[House Report 114-650]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 114-650
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SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMORIAL ACT
_______
July 1, 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. 5244]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 5244) to provide for the establishment of a
national memorial and national monument to commemorate those
killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis Dam on March 12,
1928, 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 ``Saint Francis Dam Disaster National
Memorial Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On March 12, 1928, the Saint Francis Dam located in the
northern portion of Los Angeles County, California, breached,
resulting in a devastating flood that caused the death of
approximately 425 individuals.
(2) The residents of Santa Clarita Valley, San Francisquito
Canyon, Castaic Junction, Santa Clara River Valley, Piru,
Fillmore, Bardsdale, Saticoy, and Santa Paula were directly
impacted and suffered greatly from the worst flood in the
history of the State of California.
(3) The disaster resulted in a tremendous loss of human life,
property, and the livelihood of local residents, and was
surpassed in the level of destruction in the 20th century only
by the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
(4) The collapse of the dam may represent America's worst
civil engineering failure in the 20th century.
(5) The site of the disaster is subject to the theft of
historic artifacts, graffiti, and other vandalism.
(6) It is right to pay homage to the citizens who were
killed, injured, or dislocated due to the flood, and to educate
the public about this important historical event.
(7) It is appropriate that the site of the Saint Francis Dam
and surrounding areas be specially designated and protected to
commemorate this tragic event.
SEC. 3. SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMORIAL.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary is authorized to establish a
memorial at the Saint Francis Dam site in the County of Los Angeles,
California, for the purpose of honoring the victims of the Saint
Francis Dam disaster of March 12, 1928.
(b) Requirements.--The Memorial shall be--
(1) known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National
Memorial; and
(2) managed by the Forest Service.
(c) Donations.--The Secretary is authorized to accept, hold,
administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of real or
personal property made to the Secretary for purposes of developing,
designing, constructing, and managing the Memorial.
SEC. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEMORIAL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
recommendations regarding--
(1) the planning, design, construction, and long-term
management of the Memorial;
(2) the proposed boundaries of the Memorial;
(3) a visitor center and educational facilities at the
Memorial; and
(4) ensuring public access to the Memorial.
(b) Consultation.--In preparing the recommendations required under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with--
(1) appropriate Federal agencies;
(2) State, tribal, and local governments, including the Santa
Clarita City Council; and
(3) the public.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MONUMENT.
(a) Establishment.--There is established as a national monument in
the State, certain National Forest System land administered by the
Secretary in the County of Los Angeles comprising approximately 440
acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Proposed Saint
Francis Dam Disaster National Monument'', created on June 14, 2016, to
be known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Monument is to conserve and enhance
for the benefit and enjoyment of the public the cultural,
archaeological, historical, watershed, educational, and recreational
resources and values of the Monument.
SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY WITH RESPECT TO MONUMENT.
(a) Management Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a management
plan for the Monument.
(2) Consultation.--The management plan shall be developed in
consultation with--
(A) appropriate Federal agencies;
(B) State, tribal, and local governments; and
(C) the public.
(3) Considerations.--In developing and implementing the
management plan, the Secretary shall, with respect to methods
of protecting and providing access to the Monument, consider
the recommendations of the Saint Francis Disaster National
Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical
Society, and the Community Hiking Club of Santa Clarita.
(b) Management.--The Secretary shall manage the Monument--
(1) in a manner that conserves and enhances the cultural and
historic resources of the Monument; and
(2) in accordance with--
(A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) and the
laws generally applicable to the National Forest
System;
(B) this Act; and
(C) any other applicable laws.
(c) Uses.--
(1) Use of motorized vehicles.--The use of motorized vehicles
within the Monument may be permitted only--
(A) on roads designated for use by motorized vehicles
in the management plan required under subsection (a);
(B) for administrative purposes; or
(C) for emergency responses.
