[Senate Report 104-203]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 305
104th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE

 2d Session                                                     104-203
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               THE FALL RIVER VISITOR CENTER ACT OF 1995

                                _______


  January 5 (legislative day, January 3), 1996.--Ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


  Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 629]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the Act (H.R. 629) to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to participate in the operation of certain visitor 
facilities associated with, but outside the boundaries of, 
Rocky Mountain National Park in the State of Colorado, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an 
amendment and recommends that the Act, as amended, do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:

SECTION 1. EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS OUTSIDE AUTHORIZED BOUNDARY OF ROCKY 
                    MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK.

    Visitor Center.--The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to 
collect and expend donated funds and expend appropriated funds for the 
operation and maintenance of a visitor center to be constructed for 
visitors to and administration of Rocky Mountain National Park with 
private funds on lands located outside the boundary of the park.

                         purpose of the measure

    The purpose of H.R. 629 is to authorize the National Park 
Service at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado to expend 
appropriated and donated funds to participate in operating and 
maintaining a visitor center near the park.

                          background and need

    Rocky Mountain National Park is the number one tourist 
attraction in the State of Colorado, with an annual visitation 
of almost three million people. Nearly one million visitors 
enter the park via the Fall River entrance each year. Use of 
this entrance has greatly increased due to changing traffic 
patterns in the town of Estes Park located adjacent to the 
park. However, virtually no developed facilities exist to serve 
the visitors at this entrance. As a result, many visitors 
travel the entire distance through the park without the benefit 
of basic information regarding the park and its resources.
    The need for a visitor center was recognized in the 1988 
Fall River Entrance Development Concept Plan, however little 
progress was made until 1993, when a private landowner with 
property adjacent to the park boundary approached the National 
Park Service with a proposal. H.W. Stewart, Inc. offered to 
build and maintain a visitor center on private property located 
just outside the Fall River entrance. In conjunction with the 
visitor center building, commercial buildings and uses would 
also be developed on the site under the H.W. Stewart proposal. 
National Park Service (NPS) staff completed a Conceptual 
Planning Document for the project to aid in future planning on 
behalf of the Park Service. A building of approximately 5,000 
square feet was identified in the planning effort as 
appropriate.
    H.R. 629, would allow a partnership to be formed between 
the National Park Service, the Shirley S. Scrogin Charitable 
Trust, H.W. Stewart, Inc. and the Rocky Mountain National Park 
Associates. The Scrogin Trust would provide $1.25 million 
toward construction and an endowment for continued maintenance 
and operation of the visitor center. H.W. Stewart, Inc. would 
provide the property and operate a restaurant, gift shop, 
lodge, and stable on its adjacent lands. The Rocky Mountain 
National Park Associates is a non-profit group which has raised 
$65,000 toward the furnishing and educational exhibits which 
are estimated to cost $275,000. Annual operating costs of the 
visitor center envisioned under the proposal are estimated to 
be $100,000. The Scrogin Trust has pledged approximately 
$30,000 per year with the balance to be funded from the Park 
Service's operational budget.

                          legislative history

    H.R. 629, introduced in the House by Congressman Allard, 
passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on October 
17, 1995. Senator Brown introduced companion legislation, S. 
364, on February 7, 1995. The Subcommittee on Parks, Historic 
Preservation, and Recreation held a hearing on H.R. 629 and S. 
364 on November 9, 1995.
    Similar legislation, S. 1250, was introduced by Senators 
Brown and Campbell during the 103rd Congress. S. 1250 was 
referred to the Committee, but no further action was taken in 
the Senate.

           committee recommendations and tabulation of votes

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on December 21, 1995, by a unanimous vote of a 
quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 629, if 
amended as described herein.
    The roll call vote on reporting the measure was 20 yeas, 0 
nays, as follows:
        YEAS                          NAYS
Mr. Murkowski
Mr. Hatfield
Mr. Domenici
Mr. Nickels \1\
Mr. Craig
Mr. Campbell
Mr. Thomas
Mr. Kyl
Mr. Grams
Mr. Jeffords \1\
Mr. Burns
Mr. Johnston \1\
Mr. Bumpers
Mr. Ford \1\
Mr. Bradley \1\
Mr. Bingaman \1\
Mr. Akaka
Mr. Wellstone \1\
Mr. Heflin \1\
Mr. Dorgan \1\
    \1\ Indicates voted by proxy.

