[House Report 107-224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                                       
107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    107-224

======================================================================



 
        METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL STUDY ACT OF 2001

                                _______
                                

 September 28, 2001.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1814]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 1814) to amend the National Trails System Act to 
designate the Metacomet-Monadnock-Sunapee-Mattabesett Trail 
extending through western New Hampshire, western Massachusetts, 
and central Connecticut for study for potential addition to the 
National Trails System, having considered the same, report 
favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the bill 
as amended do pass.
  The amendments are as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail 
Study Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL FOR STUDY 
                    FOR POTENTIAL ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL TRAILS 
                    SYSTEM.

  Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(c)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
  ``(____) Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail.--The Metacomet-
Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail, a system of trails and potential trails 
extending southward approximately 180 miles through western 
Massachusetts on the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, across central 
Connecticut on the Metacomet Trail and the Mattabesett Trail, and 
ending at Long Island Sound.''.

SEC. 3. EXPEDITED REPORT TO CONGRESS.

  Notwithstanding the fourth sentence of section 5(b) of the National 
Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(b)), the Secretary of the Interior 
shall submit the study required by the amendment made by section 2 to 
Congress not later than two years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

Amend the title so as to read:

      A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to 
designate the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail extending 
through western Massachusetts and central Connecticut for study 
for potential addition to the National Trails System.

    The purpose of H.R. 1814, as ordered reported, is to amend 
the National Trails Systems Act to designate the Metacomet-
Monadnock-Mattabesett Trial extending through western 
Massachusetts and central Connecticut for study for potential 
addition to the National Trails System.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    Established in the 1920s and 1930s, the Metacomet Trail (51 
miles in Connecticut), Mattabesett Trail (54 miles in 
Connecticut), Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (117 miles in 
Massachusetts), and the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail (50 
miles in New Hampshire) connect to provide the New England area 
of the United States with approximately 260 miles of trails. 
These trails connect the public with important cultural, 
historical, and recreational sites and scenery unique to the 
Northeast, such as unusual geologic formations, traprock ledges 
and overlooks. Currently, these trails are used by backpackers, 
local hikers, cross country skiing, and joggers. These trails 
also transverse a number of early native American settlements 
and the Connecticut River Valley. The Monadnock-Sunapee 
Greenway begins approximately 30 miles from Appalachian Trail 
and the Mattabesett Trail is approximately ten miles from Long 
Island Sound. The National Park Service study authorized in 
H.R. 1814 will examine the three existing trails, as well as 
opportunities to extend the trail through these remaining gaps.
    Congressman John W. Olver (D-MA) and the other Members from 
New England are seeking the National Trail status for these 
trails to increase protection from encroaching development. In 
addition, the National Trail designation offers the possibility 
of federal funds as well as technical assistance from the 
National Park Service.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 1814 was introduced on May 10, 2001, by Congressman 
John W. Olver (D-MA). The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. On July 24, 2001, 
the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On July 31, 2001, 
the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. No amendments were 
offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the Full 
Committee by voice vote. On September 12, 2001, the Full 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. Congressman Joel 
Hefley (R-CO) offered an amendment at the request of 
Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH) to strike all references to the 
Sunapee portion (i.e., the New Hampshire portion) of the trail 
to be studied by the National Park Service. The amendment was 
adopted by voice vote. The bill, as amended, was then 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 of the Constitution of the United 
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.

                    Compliance With House Rule XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(b)(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. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does 
not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not 
apply.
    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, September 21, 2001.
Hon. James V. Hansen,
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. 1814, the 
Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail Study Act of 2001.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this 
estimate is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 1814--Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail Study Act of 2001

    H.R. 1814 would amend the National Trails System Act to add 
a network of trails in the northeastern United States to the 
list of routes to be studied for possible inclusion in the 
National Trails System. The Secretary of the Interior would 
have two years to conduct a study of the 180-mile Metacomet-
Monadnock-Mattabesett trail system in Massachusetts and 
Connecticut.
    Based on information provided by the National Park Service 
and assuming appropriation of the necessary amount, CBO 
estimates that it would cost the federal government $270,000 
over the next two years to conduct the required study and 
report to Congress on its findings. H.R. 1814 would not affect 
direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures would not apply. The bill contains no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impost no costs on 
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.

                    Compliance With Public Law 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law

    The bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

              SECTION 5 OF THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT


             national scenic and national historical trails

  Sec. 5. (a) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (c) The following routes shall be studied in accordance with 
the objectives outlined in subsection (b) of this section:
  (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (____) Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail.--The Metacomet-
Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail, a system of trails and potential 
trails extending southward approximately 180 miles through 
western Massachusetts on the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, across 
central Connecticut on the Metacomet Trail and the Mattabesett 
Trail, and ending at Long Island Sound.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                                
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