[House Report 109-427]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



109th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     109-427

======================================================================
 
                MUSCONETCONG WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT

                                _______
                                

 April 25, 2006.--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. 1307]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 1307) to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to 
designate portions of the Musconetcong River in the State of 
New Jersey as a component of the National Wild and Scenic 
Rivers System, and for other purposes, having considered the 
same, report favorably there on without amendment and recommend 
that the bill do pass.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of H.R. 1307 is to amend the Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Act to designate two portions of the Musconetcong River 
in the State of New Jersey as a component of the National Wild 
and Scenic Rivers System.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    The Musconetcong River features a diverse array of natural 
and cultural resources. The limestone geologic features present 
in the Musconetcong River corridor are unique in the State of 
New Jersey. In 1992, residents of the lower Musconetcong River 
valley formed the Musconetcong Watershed Association, a not-
for-profit organization committed to protecting the 
Musconetcong River. In 1995, the New Jersey Department of 
Environmental Protection Office of Natural Lands Management 
recommended to the National Park Service (NPS) that the 
Musconetcong River be included in the Nationwide Rivers 
Inventory of candidate rivers for wild and scenic designation 
under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.). 
Two years later, 18 river municipalities requested that the NPS 
study the Musconetcong River for eligibility and suitability 
for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. In 
June, 2004 the NPS released the study which found portions of 
the river suitable for inclusion. These sections, totaling 24.2 
miles, have been included in H.R. 1307.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 1307 was introduced on March 15, 2005, by Congressman 
Scott Garrett (R-NJ). The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
National Parks. On November 10, 2005, the Subcommittee on 
National Parks held a hearing on H.R. 1307. On March 29, 2006, 
the Committee on Resources met to consider the bill. By 
unanimous consent, the Subcommittee on National Parks was 
discharged from further consideration of the bill. No 
amendments were offered, and the bill was ordered favorably 
reported to the House 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 ofRepresentatives 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. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, the general performance goal or objective of 
this bill is to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to 
designate two portions of the Musconetcong River in the State 
of New Jersey as a component of the National Wild and Scenic 
Rivers System.
    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:

H.R. 1307--Musconetcong Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

    H.R. 1307 would designate 24.2 miles of segments of the 
Musconetcong River in New Jersey as scenic and recreational 
rivers under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The bill would 
designate 4.3 additional miles of that river as a recreational 
river if the Secretary of the Interior finds sufficient local 
support for such a designation. Based on information from the 
Department of the Interior, CBO estimates that the proposed 
designations would not significantly affect the agency's 
administrative or land-management costs, which are subject to 
appropriation. Enacting H.R. 1307 would not affect direct 
spending or revenues.
    H.R. 1307 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.
    On November 23, 2005, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for 
S. 1096, the Musconetcong Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, as 
ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources on November 16, 2005. H.R. 1307 and S. 1096 are 
similar, and our cost estimates are the same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. 
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 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):

WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT

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    Sec. 3. (a) The following rivers and the land adjacent 
thereto are hereby designated as components of the national 
wild and scenic rivers system:
    (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (167) Musconetcong River, New Jersey.--(A) The 24.2 miles 
of river segments in New Jersey, to be administered by the 
Secretary of the Interior, consisting of--
          (i) the segment from Saxton Falls to the Route 46 
        bridge (approximately 3.5 miles), as a scenic river; 
        and
          (ii) the segment from the Kings Highway bridge to the 
        railroad tunnels at Musconetcong Gorge (approximately 
        20.7 miles), as a recreational river.
    (B) Notwithstanding section 10(c), the river segments 
referred to in subparagraph (A) shall not be administered as 
part of the National Park System.

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