[House Report 105-506]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



105th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 2d Session                                                     105-506
_______________________________________________________________________


 
                    MILES LAND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1997

                                _______
                                

  May 5, 1998.--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

                        [To accompany H.R. 1021]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 1021) to provide for a land exchange involving certain 
National Forest System lands within the Routt National Forest 
in the State of Colorado, 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. 1021 is to provide for a land exchange 
involving certain National Forest System lands within the Routt 
National Forest in the State of Colorado.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 1021 authorizes an exchange of approximately 84 acres 
within the Routt National Forest for approximately 84 acres of 
private land known as the ``Miles Parcel,'' which is located 
adjacent to the Routt National Forest. H.R. 1021 establishes 
that the Federal land and non-Federal land to be exchanged are 
approximately equal in value. Therefore, under the Act, no 
additional valuation will be required.
    H.R. 1021 provides the authority needed to allow the Forest 
Service to undertake an exchange which will simplify the 
property line for the Forest and reduce the Forest Service's 
maintenance costs. Ms. Marjorie Miles owns the inholding and 
occupies the National Forest parcels proposed for exchange 
under a special use permit. Pursuant to H.R. 1021, pasture 
lands would be conveyed to Ms. Miles in exchange for a 
contiguous property that contains valuable riparian resources 
and is outside the Forest boundary.
    H.R. 1021 will improve land management and add riparian 
acreage to the public estate. Additionally, the amount of fence 
that the Forest Service and Ms. Miles must maintain will be 
reduced. Finally, the need for a special use permit and the 
need to authorize a ditch across public lands will be 
eliminated.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 1021 was introduced on March 11, 1997, by Congressman 
Scott McInnis (R-CO). The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
Forests and Forest Health. On March 24, 1998, the Subcommittee 
held a hearing on H.R. 1021, where the Administration testified 
in support of H.R. 1021. On April 23, 1998, the Subcommittee 
met to mark up H.R. 1021. No amendments were offered and the 
bill was ordered favorably reported to the Full Committee by 
voice vote. On April 29, 1998, the Full Resources Committee met 
to consider H.R. 1021. No amendments were offered and the bill 
was 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. 1021.

                        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. 1021. 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. 
1021 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. 1021 could affect offsetting receipts, but 
any effects would be negligible.
    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. 1021.
    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. 
1021 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                       Washington, DC, May 1, 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. 1021, the Miles 
Land Exchange Act of 1997.
    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. 1021--Miles Land Exchange Act of 1997

    CBO estimates that enacting this bill would have no 
significant impact on the federal budget. Because H.R. 1021 
could affect offsetting receipts, pay-as-you-go procedures 
would apply; however, CBO estimates that any such effects would 
be negligible. H.R. 1021 contains no intergovernmental or 
private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act of 1995 and would have no significant impact on the 
budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
    H.R. 1021 provides that if a parcel of nonfederal land 
known as the ``Miles parcel'' adjacent to the Routt National 
Forest in Colorado is conveyed to the United States, then the 
Secretary of Agriculture is directed to assign to the person 
conveying that parcel all right, title, and interest to certain 
federal land within the Routt National Forest. Both parcels are 
about 84 acres in size. H.R. 1021 would adjust the boundaries 
of the Routt National Forest to reflect the land exchange once 
it is completed.
    According to the U.S. Forest Service, some holders of 
grazing permits currently operate on the federal land to be 
exchange. These permits generate a small amount of offsetting 
receipts to the federal government, but the land that would be 
acquired by the government would also likely be used for 
grazing. CBO estimates that any effects on offsetting receipts 
from enacting H.R. 1021 would be negligible.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Victoria V. 
Heid. This estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    H.R. 1021 contains no unfunded mandates.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, H.R. 1021 would make no changes in existing 
law.

                                
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