House Report 105-459 - NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS INTERPRETIVE CENTER IN CASPER, WYOMING

[House Report 105-459]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

105th Congress Report
2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 105-459
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NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS INTERPRETIVE CENTER IN CASPER, WYOMING

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March 24, 1998.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed

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Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the
following

R E P O R T

[To accompany H.R. 2186]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 2186) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
provide assistance to the National Historic Trails Interpretive
Center in Casper, Wyoming, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill
do pass.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 2186 is to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to provide assistance to the National Historic
Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 2186 was introduced in an effort to preserve and
interpret several historic trails which crossed Western America
during the 1800s. These historic trails, including four
Congressionally designated trails, form a distinctive part of
our Nation's history and represent valuable historic and
cultural themes which helped shaped the West.
This bill is the result of a cooperative partnership which
began in 1992 between federal and non-federal interests to help
fund, construct, operate, and maintain the Trails Center. The
partnership includes the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the
City of Casper, Wyoming, and the non-profit National Historic
Trails Foundation. Significant financial contributions have
also been made by the State of Wyoming. The non-federal
partners have made a clear commitment to share approximately
one-half of the total costs to construct, maintain, and operate
the Trails Center. The cooperative agreement between the BLM
and the other non-federal partners requires the establishment
of a $1 million endowment, the interest of which will be used
to maintain the Trail Center exhibits.
Federal involvement is authorized by the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act (Section 307(b)), the National
Historic Preservation Act (Sections 1(b)(3), 2, and 302), and
the National Trails System Act (Section 11(b)(1) and (2)). The
BLM has already expended a considerable amount completing the
design work and engineering blueprints for the Trails Center.
With the design work done, the land available, and most of the
non-federal funds accrued, the actual building needs to be
constructed. H.R. 2186 authorizes the appropriation of funds to
complete this construction.

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 2186 was introduced on July 17, 1997, by Congresswoman
Barbara Cubin (R-WY). H.R. 2186 was referred to the Committee
on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
National Parks and Public Lands. On October 9, 1997, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 2186. The Administration,
represented by Matt Millenbach, Deputy Director of the BLM,
endorsed the concept of the Trails Center; however, he stated
that funds were currently unavailable for its construction. On
October 30, 1997, the Subcommittee met to mark up H.R. 2186. No
amendments to H.R. 2186 were offered and the bill was then
ordered favorably reported to the Full Committee by voice vote.
On March 11, 1998, the Full Resources Committee met to consider
H.R. 2186. No amendments were offered. The bill was then
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by
voice vote.

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

With respect to the requirements of clause 2(l)(3) of rule
XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and clause
2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives,
the Committee on Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 and article IV, section 3 of the
Constitution of the United States grant Congress the authority
to enact H.R. 2186.

COST OF THE LEGISLATION

Clause 7(a) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the
Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out
H.R. 2186. However, clause 7(d) of that Rule provides that this
requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in
its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
under section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XI

1. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(B) of
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, H.R.
2186 does not contain any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in tax
expenditures. According to the Congressional Budget Office,
enactment of H.R. 2186 will increase offsetting receipts from
concessions and visitor fees beginning in 2002, but the
increase will be less than $500,000 per year.
2. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(D) of
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee has received no report of oversight findings and
recommendations from the Committee on Government Reform and
Oversight on the subject of H.R. 2186.
3. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(C) of
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Committee has received the following cost estimate for H.R.
2186 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, March 19, 1998.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2186, a bill to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance
to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper,
Wyoming.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Victoria V.
Heid.
Sincerely,
June E. O'Neill, Director.
Enclosure.

H.R. 2186--A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide
assistance to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center
in Casper, Wyoming

Summary: H.R. 2186 would direct the Secretary of the
Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), to construct, operate, and maintain a
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper,
Wyoming. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost
BLM about $2 million in fiscal year 2000 and about $6 million
over the 2000-2003 period, assuming appropriation of the
necessary amounts. Because enacting the bill would increase
offsetting receipts beginning in fiscal year 2002, pay-as-you-
go procedures would apply, but we estimate the increase would
total less than $500,000 per year beginning in fiscal year
2002.
H.R. 2186 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
(UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of H.R. 2186 is shown in the following table.
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300
(natural resources and environment).

[By fiscal year, in millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Estimated authorization level....................... 0 0 5 0 (\1\) (\1\)
Estimated outlays................................... 0 0 2 3 (\1\) (\1\)

Estimated budget authority.......................... 0 0 0 0 (\1\) (\1\)
Estimated outlays................................... 0 0 0 0 (\1\) (\1\)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Less than $500,000.

Basis of estimate

Under H.R. 2186, BLM would construct, operate, and maintain
a National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper,
Wyoming. BLM would build the center on land provided by the
city of Casper, Wyoming. The agency would construct and operate
the center in cooperation with the city and the National
Historic Trails Interpretive Center Foundation, and in
accordance with certain agreements made between the city, the
foundation, and BLM.
Spending subject to appropriation
H.R. 2186 would authorize the appropriation of $5 million
to construct, operate, and maintain the National Historic
Trails Interpretive Center. The bill also would authorize the
Secretary to collect an entrance fee from visitors, to allow
private concessionaires to operate at the center, and to use
income from visitor fees, concession collections, and donations
to develop and operate the center, subject to appropriation.
Based on information from BLM and the foundation, CBO
estimates that total discretionary outlays to construct and
operate the center would be about $2 million in fiscal year
2000 and would total about $6 million over the 1999-2003
period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amount for
construction and the estimated amounts for annual operations
beginning in 2002. We estimate BLM's outlays to construct the
center would be about $2 million in fiscal year 2000 and about
$3 million in fiscal year 2001. Once construction is complete,
BLM's outlays to operate the center would total about $300,000
per year. Forpurposes of this estimate, we assume that H.R.
2186 would be enacted by the beginning of fiscal year 1999 and that the
Congress would appropriate funds to construct the center in fiscal year
2000.
Direct spending (including offsetting receipts)
Based on information from BLM and the foundation, CBO
estimates that offsetting receipts from visitor fees and
concessions would total about $200,000 per year once
construction is complete and the center opens in fiscal year
2002. The spending of such receipts would be subject to
appropriation.
Pay-as-you-go considerations: Section 252 of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 sets up pay-
as-you-go procedures for legislation affecting direct spending
or receipts. H.R. 2186 would decrease direct spending because
it would result in offsetting receipts from entrance fees and
concessions at the National Historic Trails Interpretive
Center. Hence, pay-as-you-go procedures apply to the bill, but
we estimate that the increase in offsetting receipts would not
be significant.
Estimated impact on State, local, and tribal governments:
H.R. 2186 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in
UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments. The state of Wyoming and local governments within
the state have already agreed to provide considerable support
for the center, but this support is, and would continue to be,
voluntary. These governments have committed over $3 million
towards the project, including land to be donated by the city
of Casper.
Estimated Impact on the private sector: This bill would
impose no new private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA.
Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Victoria V. Heid;
Impact on State, local, and tribal governments: Marjorie
Miller.
Estimate approved by: Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

H.R. 2186 contains no unfunded mandates.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, H.R. 2186 would make no changes in existing
law.