[House Report 114-442]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 114-442
======================================================================
OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK BOUNDARY REVISION ACT OF 2016
_______
March 2, 2016.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 482]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 482) to redesignate Ocmulgee National Monument
in the State of Georgia and revise its boundary, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon
with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do
pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical
Park Boundary Revision Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Ocmulgee
National Monument Proposed Boundary Adjustment, numbered 363/
125996'', and dated January 2016.
(2) Historical park.--The term ``Historical Park'' means the
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in the State of
Georgia, as redesignated in section 3.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
the Interior.
SEC. 3. OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.
(a) Redesignation.--Ocmulgee National Monument, established pursuant
to the Act of June 14, 1934 (48 Stat. 958), shall be known and
designated as ``Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document,
paper, or other record of the United States to ``Ocmulgee National
Monument'', other than in this Act, shall be deemed to be a reference
to ``Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park''.
SEC. 4. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.
(a) In General.--The boundary of the Historical Park is revised to
include approximately 2,100 acres, as generally depicted on the map.
(b) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and available for
public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park
Service, the Department of the Interior.
SEC. 5. LAND ACQUISITION; NO BUFFER ZONES.
(a) Land Acquisition.--The Secretary is authorized to acquire land
and interests in land within the boundaries of the Historical Park by
donation or exchange only (and in the case of an exchange, no payment
may be made by the Secretary to any landowner). The Secretary may not
acquire by condemnation any land or interest in land within the
boundaries of the Historical Park. No private property or non-Federal
public property shall be included within the boundaries of the
Historical Park without the written consent of the owner of such
property.
(b) No Buffer Zones.--Nothing in this Act, the establishment of the
Historical Park, or the management of the Historical Park shall be
construed to create buffer zones outside of the Historical Park. That
an activity or use can be seen or heard from within the Historical Park
shall not preclude the conduct of that activity or use outside the
Historical Park.
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION.
The Secretary shall administer any land acquired under section 5 as
part of the Historical Park in accordance with applicable laws and
regulations.
SEC. 7. OCMULGEE RIVER CORRIDOR SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a special resource study
of the Ocmulgee River corridor between the cities of Macon, Georgia,
and Hawkinsville, Georgia, to determine--
(1) the national significance of the study area;
(2) the suitability and feasibility of adding lands in the
study area to the National Park System; and
(3) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of the study area by the National Park Service,
other Federal, State, local government entities, affiliated
federally recognized Indian tribes, or private or nonprofit
organizations.
(b) Criteria.--The Secretary shall conduct the study authorized by
this Act in accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States
Code.
(c) Results of Study.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the
Secretary.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 482 is to redesignate Ocmulgee National
Monument in the State of Georgia and revise its boundaries.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Ocmulgee National Monument was originally authorized in
1934 to protect ``lands commonly known as the `Old Ocmulgee
Fields,' upon which certain Indian mounds of great historical
importance are located.'' (16 U.S.C. 447a, Act of June 14,
1934, 48 Stat. 958). The monument's enabling legislation
authorized acquisition of land for Ocmulgee National Monument
by public or private donation only. Although the enabling
legislation stated that the Old Ocmulgee Fields were comprised
of ``approximately two thousand acres,'' local residents living
during the Great Depression could only raise enough funds to
procure 678 acres by the time the monument was created by
Presidential proclamation in 1936 (Presidential Proc. No. 2212,
Dec. 23, 1936, 50 Stat. 1798). At present, the Ocmulgee
National Monument consists of 702 acres.
In January 2014, the National Park Service published the
findings of a boundary study and environmental assessment that
examined the appropriateness of expanding the boundary of
Ocmulgee National Monument. The National Park Service's
preferred alternative would authorize acquisition of land
within the study area by willing donors and sellers up to
approximately 2,100 acres, thus expanding the monument to
approximately 2,800 acres. The Archeological Conservancy wishes
to donate approximately 300 of the 2,100 acres studied by the
National Park Service.
The legislation also redesignates the National Monument as
the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.
Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA) introduced a
nearly identical version of this legislation in the 113th
Congress as H.R. 4991, and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
introduced a Senate companion as S. 2580. Senator Isakson is
sponsoring the Senate companion as S. 1696 this Congress.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 482 was introduced on January 22, 2015, by Congressman
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On February 2, 2016, the Natural
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
was discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman Tom McClintock
(R-CA) offered an amendment designated #1. The amendment was
adopted by unanimous consent. No other amendments were offered,
and the bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House of Representatives by unanimous consent on February 3,
2016.
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. 482--Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Boundary Revision
Act of 2016
H.R. 482 would redesignate the Ocmulgee National Monument
in Georgia as the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park,
authorize the expansion of the newly designated park's
boundaries, and authorize a special resource study of the
Ocmulgee River corridor.
The National Park Service would be permitted to expand the
monument boundary only through a donation or exchange of land.
Based on information from the National Park Service about the
cost of developing the resource study, CB0 estimates that
implementing the legislation would have an insignificant cost;
such spending would depend on the availability of appropriated
funds.
Because enacting H.R. 482 would not affect direct spending
or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 482 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2027.
H.R. 482 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 CB0 staff contact for this estimate is Mann Burnett.
The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, 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. The Congressional
Budget Office concludes that ``implementing the legislation
would have an insignificant cost; such spending would depend on
the availability of appropriated funds.''
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 redesignate Ocmulgee National
Monument in the State of Georgia and revise its boundaries.
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
If enacted, this bill would not amend any existing law.
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