                          committee amendment

    During the consideration of H.R. 629, the Committee adopted 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment 
removes language identifying the parcel of land on which the 
Fall River visitor center was to be constructed under the 
original bill. The Committee intends that the Secretary of the 
Interior allow interested parties to respond to a prospectus 
for a visitor center to be constructed with private funds, on 
private lands outside the boundary of Rocky Mountain National 
Park.

                          summary of h.r. 629

    H.R. 629 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to 
collect and expend donated funds and expend appropriated funds 
to operate and maintain a visitor center to be constructed with 
private funds on private lands outside the boundary of Rocky 
Mountain National Park.

                   cost and budgetary considerations

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has requested 
the estimate of costs from the Congressional Budget Office. 
This estimate has not been received at the time the report on 
H.R. 629 was filed. When this report becomes available, the 
Chairman will request that it be printed in the Congressional 
Record for the advice of the Senate.

                      regulatory impact evaluation

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out H.R. 629. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of H.R. 629, as ordered reported.

                        executive communications

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has requested 
legislative reports from the Department of the Interior and the 
Office of Management and Budget setting forth Executive agency 
recommendations on H.R. 629. These reports had not been 
received at the time the report on H.R. 629 was filed. When 
these reports become available, the Chairman will request that 
they be printed in the Congressional Record for the advice of 
the Senate. The testimony provided by the Department of the 
Interior at the November 9, 1995 hearing on H.R. 629 and S. 364 
follows:

   Testimony of Denis P. Galvin, Associate Director for Professional 
      Services, National Park Service, Department of the Interior

    Mr. Chairman, it is a pleasure to be here today to discuss 
several bills that will benefit Rocky Mountain National Park 
and Walnut Canyon National Monument. I also am pleased to be 
here to testify on a bill that would create the New Bedford 
Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
    The Administration supports S. 364, S. 509, S. 231, H.R. 
562, and S. 608. Although we believe that S. 342 may have 
merit, we prefer this legislation be deferred until further 
study has been completed.
    I will address each bill separately beginning with the 
three bills affecting Rocky Mountain National Park.


