[Senate Report 104-255]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 376
104th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE

 2d Session                                                     104-255
_______________________________________________________________________


 
                  AMAGANSETT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

                                _______


                 April 19, 1996.--Ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


    Mr. Chafee, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1422]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 1422), 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, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon and recommends 
that the bill do pass.

                           general statement

    The purpose of the bill is 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.

                               Background

    The Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge was established in 
1968. It is part of the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge 
Complex which consists of nine separate units totaling over 
6,000 acres. S. 1422 would authorize the acquisition of 98 
acres of land known as the ``Shadmoor Parcel,'' to be added to 
the 36-acre Amagansett Refuge. The Shadmoor Parcel consists of 
maritime shrubland, freshwater wetlands, and rare maritime 
grassland. Located on the Shadmoor Parcel is the sandplain 
gerardia, listed as endangered under the Endangered Species 
Act, and four State-listed plant species. The Shadmoor Parcel 
would also serve as important habitat for over 70 species of 
birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

                            Committee Action

    S. 1422 was introduced on November 17, 1995 by Senators 
Moynihan and D'Amato. The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works. The committee held no hearings on 
S. 1422, and on March 28, 1996, voted to report the bill 
favorably by voice vote. There are no agency reports.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

Section 1. Authority to acquire property for inclusion in the 
        Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge

    Section 1(a) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to 
acquire a 98-acre parcel of land known as the ``Shadmoor 
Parcel'' for inclusion in the Amagansett National Wildlife 
Refuge. This area is located along the Atlantic Ocean, adjacent 
to municipal park land in the town of East Hampton, Suffolk 
County, New York.
    Section 1(b) provides that any land and interests in land 
acquired by the United States pursuant to this Act, shall be 
managed by the Secretary of the Interior as part of the 
Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge.

                                Hearings

    No hearings were held on the bill.

                             RollCall Votes

    Section 7(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate and the rules of the Committee on Environment and Public 
Works required that any rollcall votes taken during 
consideration of legislation be noted in the report on that 
legislation.
    At the business meeting of the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works on March 28, 1996, the bill S. 1422 was ordered to 
be reported favorably by voice vote. No rollcall vote was 
taken.

                           Regulatory Impact

    In compliance with Section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact of the bill.
    The bill does not create any additional regulatory burdens.

                          Cost of Legislation

    Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the 
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be 
included in the report. That statement follows:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, April 18, 1996.
Hon. John H. Chafee,
Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate, 
        Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed S. 1422, a bill 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, and for other purposes. S. 1422 was 
ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and 
Public Works on March 28, 1996. The costs of implementing this 
bill are highly uncertain because they would depend on the 
outcome of property appraisals that have not yet been completed 
and on future cost-sharing negotiations with local officials 
and conservation groups. Based on the information available at 
this time and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, 
CBO estimates that the Federal Government would spend between 
$5 million and $8 million within the next two years to purchase 
all of the property authorized to be acquired by this bill. 
Federal spending would be less if local governments or other 
organizations contribute a portion of the project's total cost. 
We estimate that annual expenses subsequent to purchase of the 
land would be between $50,000 and $100,000, also assuming 
appropriation of the necessary sums.
    Implementing S. 1422 could affect direct spending; 
therefore pay-as-you-go procedures would apply to the bill. 
However, CBO estimates that there would be no net impact on 
mandatory spending. For purposes of this estimate, CBO has 
assumed that S. 1422 will be enacted during fiscal year 1996 
and that whatever amounts are necessary for land acquisition 
would be appropriated within the following one or two years.
    S. 1422 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
acquire a 99-acre tract of land known as the Shadmoor Parcel in 
Suffolk County, New York. The acquired property would be 
managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as part 
of the Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge. Although formal 
appraisals of the Shadmoor Parcel have not yet been completed, 
CBO estimates that the Federal Government would spend between 
$5 million and $8 million to purchase the entire property. This 
estimate is based on information obtained from local officials, 
land owners, and conservation groups. Under a recent proposal 
by the town of East Hampton, some portion of the cost would be 
contributed by the town. In addition, some of the property 
might be purchased by the Nature Conservancy for subsequent 
sale or donation to the USFWS. At this time, CBO cannot predict 
how much these cost-sharing measures might reduce Federal 
spending for this project.
    Once the Shadmoor Parcel has been acquired by the USFWS, 
the agency would spend between $50,000 and $100,000 annually to 
maintain the site and make payments to local governments under 
the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act.
    Enacting S. 1422 could affect direct spending if the USFWS 
accepts and uses funds contributed by East Hampton or others to 
purchase some of the Shadmoor Parcel, as the agency is 
authorized to do under existing law. However, any such 
transactions would offset each other, resulting in no net 
change in mandatory spending.
    S. 1422 contains no intergovernmental or private sector 
mandates as defined in Public Law 104-4 and would impose no 
direct costs on State, local, or tribal governments. The town 
of East Hampton, New York, has indicated its intention to share 
in the cost of acquiring the Shadmoor property, but such 
participation would be voluntary and not an enforceable duty 
imposed by this bill.
    On April 18, 1996, CBO prepared a cost estimate for H.R. 
1836, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources 
on March 28, 1996. The two bills, and the CBO estimates, are 
identical.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Deborah 
Reis, and for the State and local government impact, Marjorie 
Miller.
            Sincerely,
                                                   June E. O'Neill.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes to existing law must be shown if 
applicable. No change to existing law would occur with passage 
of this legislation.

                                
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