[House Report 111-597]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


111th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     111-597

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CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER NATIONAL RECREATION AREA BOUNDARY STUDY ACT OF 2009

                                _______
                                

 September 16, 2010.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Rahall, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 3785]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 3785) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to conduct a study of the suitability and feasibility of 
expanding the boundary of Chattahoochee River National 
Recreation Area, 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. 3785 is to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to conduct a study of the suitability and 
feasibility of expanding the boundary of Chattahoochee River 
National Recreation Area.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 3785 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
study the suitability and feasibility of adding approximately 
45 miles of the Chattahoochee River and lands along the river 
corridor to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in 
Georgia. The current recreation area is a heavily visited park 
on the northwestern side of Atlanta. It was established in 
1978, and the boundaries were expanded in 1999 to a total of 
10,000 acres. The recreation area contains 16 park units and 50 
miles of hiking trails along 48 miles of the river. More than 3 
million visitors a year come to float down the river, hike the 
trails along its banks, or fish for the 23 species of game fish 
that live in its cold water.
    The stretch of the river that would be studied under the 
bill extends from the southern boundary of the current 
recreation area to a spot where Coweta, Heard, and Carroll 
counties meet extending along the western side of Atlanta, and 
well to the southwest near the Alabama border. H.R. 3785 would 
direct the Secretary to complete the study within three years 
of the time funds are made available for the work.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 3785 was introduced by Representative David Scott (D-
GA) on October 8, 2009. The bill was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. At a 
June 10, 2010, hearing before the Subcommittee, a 
representative of the Department of the Interior testified that 
the Department supports the bill.
    On July 22, 2010, the Subcommittee was discharged from 
further consideration of H.R. 3785 and the full Natural 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. 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 Natural 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. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a study of the suitability and feasibility 
of expanding the boundary of Chattahoochee River National 
Recreation Area.
    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. 3785--Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Boundary Study 
        Act of 2009

    H.R. 3785 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to 
conduct a study of about 45 miles of the Chattahoochee River 
and surrounding lands, including the boundary of the 
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Georgia. In the 
study, NPS would evaluate significant resources or recreational 
opportunities of the area and analyze related operating and 
resource protection issues. NPS would have three years to 
complete the study and report to the Congress on its results.
    Based on information provided by NPS and assuming the 
availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that carrying 
out the study required by H.R. 3785 would cost about $300,000 
over the next three years. Enacting H.R. 3785 would not affect 
direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures do not apply.
    H.R. 3785 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    H.R. 3785 does not contain any congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
clause 9 of rule XXI.

                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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