[House Report 112-432]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


112th Congress  }                                            {   Report
  2d Session    }        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES            {  112-432
=======================================================================
 
             WALLOWA FOREST SERVICE COMPOUND CONVEYANCE ACT 

                                _______
                                

 April 16, 2012.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Hastings  of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 271]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (S. 271) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to 
enter into a property conveyance with the city of Wallowa, 
Oregon, 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 S. 271 is to require the Secretary of 
Agriculture to enter into a property conveyance with the city 
of Wallowa, Oregon.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    In 1936, the city of Wallowa, Oregon, donated to the U.S. 
Forest Service approximately one acre of land in downtown 
Wallowa where the Forest Service sought to construct a ranger 
station and associated buildings. The Civilian Conservation 
Corps subsequently built a number of facilities on the site. 
The site was used for many decades by the Forest Service, but 
now sits vacant and has accumulated hundreds of thousands of 
dollars in deferred maintenance needs. A local nonprofit 
organization has proposed using the compound for local 
historical and cultural preservation, interpretation, and 
education. The Forest Service recently identified the property 
for sale under the Forest Service Facility Realignment and 
Enhancement Act, which requires fair market value for any 
conveyance. S. 271 would require the Secretary of Agriculture, 
at the request of the city of Wallowa, to convey the parcel 
consisting of approximately 1.11 acres to the city without 
consideration.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    S. 271 was introduced on February 3, 2011, by Senator Ron 
Wyden (D-OR). On November 2, 2011, the bill passed the Senate 
by unanimous consent. The bill was then referred to the House 
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On 
February 3, 2012, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. 
On February 29, 2012, the Full Natural Resources Committee met 
to consider S. 271. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands was discharged by unanimous consent. No 
amendments were offered to the bill and the bill was then 
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 
voice vote.

            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.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) 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)(2)(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. 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:

S. 271--Wallowa Forest Service Compound Conveyance Act

    S. 271 would direct the Forest Service to convey, without 
consideration, about 1 acre of land and improvements in Oregon 
to the city of Wallowa. Based on information provided by the 
Forest Service, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation 
would have no significant net effect on the federal budget.
    Enacting S. 271 would affect direct spending; therefore, 
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Because the affected land (and 
related structures) would probably have been sold under 
existing authority, enacting the legislation would reduce 
offsetting receipts. However, because the Forest Service can 
spend those receipts, the loss in receipts would be offset by 
lower direct spending of a similar amount. (CBO estimates that 
the value of the land is less than $500,000.) Enacting S. 271 
would not affect revenues.
    S. 271 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 July 28, 2011, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
271, the Wallowa Forest Service Compound Conveyance Act, as 
ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources on July 14, 2011. The two versions of the legislation 
are similar, and the CBO cost estimates are the same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The 
estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.
    2. Section 308(a) of 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. Enacting S. 271 would affect 
direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. 
Because the affected land (and related structures) would 
probably have been sold under existing authority, enacting the 
legislation would reduce offsetting receipts. However, because 
the Forest Service can spend those receipts, the loss in 
receipts would be offset by lower direct spending of a similar 
amount. (CBO estimates that the value of the land is less than 
$500,000.) Enacting S. 271 would not affect revenues.
    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 require the Secretary of 
Agriculture to enter into a property conveyance with the city 
of Wallowa, Oregon.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates as defined under 
Public Law 104-4.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any local or tribal 
law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing 
law.

                                  
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