[House Report 109-627]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



109th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     109-627

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PIEDRAS BLANCAS HISTORIC LIGHT STATION OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA ACT OF 
                                  2005

                                _______
                                

 September 6, 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. 3534]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 3534) to designate the Piedras Blancas Light Station and 
the surrounding public land as an Outstanding Natural Area to 
be administered as a part of the National Landscape 
Conservation System, and for other purposes, having considered 
the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and 
recommend that the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 3534 is to designate the Piedras 
Blancas Light Station and the surrounding public land as an 
Outstanding Natural Area to be administered as a part of the 
National Landscape Conservation System, and for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Federal, state, and local officials, along with private 
groups, have long sought a way to recognize the nationally 
important land in and around the publicly-owned Piedras Blancas 
Light Station in San Luis Obispo County, California. It is 
located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is 
near the famous Hearst Castle. A proposal has been developed 
for a federal designation that protects the historical 
structures and habitat. H.R. 3534 will designate the Piedras 
Blancas Light Station and the surrounding public land, 
consisting of approximately 18 acres, as an Outstanding Natural 
Area to be administered as part of the National Landscape 
Conservation System by the Bureau of Land Management.
    Specifically, the designation would still allow certain 
recreational and research activities to continue and would 
prohibit the possibility of future sale or partition of the 
land under federal mining laws. H.R. 3534 would also require a 
comprehensive management plan be completed by the Department of 
the Interior no later than three years after the date of 
enactment. The management plan would be developed in 
consultation with federal, State and local agencies with full 
public participation.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 3534 was introduced on July 28, 2005, by Congresswoman 
Lois Caps (D-CA). The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
Forests and Forest Health. On April 5, 2006, the Subcommittee 
held a hearing on the bill. On July 19, 2006, the Full 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee 
was discharged from further consideration by unanimous consent. 
No amendments were offered, and the bill was ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives 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, clause 3 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, credit 
authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax 
expenditures. According to the Congressional Budget Office, 
enactment of H.R. 3534 could affect direct spending, but any 
such effects would be ``negligible.''
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to designate the Piedras Blancas 
Light Station and the surrounding public land as an Outstanding 
Natural Area to be administered as a part of the National 
Landscape Conservation System, and for other purposes.
    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. 3534--Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding Natural 
        Area Act of 2005

    CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 3534 would have no 
significant effect on the federal budget. The bill could affect 
direct spending, but we estimate that any such effects would be 
negligible. Enacting H.R. 3534 would not affect revenues. H.R. 
3534 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.
    H.R. 3534 would establish the Piedras Blancas Historic 
Light Station Outstanding Natural Area on 18 acres of federal 
land in San Luis Obispo County, California. The light station 
is an active lighthouse that was built in 1875 and is located 
halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) would continue to manage the land within 
the proposed natural area. The legislation would require BLM to 
create a comprehensive management plan within three years. 
Based on information from the agency, CBO estimates that the 
cost to develop a plan and manage the federal land would total 
less than $100,000 annually over the 2007-2011 period, assuming 
the availability of appropriated funds.
    The bill also would withdraw the land from programs to 
develop natural resources. According to BLM, that land 
currently generates no significant receipts and is not expected 
to do so over the next 10 years. Therefore, we estimate that 
the proposed withdrawal would have an insignificant effect on 
offsetting receipts (a credit against direct spending).
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew 
Pickford. 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

    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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