[House Report 113-535]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     113-535

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TO REMOVE A USE RESTRICTION ON LAND FORMERLY A PART OF ACADIA NATIONAL 
PARK THAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE TOWN OF TREMONT, MAINE, AND FOR OTHER 
                                PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

 July 17, 2014.--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. 4527]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 4527) to remove a use restriction on land 
formerly a part of Acadia National Park that was transferred to 
the town of Tremont, Maine, 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. 4527 is to remove a use restriction on 
land formerly a part of Acadia National Park that was 
transferred to the town of Tremont, Maine.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    Public Law 81-629, enacted in 1950, permitted the National 
Park Service to convey property, formerly part of Acadia 
National Park, to the town of Tremont, Maine, to build a new 
school. In 1951, the Secretary of the Interior completed the 
conveyance of approximately 8.45 acres with a clause specifying 
the land would revert back to the United States of America if 
it was not used exclusively for school purposes.
    The town is now consolidating schools with a nearby town 
and the property will no longer be used for the originally 
intended purpose. Tremont would like to retain ownership and 
continue to use the developed property in the best interest of 
the community.
    H.R. 4527 removes the requirement that the land be used 
exclusively and perpetually for school purposes, allowing 
Tremont to use the property to the maximum benefit of its 
residents. The Natural Resources Committee has consistently 
sought to assist local communities gain control of property 
within their boundaries by freeing them from federal 
interference. Communities around the country would benefit 
significantly and immediately if the example of H.R. 4527 is 
replicated.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 4527 was introduced on April 30, 2014, by Congressman 
Michael H. Michaud (D-ME). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. On 
June 10, 2014, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On 
June 19, 2014, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider 
the bill. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental 
Regulation was discharged by unanimous consent. The bill was 
adopted and 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.

                    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. 4527--A bill to remove a use restriction on land formerly a part 
        of Acadia National Park that was transferred to the town of 
        Tremont, Maine, and for other purposes

    H.R. 4527 would authorize additional uses of land that was 
conveyed to the town of Tremont, Maine, by the National Park 
Service (NPS) in 1951. As a condition of the original 
conveyance, the lands could be used only for school purposes. 
H.R. 4527 would remove the use restriction. Based on 
information provided by NPS, CBO estimates that implementing 
the legislation would have no effect on the federal budget. 
Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or 
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    H.R. 4527 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 Martin von 
Gnechten. 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, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase 
or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. CBO estimates that 
implementing the legislation would have no effect on the 
federal budget.
    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 remove a use restriction on land 
formerly a part of Acadia National Park that was transferred to 
the town of Tremont, Maine.

                           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.

                       Compliance With H. Res. 5

    Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that 
this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any 
specific rule-making proceedings.
    Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not 
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government 
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was 
not included in any report from the Government Accountability 
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program 
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 
98-169) as relating to other programs.

                Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law

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

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

                         ACT OF AUGUST 1, 1950


  AN ACT To authorize the conveyance, for school purposes, of certain 
  land in Acadia National Park to the town of Tremont, Maine, and for 
                            other purposes.

  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, is hereby 
authorized to convey without consideration, but under such 
terms and conditions as he may deem advisable, to the town of 
Tremont, Hancock County, Maine, for school purposes, eight and 
forty-five one-hundredths acres of land, more or less, situate 
between Marsh Creek and Marsh Road on Mount Desert Island, 
Hancock County, Maine, now a part of Acadia National Park. 
Lands conveyed to the town of Tremont, Maine, under the Act 
known as NPS Tract 06-126, which were conveyed by the National 
Park Service in deed recorded at the Hancock County Registry of 
Deeds Book 737 Page 467, National Park Service Deed 377, shall 
no longer be required to be used exclusively and perpetually 
for school purposes and upon the discontinuance of such use of 
said land, or any part thereof, shall no longer be required to 
revert to the United States.

                                  
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