[Senate Report 110-6]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                        Calendar No. 31
110th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                      110-6

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        COFFMAN COVE ADMINISTRATIVE SITE CONVEYANCE ACT OF 2007

                                _______
                                

               February 15, 2007.--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. 202]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 202) to provide for the conveyance of 
certain Forest Service land to the city of Coffman Cove, 
Alaska, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                         PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE

    The purpose of S. 202 is to provide for the conveyance of 
approximately 12 acres of Forest Service land to the city of 
Coffman Cove, Alaska.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    The city of Coffman Cove, Alaska, is a small community with 
about 200 residents that developed around a Tongass National 
Forest logging camp and work site. The 12-acre Forest Service 
site now sits in the middle of town, and a new ferry terminal 
is planned for an adjacent parcel. The location of most of the 
Forest Service site makes it difficult and inefficient for the 
Forest Service to manage, and an obstacle to the future 
development and design of the city's downtown. Conveyance of 
the Forest Service site would benefit both the Forest Service 
and the city in these regards.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 202 was introduced by Senators Murkowski and Stevens on 
January 8, 2007. The Committee considered identical 
legislation, S. 1548, during the 109th Congress, also sponsored 
by Senators Murkowski and Stevens.
    The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing 
on S. 1548 on November 2, 2005 (S. Hrg. 109-347). At a business 
meeting held on May 24, 2006, the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources ordered S. 1548 favorably reported with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute (S. Rept. 109-301).
    S. 1548 passed the Senate with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute, by unanimous consent, on December 7, 2006. No 
further action occurred prior to the sine die adjournment of 
the 109th Congress.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on January 31, 2007, by voice vote of a 
quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 202.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

    Sections 1 and 2 provide the short title and definitions 
for the bill.
    Section 3(a and b) directs the Secretary of Agriculture to 
convey approximately 12 acres to the city of Coffman Cove, 
Alaska.
    Subsection (c) provides the Secretary with the right to 
reserve a right-of-way to Forest Service land excluded from the 
conveyance.
    Subsection (d) provides a reversionary clause if the land 
is not used for public purposes.
    Subsection (e) provides that if the city sells any portion 
of the land, the sale must be for fair market value and the 
city must pay the Secretary an amount equal to the gross 
proceeds of the sale.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The following estimate of costs of this measure has been 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:

S. 202--Coffman Cove Administrative Site Conveyance Act of 2007

    S. 202 would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey 
to the city of Coffman Cove, Alaska, for no consideration, 
about 12 acres of land previously used as a Forest Service 
administrative site. Under the Forest Service Realignment and 
Enhancement Act of 2005, this property could be sold, and the 
Forest Service could spend the receipts without further 
appropriation. CBO expects, however, that it is unlikely that 
the land would be sold in the absence of this legislation. 
Moreover, we estimate that the loss of receipts--if any--would 
be less than $500,000 and would be offset by a like reduction 
in direct spending. We estimate that the administrative costs 
of completing the conveyance under the bill would not be 
significant. Finally, we estimate that enacting S. 202 would 
have no effect on revenues.
    The bill 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. 
Enacting this legislation would benefit the city of Coffman 
Cove.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
This 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. 202.
    The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of 
imposing Government-established standards or 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.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of S. 202.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    Because S. 202 is identical to legislation passed by the 
Senate in the 109th Congress, the Committee did not request 
Executive Agency views on S. 202. The views of the 
administration were included in testimony received by the 
Committee at a hearing on S. 1548 on November 2, 2005, as 
follows:

 Statement of Gloria Manning, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 
           System, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture

    Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to appear 
before you today to provide the Department views on S. 1541, 
the ``Public Land Protection and Conservation Act of 2005''; S. 
1548, to provide for the conveyance of certain Forest Service 
land to the city of Coffman Cove, Alaska; and H.R. 482, to 
provide for a land exchange involving Federal lands in the 
Lincoln National Forest in the State of New Mexico.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

S. 1548 Coffman Cove
    S. 1548 would convey a portion of a 15-acre Forest Service 
administrative site situated in the center of a small Alaskan 
community, Coffman Cove, to the City of Coffman Cove. The bill 
directs the Secretary of Agriculture, without consideration, to 
convey fee simple title to twelve acres of the administrative 
site, to the City.
    The Department objects to S. 1548 on the basis of long-
standing policy that the government receives market value for 
such conveyances. However, the Department is sympathetic to the 
needs of the City of Coffman Cove to control the future 
development of its future downtown area.
    The Forest Service played a central role in the development 
of the community. In the 1960s, Coffman Cove was a logging camp 
and work site. Logs were harvested from the surrounding Tongass 
National Forest. Eventually, the community developed around the 
Forest Service administrative site.
    In 1986, the State of Alaska received lands surrounding the 
Coffman Cove administrative site as part of its statehood 
entitlement. Over time, a decrease in timber sale activity led 
to a diminished need for the Forest Service administrative 
site. Within the last six years, all buildings have been 
removed from the site.
    Coffman Cove was incorporated in 1989, and is currently 
home to about 200 residents. The City is seeking to diversify 
its economic base in response to changes in the management of 
the surrounding Tongass National Forest and other economic 
conditions. With the development of a new ferry terminal 
adjacent to the Forest Service administrative site, economic 
opportunities for the City to develop commercial operations and 
tourism support facilities are improving. However, the location 
of the Forest Service parcel in the center of town, along the 
main street bisecting the town and near the ferry terminal, 
presents a significant obstacle to Coffman Cove's efforts to 
more fully develop and diversify its economy and design its 
future downtown. The location of most of the parcel also makes 
it difficult and inefficient for the Forest Service to 
adequately manage the site.
    Should the Subcommittee choose to move the bill in spite of 
these concerns, the Department would like to work with the 
Subcommittee on amendments that would improve accuracy and 
management efficiency.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                        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. 202, as ordered 
reported.

                                  
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