                      rocky mountain national park


S. 364 and H.R. 629, the Fall River Visitor Center Act of 1995
    The National Park Service supports S. 364. This bill meets 
needs identified in plans for Rocky Mountain National Park by 
complementing our efforts to develop facilities outside park 
boundaries, and to develop partnerships with local economic 
interests. We previously supported a companion bill, H.R. 629, 
that passed the House on October 17, 1995.
    S. 364, if enacted, would authorize the National Park 
Service to spend funds on the operation and maintenance of a 
visitor center facility just outside the boundary of Rocky 
Mountain National Park, on lands zoned for such use. The land 
and the visitor center building would be held by the Shirley S. 
Scrogin Trust created for this specific purpose. The National 
Park Service would enter into agreements to operate and 
maintain the visitor center, assisted by the friends group and 
cooperating association for Rocky Mountain National Park.
    In order to fulfill its mission, the park needs to provide 
appropriate facilities where park staff and volunteers can 
offer orientation, interpretation of the park's resources, and 
important park safety information to visitors. This proposal 
will accomplish these needs using a combination of public and 
private resources.
    Rocky Mountain National Park is the number one tourist 
attraction in the state of Colorado, with an annual visitation 
of about 3 million. Records show total visitation has increased 
approximately 2 percent annually over the last ten years, with 
steady increases for each of the last five years. Approximately 
1 million visitors enter the park via the Fall River entrance 
each year--almost equal to the number of visitors entering at 
what has been considered the park's main entrance at Beaver 
Meadows. In the fall the number of visitors increases at Fall 
River, primarily for wildlife viewing opportunities in this 
section of the park.
    Currently no facilities are available at the Fall River 
entrance to meet basic visitor needs and no orientation is 
provided about park resources and its environment. As a result, 
many visitors travel through the park without benefit of 
information related to important park resources and public use, 
or safety.
    The proposed operation would be a combined effort of the 
National Park Service; the Rocky Mountain National Park 
Associates, the park's friends group; Rocky Mountain Nature 
Association, the park's cooperating association; H.W. Stewart, 
Inc., a private corporation and owner of the land for the 
proposed commercial development; and the Shirley S. Scrogin 
Charitable Trust, a 501(c)3, tax-exempt, irrevocable charitable 
trust. The responsibilities of the partners include 
construction, operation, and maintenance of the visitor center.
    The park's major role will be to operate and fund a portion 
of the maintenance of the visitor center. The park will also 
provide technical assistance and review of the construction of 
the visitor center and other facilities built on the site.
    The Shirley S. Scrogin Trust will fund the planning, 
design, and construction of the visitor center estimated to 
cost approximately $1 million. The Trust will hold the deed to 
the visitor center property. The surrounding lands will remain 
under their present ownership. The Rocky Mountain Nature 
Association will continue its long-standing role of providing a 
book sales operation and staff support for the center. The 
Association has also agreed that revenue generated from book 
sales in the new center will assist in defraying costs 
associated with the visitor center's operation.
    The Rocky Mountain National Park Associates will enter into 
a twenty-year lease with the Shirley S. Scrogin Trust. Rocky 
Mountain National Park will then coordinate with the Associates 
on the operation of the center. The lease can be terminated 
should the National Park Service determine that the uses and 
operations taking place on the surrounding property are no 
longer compatible with the mission and goals of Rocky Mountain 
National Park. The Associates have also assumed the financial 
expenses for exhibit planning, design and construction.
    Benefits to Rocky Mountain National Park include increased 
visitor awareness. Participation in this project would 
eliminate the need to develop such facilities inside the 
boundary of the park, which could have a negative impact on 
both natural and cultural resources. A partnership to develop 
the visitor center outside the park would eliminate the need 
for federal construction dollars, protect valuable resources, 
and at the same time preclude possible incompatible development 
along a portion of the park boundary.
    We estimate that the full-time operation of this facility, 
seven days a week, between May and October and on certain 
weekends and holidays during other months will cost about 
$61,000 per year. The park intends to use existing staff and 
operational funds to operate the center. Additional funds will 
come from the Rocky Mountain Nature Association. However, we do 
not know at this time what the exact NPS share will be until 
the Nature Association is able to establish its level of annual 
contribution toward operational costs. These details will be 
the subject of a formal agreement before construction begins.
    The current status of this proposal locally is that both 
the Larimer County Planning Commission and the Larimer County 
Commissioners have approved the project. The developer will 
begin construction once Congress has provided NPS with the 
authority to operate the center.
    This proposal should not adversely affect existing 
concessions operations in the park. Concessions would be 
enhanced by the operation of a visitor facility at this 
entrance. Visitors will be made aware of the a variety of 
opportunities and facilities, both park and concession-run at 
the beginning of their visit, instead of travelling through the 
park without basic information about resources and facilities. 
The planned development by H.W. Stewart, Inc., replaces 
facilities that burned in 1992. The only changes would be the 
addition of the visitor center, more lodging and an overall 
improvement in the facility design. Certain incompatible uses 
on nearby lands, such as a petting zoo and miniature train, 
would be eliminated as part of the formal agreement. In 
conclusion, this represents an outstanding opportunity for a 
public/private partnership that saves taxpayers money, 
preserves park resources, and satisfies a longstanding need to 
serve nearly 1 million visitors annually.

                        changes in existing law

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by the Act H.R. 629, as 
ordered reported.