[Senate Report 107-254]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 571
107th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 107-254
======================================================================
FRENCH COLONIAL HERITAGE AREA STUDY ACT
_______
September 9, 2002.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1638]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 1638) to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designing
the French Colonial Heritage Area in the State of Missouri as a
unit of the National Park System, 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:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. STUDY.
Not later than 3 years after the date of which funds are made
available to carry out this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall,
in consultation with the State of Missouri, complete a study on the
suitability and feasibility of designating the French Colonial Historic
District, including the Bequette-Ribault, St. Gemme-Amoureaux, and
Wilhauk homes and the related and supporting historical assets in Ste.
Genevieve County, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System, and
submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate
and the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a report
describing the findings of the study.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE
The purpose of S. 1638, as ordered reported, is to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on
the suitability and feasibility of designating the French
Colonial Heritage District in Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri
as a unit of the National Park System.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
Settled in the late 1700's by French-Canadians, the area in
and around Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri is one of the last
remaining examples of French colonial period settlements. The
French homes built from the 1780's to 1792 in the poteaux en
terre (post in the ground) style are rare and found in no other
location in North America.
Sainte Genevieve National Historic District and Felix Valle
House State Historic Site provide a foundation for the Heritage
Area. Three of the remaining five poteaux en terre homes are
found in St. Genevieve. The Sainte Gemme-Amoureux House built
overlooking the Le Grand Champ agricultural fields in 1792 is
open occasionally to the public as is the Bequette-Ribault
House built in the 1780's.
Local organizations and agencies have undertaken efforts to
preserve these resources and to tell the story of French
Colonial settlement in this part of the Untied States. As
ordered reported, S. 1638 authorizes the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a study of the historic district to
determine its appropriateness for designation as a unit of the
National Park System.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 1638 was introduced by Senator Bond on November 6, 2001.
Senator Carnahan is a cosponsor of the measure. The
Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 1638, on
April 18, 2002. At its business meeting on July 31, 2002, the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 1638
favorably reported with an amendment.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on July 31, 2001, by voice vote of a quorum
present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 1638, if amended as
described herein.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
During the consideration of S. 1638, the Committee adopted
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. As introduced, S.
1638 authorizes a park suitability and feasibility study of the
French Colonial Heritage Area. The substitute amendment
clarifies that the study is of the French Colonial Historic
District in Missouri, and that the study is for potential
designation as a unit of the National Park System and not as a
National Heritage Area.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in
consultation with the State of Missouri, to study the French
Colonial Historic District and the historic resources of Sainte
Genevieve County, Missouri for potential inclusion in the
National Park System. The study must be completed within three
years and a report on the findings of the study must be
submitted to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the
Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives.
Section 2 authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are
necessary to carry out this Act.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of costs of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office.
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, August 12, 2002.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
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. 1638, a bill to
authorize the Secretary of the interior to study the
suitability and feasibility of designating the French Colonial
Heritage Area in the state of Missouri as a unit of the
National Park System, 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,
Robert A. Sunshine
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
S. 1638--A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the
suitability and feasibility of designating the French Colonial
Heritage Area in the state of Missouri as a unit of the
National Park System, and for other purpose
S. 1638 would direct the Department of the Interior to
conduct a study to assess the feasibility and suitability of
designating the French Colonial Historic District in Ste.
Genevieve County, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park
System. The bill would authorize the appropriation of whatever
amounts are necessary for the study and would require the
department to report on its findings and recommendations within
three years of receiving funds.
Assuming the availability for appropriated funds, CBO
estimates that it would cost about $250,000 over the next three
years to complete the required study and report. Enacting the
bill would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
S. 1638 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose 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.
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. 1638.
The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of
imposing Government-established standards of 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.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The legislative report received by the Committee from the
Department of the Interior setting forth Executive agency
recommendations with respect to S. 1638 follows:
U.S. Department of the Interior,
Office of the Secretary,
Washington, DC, July 16, 2002.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter sets forth the views of the
Department of the Interior on S. 1638, a bill to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and
feasibility of designating the French Colonial Heritage Area in
the State of Missouri as a unit of the National Park System.
The Department supports S. 1638, with a minor
clarification. However, the Department did not request
additional funding for this study in Fiscal Year 2003. We
believe that any funding requested should be directed towards
completing previously authorized studies. Presently, there are
34 studies pending, of which we hope to transmit 4 to Congress
by the end of 2002. To meet the President's Initiative to
eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog, we must continue to
focus our resources on caring for existing areas in the
National Park System. Thus, we have concerns about new funding
requirements for either a new park unit or heritage area that
could be required if the study recommends designation while the
Department is trying to eliminate the deferred maintenance
backlog. As such, the Department will identify in each study
all acquisition, one-time, and operational costs of the
proposed site. At this time, these costs are not known.
S. 1638 directs the Secretary to study the suitability and
feasibility of including the French Colonial Heritage Area of
Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park
System. Section 3(1) defines the Heritage Area as including the
Bequette-Ribault, St. Gemme-Amoureaux and Wilhauk homes, and
the related and supporting historical assets in Ste. Genevieve
County, Missouri. Related and supporting historical assets
include Le Grand Champ, historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, and a
prehistoric Native American Village.
In April 1980, the Midwest Regional Office of the National
Park Service completed a brief Reconnaissance Report of Ste.
Genevieve. A memorandum forwarding the report to Washington,
signed by the Regional Director, recommended that a study of
alternatives be prepared for both the existing townsite of Ste.
Genevieve, and for the archeological site on which the town was
originally located. The term ``Study of Alternatives'' is
synonymous with study of suitability and feasibility as used in
S. 1638.
The Reconnaissance Report looked at the area's cultural,
natural, scenic, and recreational resources as well as
ownership patterns and possible threats to the area. This
earlier report will provide valuable background should this
legislation be enacted authorizing a more in-depth study of
suitability, feasibility, and management alternatives.
We discussed the intent of the legislation with the bill's
sponsor. S. 1638 authorizes the Secretary to study the
suitability and feasibility of designating the French Colonial
Heritage Area as a unit of the National Park System. The
National Park Service uses the term ``Heritage Area'' to define
a regional entity having a central theme that does not include
management by the National Park Service, whereas the term
``Unit'' is used when an area is managed wholly or in part by
the Service.
We confirmed that the intent of the bill is to authorize
the Secretary to study the French Colonial Historic District
and accompanying resources within Ste. Genevieve County as a
potential unit of the National Park System. This Special
Resource Study will identify and explore a range of management
possibilities, which could include a unit, such as a National
Historic Site, managed by the National Park Service as well as
management as a Heritage Area by a non-Federal entity. We will
be happy to work with the subcommittee staff to develop any
clarifying language that may be required.
The Office of Management and Budget advises that there is
no objection to the presentation of this report from the
standpoint of the Administration's program.
Sincerely,
Craig Manson,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
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. 1638 as ordered
reported.