[House Report 116-600]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress    }                                           {    Report
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                           {   116-600

======================================================================

 
  TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON LANDS 
            THAT COULD BE INCLUDED IN A NATIONAL FOREST IN 
                    HAWAI`I, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

 November 19, 2020.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 7045]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 7045) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to 
conduct a study on lands that could be included in a National 
Forest in Hawai`i, and for other purposes, having considered 
the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and 
recommends that the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 7045 is to require the Secretary of 
Agriculture to conduct a study on lands that could be included 
in a National Forest in Hawai`i, and for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 7045 requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in 
coordination with the Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural 
Resources, to conduct a study to identify lands in the State of 
Hawai`i that merit inclusion in the National Forest System. The 
study will also inventory how to best conserve and enhance 
Hawai`i's native koa, `ohi`a, and sandalwood forests to help 
lay the groundwork for the establishment of a national forest.
    Hawai`i is home to more than 9,900 endemic species, many of 
which are reliant on Hawai`i's fragile ecosystem to survive.\1\ 
Unfortunately, since the onset of human arrival on the 
archipelago, Hawai`i has lost almost half of its native forest 
cover.\2\ By laying the groundwork for the establishment of 
Hawai`i's first national forest, H.R. 7045 lays the foundation 
for the management and protection of Hawai`i's unique forest 
resources, including the only tropical rainforests in the 
country, and its native species.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Neal L. Evenhuis & Scott E. Miller, Twenty Years of the Records 
of the Hawaii Biological Survey, 117 Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 1, 
2 (2015), http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pubs-online/pdf/op117.pdf.
    \2\See The Nature Conservancy of Hawai`i, Last Stand: the Vanishing 
Hawaiian Forest (2007), https://www.nature.org/media/hawaii/
last_stand_web_lo.pdf, of which some of the above text is excerpts, at 
14.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 7045 was introduced on May 28, 2020, by Representative 
Ed Case (D-HI). The bill was referred solely to the Committee 
on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. On 
June 18, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On 
July 29, 2020, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider 
the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. 
No amendments were offered, and the bill was adopted and 
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 
unanimous consent.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the 
116th Congress--the following hearing was used to develop or 
consider H.R. 7045: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on June 18, 
2020.

            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 AND 
                        CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

    1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. 
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the 
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                  Washington, DC, November 9, 2020.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
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. 7045, a bill to 
require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on 
lands that could be included in a National Forest in Hawai`i, 
and for other purposes.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani 
Shankaran.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

    
    

    H.R. 7045 would direct the Forest Service to conduct a 
study and report to the Congress, within three years of 
enactment, on land in Hawai`i that could be included within the 
National Forest System. Using information from the agency, CBO 
estimates that completing the required study would cost $1 
million over the 2021 2025 period; such spending would be 
subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani 
Shankaran. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, 
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
    2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and 
objectives of this bill are to require the Secretary of 
Agriculture to conduct a study on lands that could be included 
in a National Forest in Hawai`i.

                           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.

                 UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           EXISTING PROGRAMS

    This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of 
the federal government known to be duplicative of another 
program.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

               PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW

    Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or 
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's 
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the 
U.S. Constitution.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

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

        SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS

    None.