[House Report 112-439]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


112th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     112-439

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                 LAND EXCHANGE FOR INYO NATIONAL FOREST

                                _______
                                

 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 H.R. 2157]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 2157) to facilitate a land exchange involving 
certain National Forest System lands in the Inyo National 
Forest 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. 2157 is to facilitate a land exchange 
involving certain National Forest System lands in the Inyo 
National Forest.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 2157 authorizes the U.S. Forest Service to acquire two 
parcels of land outside the boundary of the Inyo National 
Forest in exchange for conveyance of 20 acres of national 
forest land to the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (MMSA). The main 
base of the MMSA currently operates under a special-use permit 
from the Forest Service and has been working to acquire 
ownership of the parcel to allow for needed renovations. The 
Inyo National Forest currently operates facilities on land that 
is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power 
outside the boundary of the forest. H.R. 2157 authorizes the 
Inyo National Forest to acquire those parcels in the process of 
exchanging lands with the MMSA. In addition, the value of the 
parcels to be acquired by the MMSA exceeds the value of the 
lands to be exchanged to the Forest Service so the legislation 
authorizes the Forest Service to accept a cash equalization 
payment greater than the 25 percent cap under current law.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 2157 was introduced on June 13, 2011, by Congressman 
Howard ``Buck'' McKeon (R-CA). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On 
December 2, 2011, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. 
On February 29, 2012, the Full Natural Resources Committee met 
to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Forests and Public Lands was discharged by unanimous consent. 
No amendments were offered 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:

H.R. 2157--A bill to facilitate a land exchange involving certain 
        National Forest System lands in the Inyo National Forest, and 
        for other purposes

    H.R. 2157 would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to 
accept certain nonfederal lands in exchange for 20 acres of 
federal land within the Inyo National Forest in California. 
Based on information provided by the Forest Service, CBO 
estimates that implementing the legislation would increase 
offsetting receipts and associated direct spending; therefore, 
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, CBO expects that those 
changes would have no net impact on the deficit over the 2012-
2022 period. Enacting H.R. 2157 would not affect revenues.
    H.R. 2157 would authorize the Secretary to accept private 
lands located outside of the Inyo National Forest in exchange 
for federal lands located within the forest. In addition, the 
bill would allow the Secretary to accept a cash payment that is 
greater than 25 percent of the value of the federal lands to 
equalize the values of the properties that would be exchanged. 
Under current law, the Secretary can only exchange federal 
lands within a national forest for nonfederal lands located 
within that forest and cannot accept a cash equalization 
payment greater than 25 percent of the value of the federal 
lands exchanged.
    Formal appraisals of the properties have not been 
completed, but, based on information provided by the Forest 
Service, CBO estimates that the cash equalization payment could 
be several million dollars (if the federal land is found to be 
more valuable than the private land). Under the bill, amounts 
received from such a payment would be retained by the agency 
and spent, without further appropriation, to acquire other 
lands in California. CBO estimates that those amounts would be 
spent within five years of the bill's enactment.
    H.R. 2157 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.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. 
This 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. Based on information provided by 
the U.S. Forest Service, CBO estimates that implementing the 
legislation would increase offsetting receipts and associated 
direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. 
However, CBO expects that those changes would have no net 
impact on the deficit over the 2012-2022 period.
    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 facilitate a land exchange 
involving certain National Forest System lands in the Inyo 
National Forest.

                           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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