Forest Health (Part II). October 24, 1995, in Washington, DC.
and November 4, 1995, in Medford, OR. (Task Force on Salvage
Timber and Forest Health)
104-46--Hearing on H.R. 2560, Conveyance of Certain Alaskan
Lands. November 7, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Full Committee).
104-47--Oversight Field Hearings on Water Rights. October
4, 1995, in Hermiston, OR and October 5, 1995, in Boise, ID.
(Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources)
104-48--Hearing held on H.R. 2655, Atlantic Striped Bass.
December 12, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-49--Hearing held on H.R. 39, Improving Fisheries
Management in Magnuson Act. February 23, 1995, in Washington,
DC. (Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-50--Oversight hearing on Samoan White-Collar Crime.
February 23, 1995, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Native
American and Insular Affairs)
104-51--Hearing on H.R. 2677 and H.R. 2706, State Service
Donations in Budgetary Shutdown. December 8, 1995, in
Washington, DC. (Full Committee)
104-52--Joint Oversight Hearing on Alaska Native Commission
Report. November 16, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Full Committee,
Senate Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and Indian
Affairs)
104-53--Hearing on H.R. 2372, Surface Mining (Part II).
November 9, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Energy
and Mineral Resources)
104-54--Oversight Hearing on Salvage Timber and Forest
Health (Part III). December 19, 1995, in Washington, DC (Task
Force on Salvage Timber and Forest Health)
104-55--Oversight Field Hearing on U.S. Energy Policy.
February 2, 1995, in Houston, Texas (Full Committee)
104-56--Joint Oversight Hearing on Puerto Rico Status
Plebiscite. October 17, 1995, in Washington, DC. (Committee on
Resources, Subcommittee on Native American and Insular Affairs,
and Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on the
Western Hemisphere)
104-57--Hearing on H.R. 2413, Tongass National Forest.
February 15, 1996, in Wrangell, AK, and February 16, 1996, in
Ketchikan, AK. (Full Committee)
104-58--Hearing on Tuna/Dolphin Issues. Oversight on June
22, 1995, in Washington, DC, and on H.R. 2823 and H.R. 2856 on
February 29, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-59--Oversight Hearing on Endangered Species Act
Implementation. March 20, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Full
Committee)
104-60--Oversight Hearing on U.S. Energy Policy (Part II).
March 21, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Energy and
Mineral Resources)
104-61--Oversight Hearing on Federal Lands and Federal
Regulation of Private Property. March 21, 1996, in Washington,
DC. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-62--Hearing on H.R. 2941, Land Management Agency. March
5, 1996, inWashington, D.C. (Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Lands)
104-63--Oversight Field Hearing on Bluefish on the East
Coast, their Apparent Decline, the Effect it has on the
Recreational and Commercial Fishing Industry, and how to Manage
them more Efficiently. April 1, 1996, in Toms River, NJ.
(Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-64--Oversight Field Hearing on Wildlife Conservation in
Wyoming. April 10, 1996, in Gillette, Wyoming. (Subcommittee on
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-65--Oversight Hearing on Endangered Species Protection.
April 17, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Full Committee)
104-66--Hearing on H.R. 3198, To Amend the National
Geological Mapping Act of 1992. April 23, 1996, in Washington,
DC. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-67--Hearings on H.R. 3127, Southern Nevada Land. April
5, 1996, in Las Vegas, NV, and April 23, 1996 in Washington,
DC. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-68--Oversight Hearing on National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation. May 16, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-69--Oversight Hearing on Migratory Birds and FWS. May
15, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Full Committee)
104-70--Oversight Hearing on Federal Lands Management and
Policies. April 18, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Full Committee)
104-71--Oversight Hearing on ``Teaming With Wildlife''
Initiative. June 6, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-73--Oversight Hearing on Bonneville and Northwest
Energy. May 21, 1996, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Water
and Power Resources)
104-74--Oversight Hearing on Pick-Sloan Project. May 2,
1996, in Washington, DC. (Subcommittee on Water and Power
Resources)
104-75--Oversight Hearing on the U.S. Geological Survey
Program of 1995. May 30, 1996, in Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-76--Hearing on H.R. 3249, Mining Institute
Authorization. May 9, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee
on Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-77--Oversight Hearing on Elephant, Rhino, and Tiger
Conservation. June 20, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee
on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-78--Oversight Hearing on Historic Preservation and on
H.R. 3031, H.R. 563, and H.R. 1179. March 20, 1996, in
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands)
104-79--Oversight Hearing on BLM Oil and Gas. June 20,
1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral
Resources)
104-80--Oversight Hearing on Management and Reconciliation
of Indian Trust Fund Accounts. June 18, 1996, in Washington,
D.C. (Task Force on Indian Trust Fund Management)
104-81--Oversight Hearings on U.S. Forest Service. November
30, 1996, February 29, 1996, and March 26, 1996, in Washington,
D.C. (Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-82--Oversight Hearing on MMS's Royalty-In-Kind Pilot
Program. June 27, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on
Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-83--Oversight Hearings on Forest Service's Management
Policies and Ecoregion Assessments. April 30, 1996, and May 21,
1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Lands)
104-84--Oversight Hearing on Concessions Management. July
18, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Lands)
104-85--Oversight Hearing on Citizens' Perspectives on
Federal Land Use Policies. June 18, 1996, in Washington, D.C.
(Full Committee)
104-86--Oversight Hearing on Implementation of the
President's Forest Plan for the Pacific Northwest. July 23,
1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Lands)
104-87--Field Hearing on H.R. 3024, U.S.-Puerto Rico
Political Status Act, March 23, 1996, in San Juan, PR.
