[House Report 108-495]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



108th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     108-495

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      MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2003

                                _______
                                

  May 17, 2004.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

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

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 265]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 265) to provide for an adjustment of the boundaries of 
Mount Rainier National Park, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment 
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
  The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Mount Rainier National Park Boundary 
Adjustment Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

  The Congress finds the following:
          (1) The Carbon River watershed within Pierce County in the 
        State of Washington has unique qualities of ecological, 
        economic, and educational importance, including clean water, 
        productive salmon streams, important wildlife habitat, active 
        geologic processes, outdoor recreational opportunities, scenic 
        beauty, educational opportunities, and diverse economic 
        opportunities.
          (2) Mount Rainier National Park is one of the premier 
        attractions in the State of Washington, providing recreational, 
        educational, and economic opportunities that will be enhanced 
        by the construction of new campgrounds and visitor contact 
        facilities in the Carbon River valley outside old-growth forest 
        habitats and above the flood plain.
          (3) Coordination of management across national forest and 
        national park lands in this corridor will enhance the 
        conservation of the forest ecosystem and public enjoyment of 
        these public lands.
          (4) Protection and development of historic and recreational 
        facilities in the Carbon River valley, such as trails and 
        visitor centers, can be facilitated by the National Park 
        Service.

SEC. 3. MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.

  (a) Boundary Adjustment.--The boundary of Mount Rainier National Park 
is modified to include the area within the boundary generally depicted 
on the map entitled ``Mount Rainier National Park, Carbon River 
Boundary Adjustment'', numbered 105/92,002B, and dated June 2003. The 
Secretary of the Interior shall keep the map on file in the appropriate 
offices of the National Park Service.
  (b) Land Acquisition.--The Secretary of the Interior may acquire, 
only with the consent of the owner, by donation, purchase with donated 
or appropriated funds, or exchange--
          (1) land or interests in land, totaling not more than 800 
        acres, and improvements thereon within the boundary generally 
        depicted on the map referred to in subsection (a) for 
        development of camping and other recreational facilities; and
          (2) land or interests in land, totaling not more than one 
        acre, and improvements thereon in the vicinity of Wilkeson, 
        Washington, for a facility to serve visitors to public lands 
        along the Carbon and Mowich Corridors.
  (c) Administration of Acquired Lands.--Lands acquired under this 
section shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior as part 
of Mount Rainier National Park in accordance with applicable laws and 
regulations.

SEC. 4. ASSOCIATED LANDS.

  The Secretary of Agriculture shall manage that portion of the Mt. 
Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest lying adjacent to Mt. Rainier National 
Park, as identified on the map referred to in section 3(a), to maintain 
the area's natural setting in a manner consistent with its management 
as of June 1, 2003.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 265 is to provide for an adjustment of 
the boundaries of Mount Rainier National Park, and for other 
purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The main entrance to northwest area of Mount Rainier 
National Park is by Carbon River Road, which follows along the 
Carbon River into the Park. Because a large section of the road 
is below the level of the Carbon River, the road continues to 
be washed out by heavy rains and thus visitors are prevented 
from driving their cars into the Park and accessing the Park's 
western campgrounds. In addition, the River continues to shift 
southward causing long-term damage to the road and prevents any 
permanent repairs to the road or the campgrounds. H.R. 265 
would allow the National Park Service to move the road by 
extending the Park's boundaries west up the Carbon River Valley 
to encompass approximately 1,000 acres outside the park. The 
new land, a mixture of public and private land, would allow a 
new road to be built on higher ground. The single private land 
owner, Plum Creek Timber, is aware of the legislation and 
supports the purchase.
    The Committee intends that the acquisition and boundary 
adjustment will have no effect on the existing County Road No. 
165 S, which runs through a portion of and along the South 
boundary of the land to be acquired, and that this road would 
continue to remain open and accessible to public use, including 
existing commercial trucking operations.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 265 was introduced on January 8, 2003, by 
Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn (R-WA). The bill was referred to 
the Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands. On 
October 21, 2003, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. 
Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA) offered an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute that authorized the Secretary of the 
Interior to acquire up to 800 acres west of Mount Rainier 
National Park from willing sellers to create a new 
noncontiguous part for the Park, and directed the U.S. Forest 
Service to manage the land in the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National 
Forest adjacent to the Park in a manner consistent with the 
area's designation. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote. 
The bill, as amended, was forwarded to the Full Committee by 
voice vote. On October 29, 2003, the Full Resources Committee 
met to consider the bill. Congressman Radanovich offered an 
amendment to clarify that the U.S. Forest Service is to manage 
the land in the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest adjacent 
to the Park in a manner consistent with its management as of 
June 1, 2003. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent. 
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the 
Full Committee by unanimous consent.

            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(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. 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, January 30, 2004.
Hon. Richard W. Pombo,
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. 265, the Mount 
Rainier National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2003.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                         Elizabeth Robinson
                               (For Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 265--Mount Rainier National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2003

    H.R. 265 would modify the boundary of the Mount Rainier 
National park in the state of Washington to include a 
noncontiguous area west of the existing park. The bill would 
authorize the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire up to 800 
acres within the new area (as well as an additional 1-acre 
parcel in a nearby town) by donation, purchase, or exchange. 
The new parkland would be developed for camping and other 
recreational purposes; the small off-site parcel would be used 
for a visitor facility.
    Based on information provided by the NPS and assuming 
appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that the 
federal government would send about $12 million over the next 
two years to implement H.R. 265. We estimate that about one-
half of that amount would be used to purchase nearly 750 acres 
of land; the remaining amount would finance the development of 
a new campground and other visitor facilities. Following land 
acquisition and development, we expect that annual spending at 
the park would not increase significantly because the costs to 
operate the new recreational facilities are likely to be 
roughly equal to the cost of operating similar facilities that 
would be made obsolete.
    H.R. 265 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.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
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.

                                  
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