(2) Grazing.--The Secretary shall permit grazing within the
Monument, where established before the date of the enactment of
this Act--
(A) subject to all applicable laws (including
regulations and Executive orders); and
(B) consistent with the purpose described in section
5(b).
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Memorial.--The term ``Memorial'' means the Saint Frances
Dam Disaster National Memorial authorized under section 3(a).
(2) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Saint Francis
Dam Disaster National Monument established under section 5(a).
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of California.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
Agriculture.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 5244 is to provide for the
establishment of a national memorial and national monument to
commemorate those killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis
Dam on March 12, 1928.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Saint Francis Dam was one of several large
infrastructure projects constructed in the early 20th century
to help control the flow of water to southern California. On
March 12, 1928, the dam breached, resulting in significant
flooding that took more than 400 lives in Los Angeles County,
California.\1\ This failure is considered one of the worst
civil engineering failures in the 20th century and resulted in
the resignation of William Mulholland as head of the Los
Angeles Bureau of Water Works and Water Supply.\2\ Beyond the
loss of life, thousands of residents lost their homes and
experienced significant property damage due to the flood.
Today, the site of the dam collapse and the affected areas are
often subject to theft and vandalism.
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\1\Harrison, Scott. ``St. Francis Damn Collapse Left a Trail of
Death and Destruction.'' Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2016.
\2\Blitz, Matt. ``On Occasions Like This, I Envy the Dead: The St.
Francis Dam Disaster.'' Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2015.
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H.R. 5244 recognizes the devastation of the flood and its
impact on the residents of northern Los Angeles County by
establishing a national memorial as well as a national monument
to preserve the affected area for future generations. The bill
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the
memorial via donation in consultation with the Santa Clarita
City Council and the public. No taxpayer funds are authorized
for the construction of the memorial.
The bill also authorizes the creation of a 440 acre
monument that will encompass the St. Francis Dam memorial. The
boundaries of the monument were designated in consultation with
interest groups in the community. Motorized access will be
allowed within the monument and grazing will continue to be
allowed on any land where it is already permitted.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 5244 was introduced on May 16, 2016, by Congressman
Stephen Knight (R-CA). The bill was referred to the Committee
on Natural Resources, and within the Committee, to the
Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On May 24, 2016, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On June 14, 2016, the
Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The
Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman
Bruce Westerman (R-AR) 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 June 15, 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:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, June 28, 2016.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5244, the Saint
Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall, Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 5244--Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act
H.R. 5244 would establish a national monument on 440 acres
of land administered by the Forest Service. The bill also would
require the agency to submit recommendations to the Congress
for a memorial to the victims of the Saint Francis Dam failure
and to complete a management plan for the monument. CBO expects
that the construction of the memorial or any other structures
or improvements within the monument would be funded by
donations.
Based on information provided by the Forest Service
regarding the amount of staff time required to carry out the
activities required under the bill, CBO estimates that
implementing the legislation would cost less than $125,000 (the
estimated cost of one year's salary and benefits for a mid- to
senior-level employee of the Forest Service in Los Angeles
County) over the 2017-2021 period; such spending would be
subject to the availability of appropriated funds. If, in
accordance with the recommendations provided to the Congress
from the Forest Service any improvements were made within the
monument, including constructing a visitor center, the cost of
managing the monument could exceed $125,000. However, CBO
expects that any costs associated with those improvements would
be incurred after 2021.
Enacting H.R. 5244 could affect direct spending by
increasing offsetting receipts from donations and the
associated direct spending of those funds to construct a
memorial; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However,
CBO estimates that any net effect on direct spending would be
negligible. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues. CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 5244 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2027.
HR. 5244 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. 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 spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditure. According to the Congressional
Budget Office, implementing H.R. 5244 would cost less than
$125,000, subject to appropriation, over the 2017-2012 period.
In addition, ``any net effect on direct spending would be
negligible''.
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 provide for the establishment of a
national memorial and national monument to commemorate those
killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis Dam on March 12,
1928.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clauses 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
This bill makes no changes to existing law.
[all]