[Senate Report 106-377]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 741
106th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     106-377

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               ADDITION OF LAND TO SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
                                _______
                                

                August 25, 2000.--Ordered to be printed

   Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of July 26, 2000

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 2279]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 2279) to authorize the addition of land 
to Sequoia National Park, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an 
amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
    On page 2, line 5, amend subsection (c) to read as follows:

    2``(c) Addition to Park.--Upon acquisition of the land 
under subsection (a)--
          ``(1) the Secretary of the Interior shall--
                  ``(A) modify the boundaries of Sequoia 
                National Park to include the land within the 
                park; and
                  ``(B) administer the land as part of Sequoia 
                National Park in accordance with all applicable 
                laws; and
          ``(2) The Secretary of Agriculture shall modify the 
        boundaries of the Sequoia National Forest to exclude 
        the land from the forest boundaries.''.

                         Purpose of the Measure

    The purpose of S. 2279 is to authorize the addition of 
approximately 1,540 acres of land to Sequoia National Park.

                          Background and Need

    The 1,540 acre Dillonwood Grove is the largest privately 
owned stand of giant sequoia trees anywhere in the world, and 
borders the southern boundary of Sequoia National Park in 
California. Dillonwood is the southern extension of the 
Garfield Grove, which is located within the park. The Garfield/
Dillonwood grove ranks among the five groves in the world in 
total number of mature sequoia trees. Much of the Dillonwood 
section of the combined grove is a vigorous young forest, a 
result of natural regeneration after past sequoia logging. The 
grove also contains a number of surviving monarch specimens.
    Dillonwood's locale is primarily on steep terrain ranging 
in elevation from 5,400 to 8,000 feet. It is accessible in good 
weather by a dirt road that extends to the park boundary. Aside 
from its boundary with Sequoia National Park, Dillonwood is 
entirely surrounded by national forest land.
    The owner of the property has decided to sell the land, and 
has expressed a strong desire to have it added to Sequoia 
National Park. The Save-the-Redwoods League has negotiated an 
option to purchase Dillonwood for $10 million with the intent 
of subsequently selling the property to the Federal Government. 
Since Dillonwood is located outside of the boundaries of 
Sequoia National Park and is considered an inholding within the 
adjacent national forest, legislation is needed to authorize 
the addition of the grove to the park.
    S. 2279 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire 
the Dillonwood Grove and modify the boundaries of Sequoia 
National Park so that the land can be administered as part of 
the park.

                          Legislative History

    At the business meeting on July 13, 2000, the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 2279 favorably 
reported, as amended.

                        Committee Recommendation

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on July 13, 2000, by a majority vote of a 
quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2279, if 
amended as described herein.

                          Committee Amendment

    During the consideration of S. 2279, the Committee adopted 
an amendment to clarify that both the Secretary of the Interior 
and the Secretary of Agriculture are directed to adjust the 
boundaries of the lands under their respective jurisdictions. 
The amendment is necessary because the Dillonwood property is 
located within the boundaries of the Sequoia National Forest, 
so that both the park and forest boundaries must be adjusted to 
reflect its inclusion in the park.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

    Section 1 directs the Secretary of the Interior to acquire 
the land described in the specified map reference. The land is 
to be added to Sequoia National Park, and the park boundary 
modified to include the land. The boundaries of the Sequoia 
National Forest are to be adjusted to exclude the land.

                   Cost and Budgetary Considerations

    The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, July 19, 2000.
Hon. Frank H. Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2279, a bill to 
authorize the addition of land to Sequoia National Park, and 
for other purposes.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

S.2279--A bill to authorize the addition of land to Sequoia National 
        Park, and for other purposes

    S. 2279 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
acquire by donation, purchase, or exchange about 1,540 acres of 
land in California known as Dillonwood Grove. Once acquired, 
the acreage would be added to the boundaries of Sequoia 
National Park and administered as part of the park.
    Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts and based 
on information provided by the National Park Service, CBO 
estimates that purchasing Dillonwood Grove would cost the 
federal government about $10 million in fiscal year 2001. 
Managing the additional acreage would not have any significant 
cost.
    S. 2279 would not affect direct spending or receipts; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. The bill 
contains no private-sector or intergovernmental mandates as 
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would have no 
significant impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                      Regulatory Impact Evaluation

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 2279. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of S. 2279, as ordered reported.

