[House Report 106-422]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Rept. 106-422
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session Part 1
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DUGGER MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS ACT OF 1999
_______
October 28, 1999.--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. 2632]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 2632) to designate certain Federal lands in the Talladega
National Forest in the State of Alabama as the Dugger Mountain
Wilderness, 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. 2632 is to designate certain Federal
lands in the Talladega National Forest in the State of Alabama
as the Dugger Mountain Wilderness.
background and need for legislation
The Talladega National Forest is located in central western
and eastern Alabama. In the 18th century, when the first
American settlers came to the area, the Talladega was situated
in territory claimed by the Upper Creek Indian Nation. By 1840,
the Trail of Tears had seen the Indians pass from the area and
settlement accelerated. One man, Taylor Dugger, staked a
homestead claim on a sizeable portion of the lowlands and
northern slopes of a mountain in the area, and proceeded to set
aside the slopes of his land as a wildlife refuge. While some
of his actions met with opposition, local stories claim that he
was a more than helpful neighbor, and as a result of Dugger's
efforts, the mountain was named in his honor.
Dugger Mountain is the second highest peak in Alabama with
an elevation of 2,140 feet and features camping, hunting, and
fishing sites, and many hiking trails, including a portion of
the popular Pinhoti (from the Creek Indian Tribe word, pinwa,
meaning ``turkey'' and, huti, meaning ``house'') Trail. Since
1986, the Dugger Mountain area has been managed as a Wilderness
Study Area. Some in the local community would like to see the
area preserved as wilderness. Congressional action is required
for this designation.
committee action
H.R. 2632 was introduced on July 29, 1999, by Congressman
Bob Riley (R-AL). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Resources and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
Forests and Forest Health. It was also referred to the
Committee on Agriculture.
On August 3, 1999, the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest
Health held a hearing at which Congressman Riley and the U.S.
Forest Service testified in support of H.R. 2632. On October
20, 1999, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the
bill. The Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health was
discharged by unanimous consent from further consideration of
the bill. No amendments were offered and the bill was ordered
favorably reported to the House of Representatives by voice
vote.
committee oversight findings and recommendations
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII 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 this bill.
compliance with house rule XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) 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 this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B)
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 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2)
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
3. Government Reform Oversight Findings. Under clause
3(c)(4) of rule XIII 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 on this bill.
4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause
3(c)(3) of rule XIII 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 this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, October 25, 1999.
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. 2632, the Dugger
Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBS staff contact is Victoria Heid
Hall.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 2632--Dugger Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2632 would have no
significant impact on federal pay-as-you-go procedures would
not apply. H.R. 2632 contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
and would have no significant impact on the budgets of state,
local, or tribal governments.
H.R. 2632 would designate as wilderness approximately 9,200
acres of federal land in the Talladega National Forest in the
state of Alabama. According to the Forest Service, the land is
currently being managed as a wilderness study area. Therefore,
designating the land as wilderness would have little impact on
how the land is currently being administered. Some small
additional costs would be incurred to adjust maps and
boundaries to reflect the new designation, but the amounts
would not be significant. The bill would allow the Forest
Service already plans to do under current law.
The CBO staff contact is Victoria Heid Hall. This estimate
was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director
for Budget Analysis.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local, or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.
A P P E N D I X
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House of Representatives,
Committee on Resources,
Washington, DC, October 26, 1999.
Hon. Larry Combest,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Longworth House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On October 20, 1999, the Committee on
Resources ordered favorably reported without amendment H.R.
2632, to designate certain federal lands in the Talladega
National Forest in the State of Alabama as the Dugger Mountain
Wilderness. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on
Resources, with an additional referral to the Committee on
Agriculture.
This bill has created no controversy in Committee and its
author, Congressman Riley, would like to see it considered on
the Floor before we end the first session of the 106th
Congress. Knowing that we have only a few weeks at most left, I
ask that you allow the Committee on Agriculture to be
discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it
may be scheduled under suspension of the rules as soon as
possible.
Thank you for your consideration of my request and I look
forward to bringing H.R. 2632 to the Floor soon.
Sincerely,
Don Young,
Chairman.
------
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC, October 27, 1999.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources, Longworth House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for forwarding a copy of the
Committee report for H.R. 2632, a bill to designate certain
Federal lands in the Talladega National Forest in the State of
Alabama as the Dugger Mountain Wilderness, as ordered reported
by your Committee.
As you know, the Committee on Agriculture received an
additional referral of H.R. 2632. After conferring with
Chairman Goodlatte of the Subcommittee on Department
Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry, to which this
bill was referred, I would be glad to waive further
consideration of this measure to allow its timely consideration
before the House.
In addition, our waiver of consideration of H.R. 2632
should not be considered as precedent for any future referrals
of similar measures relating to provisions within this
legislation, and if this bill or any similar bill is
conferenced with the Senate, this Committee reserves the right
to request to be included as conferees.
Finally, I ask that you include copies of our
correspondence in the Committee on Resources bill report. I
appreciate your cooperation in this matter and look forward to
working with you on matters of shared jurisdiction between our
respective committees.
Sincerely,
Larry Combest,
Chairman.