(Subcommittee on Native American and Insular Affairs)
104-88--Oversight Hearing on Nevada BLM Land Transactions
Audit. July 30, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-89--Oversight Hearing on Lifting of Moratorium on ESA
Listings. June 25, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Full Committee).
104-90--Oversight Hearing on Forest Service Appeals
Process. June 20, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-91--Field Hearings on H.R. 2413, Tongass Transfer and
Transition Act. July 3, 1996, in Sitka, AK, and July 5, 1996,
in Thorne Bay, AK. (Full Committee)
104-92--Joint Hearing on H.R. 3659, Tongass Timber Reform
Act. July 11, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Committee on
Resources, Full Committee and Committee on Agriculture,
Subcommittee on Resource Conservation, Research, and Forestry)
104-93--Oversight Hearing on a Review of the Department of
the Interior's Activities and Programs and the Department's
fiscal year 1997 Budget. April 24, 1996, in Washington, D.C.
(Full Committee)
104-94--Hearings on H.R. 3634, H.R. 3635, and H.R. 3721,
Virgin Islands, Guam, and Northern Mariana Island Issues. June
26, 1996, and July 24, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee
on Native American and Insular Affairs)
104-95--Oversight Hearings on Indian Trust Fund Accounts
Management. August 10, 1996, in Anchorage, AK; August 20, 1996,
in Phoenix, AZ; and September 26, 1996, in Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-96--Oversight Hearings on National Wildlife Refuge
System. July 25, 1996, and September 19, 1996, in Washington,
D.C. (Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans)
104-97--Oversight Hearing on ESA Habitat Conservation. July
24, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Full Committee)
104-98--Hearing on H.R. 3752, Sovereignty of Public Lands,
September 12, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Full Committee)
104-99--Oversight Hearing on Resource Management and Fire
Control. September 12, 1996, in Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Lands)
104-100--Hearing on H.R. 3862, Equal Access to Courts Under
ESA and Citizen's Fair Hearing Act. September 17, 1996, in
Washington, D.C. (Full Committee)
104-101--Oversight Hearing on Federal Power Marketing
Administrative Accounting Practices. September 19, 1996, in
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources)
3104-102--Oversight Hearing on Transfer of BLM's Oil and
Gas Lease Duties to States. September 25, 1996, in Washington,
D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
104-103--Oversight Field Hearing on Issues and
Recommendations Concerning the August 10, 1996, Bonneville/
Western U.S. Power Outage. November 7, 1996, in Los Angeles,
CA. (Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources)
List of Enacted Laws
First Session:
Public Law 104-10......................................... H.R. 421
Public Law 104-11......................................... H.R. 517
Public Law 104-15......................................... S. 349
Public Law 104-16......................................... S. 441
Public Law 104-20......................................... S. 523
Public Law 104-23......................................... H.R. 535
Public Law 104-24......................................... H.R. 584
Public Law 104-25......................................... H.R. 614
Public Law 104-40......................................... S. 268
Public Law 104-42......................................... H.R. 402
Public Law 104-43......................................... H.R. 716
Public Law 104-58 ........................................ S. 395
Public Law 104-78......................................... H.R. 1253
Second Session:
Public Law 104-91......................................... H.R. 1358
Public Law 104-102........................................ S. 1341
Public Law 104-106........................................ S. 1124 *
Public Law 104-109........................................ H.R. 2726
Public Law 104-123........................................ H.R. 1266
Public Law 104-127.......................................H.R. 2854 *
Public Law 104-133........................................ H.R. 3034
Public Law 104-134.......................................H.R. 3019 *
Public Law 104-143........................................ H.R. 2243
Public Law 104-147........................................ H.R. 1743
Public Law 104-148........................................ H.R. 1836
Public Law 104-150........................................ H.R. 1965
Public Law 104-158........................................ H.R. 2437
Public Law 104-163........................................ H.R. 1508
Public Law 104-167........................................ S. 1899 *
Public Law 104-169........................................ H.R. 497
Public Law 104-185........................................ H.R. 1975
Public Law 104-200........................................ H.R. 4018
Public Law 104-201.......................................H.R. 3230 *
Public Law 104-208........................................H.R. 3610*
Public Law 104-209........................................ H.R. 1772
Public Law 104-211........................................ H.R. 2464
Public Law 104-212........................................ H.R. 2679
Public Law 104-213........................................ H.R. 2982
Public Law 104-215........................................ H.R. 3287
Public Law 104-223........................................ H.R. 2512
Public Law 104-227........................................ H.R. 3060
Public Law 104-233........................................ S. 1834
Public Law 104-253........................................ H.R. 2660
Public Law 104-261........................................ H.R. 3068
Public Law 104-265........................................ H.R. 3546
Public Law 104-266........................................ H.R. 3660
Public Law 104-270........................................ H.R. 3973
Public Law 104-273........................................ H.R. 4168
Public Law 104-276........................................ S. 1802 *
Public Law 104-278........................................ S. 1970
Public Law 104-283........................................ H.R. 543
Public Law 104-286........................................ H.R. 1823
Public Law 104-297........................................ S. 39 *
Public Law 104-298........................................ S. 811
Public Law 104-300........................................ S. 1467
Public Law 104-301........................................ S. 1973
Public Law 104-311........................................ H.R. 3155
Public Law 104-312........................................ H.R. 3249
Public Law 104-313........................................ H.R. 3378
Public Law 104-314........................................ H.R. 3568
Public Law 104-318........................................ H.R. 3910
Public Law 104-323........................................ S. 342 *
Public Law 104-325........................................ S. 1194 *
Public Law 104-326........................................ S. 1649 *
Public Law 104-332........................................ H.R. 4283
Public Law 104-333........................................ H.R. 4236
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* These bills were not referred to the Committee on Resources, but
contain legislation that was referred to the Committee on Resources.
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