                        Executive Communications

    Legislative reports from the Department of the Interior and 
the Office of Management and Budget setting forth Executive 
agency recommendations on S. 2279 had not been received at the 
time the report on S. 2279 was filed. When the reports become 
available, the Chairman will request that they be printed in 
the Congressional Record for the advice of the Senate. The 
testimony provided by the National Park Service at the 
Subcommittee hearing follows:

Statement of Jacqueline Lowey, Deputy Director, National Park Service, 
                       Department of the Interior

    Thank you for the opportunity to present the position of 
the Department of the Interior on S. 2279, a bill to authorize 
the addition of land to Sequoia National Park. The Department 
supports Congressional efforts to protect the land that is the 
subject of this bill.
    Acquisition of the 1,540-acre Dillonwood parcel would 
provide opportunities for research and conservation management, 
as well as recreational activities. The fact that it is 
contiguous to the Garfield Grove in Sequoia National Park would 
enhance these opportunities. Ranging in elevation from 
approximately 5,000-7,800 feet and adjacent to the southern 
boundary of Sequoia National Park, Dillonwood contains 
waterfalls on the Tule River, remote alpine locations, and 
magnificent vistas of the San Joaquin Valley. Dillonwood 
provides habitat for a number of threatened and sensitive 
species, including the California spotted owl, and the Pacific 
fisher. It is adjacent to an historical roost for the 
California condor. It is also populated by mountain lions and 
black bears. Bears have been frequently poached to harvest bear 
gall bladders for the foreign aphrodisiac market. The current 
owners have worked to eliminate this practice. The property is 
estimated to cost over $10,000,000. We expect that private 
contributions could make up at least fifty percent of this 
purchase price.
    S. 2279 would extend the boundary of Sequoia National Park 
to include the Dillonwood parcel. The park was established in 
1890 to ``perpetuate the environment in a natural state for the 
benefit and enjoyment of the people.'' Several areas have been 
added to the park since 1890, including the Mineral King Area, 
formerly of the Sequoia National Forest, which was added to the 
park in 1978. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are 
managed as one entity, covering over 864,411 acres. 
Preservation of the unique giant sequoia trees, native to the 
western slope of the Sierra Nevada, was and continues to be a 
primary purpose of the park. As noted above, the 1,540 acre 
parcel contains part of the Dillonwood sequoia grove that is an 
extension of the Garfield Grove, which is located within the 
park. The majority of the Dillonwood grove is within the 
boundary of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The combined 
Garfield/Dillonwood Grove ranks among the top five groves in 
total number of mature sequoia trees and is larger than the 
world-famous Giant Forest Grove.
    The Dillonwood Grove, which was logged between the 1880s-
1950s, contains both ancient, old-growth monarchs and extensive 
stands of healthy, young sequoias. The diverse second-growth 
forest, which reproduced after the logging, contrasts 
dramatically with some of the older groves that have been 
protected within the park for over a century. Fire suppression 
in the park between the turn of the century and the 1960s 
impaired the regeneration of giant sequoias.
    The Dillonwood Grove is presently within the boundary of 
the Giant Sequoia National Monument, proclaimed by President 
Clinton on April 15, 2000. The Presidential Proclamation 
provides that any land acquired by the Federal government 
within this boundary would become part of the National 
Monument. The President's budget for the United States Forest 
Service also includes $4 million toward the purchase of the 
Dillonwood Grove.
    We believe the resources of the Dillonwood Grove are worthy 
of protection and we would be pleased to work with the 
Committee on the appropriate ways of preserving these resources 
for the enjoyment of future generations.
    This concludes my testimony. I would be happy to answer any 
of your questions.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 2279, as 
ordered reported.

                                  
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