[Senate Report 104-290]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 457
104th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE

 2d Session                                                     104-290
_______________________________________________________________________


 
   CONVEYANCE OF A FISH AND WILDLIFE FACILITY TO THE STATE OF WYOMING
                                _______
                                

                 June 25, 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. 1802]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 1802), a bill 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, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
and recommends that the bill do pass.

                           general statement

    The purpose of this bill is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to convey certain property, known as ``Ranch A'' and 
containing a fish and wildlife facility, to the State of 
Wyoming.

                               Background

    The Ranch A property is located in Crook County, Wyoming, 
and consists of approximately 680 acres of land. The Ranch A 
lodge, an historic building, was constructed in the 1930s and 
acquired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1963. The 
Fish and Wildlife Service conducted trout research operations 
at the facility until 1980. Since that time, the Service has 
maintained the facility, but has leased the area to a variety 
of groups including the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and 
the South Dakota School of Mines.
    While owned and maintained by the Department of the 
Interior, the Ranch A property is not currently used by the 
Fish and Wildlife Service. The Fish and Wildlife Service 
intends to divest itself of the Ranch A property and is likely 
to designate it as surplus. Because of its historical 
significance, the State of Wyoming would like to assume 
responsibility for Ranch A.
    S. 1802 directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey the 
Ranch A property to the State of Wyoming. If the State does not 
use the land for historical, educational or wildlife management 
purposes, it will revert to Federal ownership.

                      section-by-section analysis

Section 1. Conveyance of certain property to Wyoming

    Section 1(a) directs the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey to the State of Wyoming, without reimbursement, all 
right, title, and interest of the United States in the Ranch A 
property within 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
legislation.
    Section 1(b) describes the Ranch A property as being 
located in Crook County, Wyoming, and consisting of 
approximately 680 acres of land. The property includes all real 
property, buildings, and all other improvements to real 
property. The property also consists of all personal property 
including art, historic light fixtures, wildlife mounts, 
draperies, rugs, and furniture directly related to the site at 
the time of transfer.
    Section 1(c) provides that the conveyed property shall be 
used by the State of Wyoming for fish and wildlife management 
or educational purposes (or both) or, consistent with 
applicable Federal and State laws, for maintaining and using 
through State and/or local agreements, the historical interests 
and significance of facilities on the property. This section 
also directs the State of Wyoming to provide access to the 
property to institutions of higher education. If the property 
is not used for the above purposes, all right, title, and 
interest in and to the property shall revert to the United 
States.

                            committee action

    S. 1802 was introduced on May 23, 1996 by Senators Thomas 
and Simpson and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works. The committee held no hearings on S. 1802. The 
committee met on June 18, 1996 and June 20, 1996, to consider 
the bill. On June 20, 1996, the committee reported the bill by 
voice vote. There are no agency reports.

                    evaluation of regulatory impact

    Section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate requires publication in the report the committee's 
estimate of the regulatory impact made by the bill as reported. 
No regulatory impact is expected by the passage of this bill.
    The bill will not affect the personal privacy of 
individuals.

                           unfunded mandates

    Public Law 104-4 requires the committee to publish in its 
report any unfunded mandates upon private citizens. The passage 
of this legislation will cause no unfunded mandates.

                          cost of legislation

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

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, June 25, 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. 1802, a bill 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, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on 
Environment and Public Works on June 20, 1996.
    S. 1802 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey about 60 acres of land and related property located in 
Wyoming to the State, without reimbursement. We expect that 
implementing this bill would have no significant impact on the 
Federal budget. The bill would not affect direct spending or 
receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply 
to the bill.
    S. 1802 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.
    CBO expects that the State of Wyoming would voluntarily 
accept title to the property and would seek to enter into a 
partnership with a private foundation to restore buildings on 
the site. We estimate that the cost of this project to the 
State and/or foundation would be about $2 million.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Deborah 
Reis (for Federal costs) and Marjorie Miller (for the State and 
local impact).
            Sincerely,
                                         June E. O'Neill, Director.

                        changes in existing law

    Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate 
requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made 
by the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no 
changes to existing law.