[Senate Report 117-61]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 258
117th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 117-61
======================================================================
SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO NATIONAL MONUMENT BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT
_______
January 31, 2022.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Manchin, from the Committee on Energy and National Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1317]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 1317), to modify the boundary of the
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in the State of
Arizona, and for other purposes, having considered the same,
reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that
the bill do pass.
PURPOSE
The purpose of S. 1317 is to modify the boundary of the
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in the State of
Arizona.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
President Hoover issued a proclamation on May 26, 1930
establishing Sunset Crater National Monument in order to
protect the area's unique geologic formations. The monument,
created from and surrounded by the Coconino National Forest in
Arizona, was administered by the United States Forest Service
for three years until it was transferred to the National Park
Service in 1933. In 1990, with the passage of Public Law 101-
612, the monument was redesignated as Sunset Crater Volcano
National Monument.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument protects
approximately 3,040 acres and contains the youngest, least-
eroded cinder cone in the San Francisco Volcanic Field at the
site of the Colorado Plateau's most recent volcanic eruption
which occurred 900 years ago. This dormant volcano, and its
relatively undeveloped landscape, provide a unique opportunity
to study plant succession and ecological change in an arid
volcanic landscape.
The land that would be added to the monument is currently
part of the Coconino National Forest and includes a National
Park Service visitor center, park administrative facilities,
and a section of Forest Service Road 545, which connects the
entrance kiosk and the administrative area to the national
monument. At present, the National Park Service operates these
facilities and maintains the road through an interagency
agreement with the Forest Service.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Senators Kelly and Sinema introduced S. 1317 on April 22,
2021. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the
bill on June 23, 2021. Representatives DeGette, Neguse, Crow,
and Perlmutter introduced a related bill, H.R. 803, on February
4, 2021. H.R. 803 passed the House of Representatives by a vote
of 227 to 200 on February 26, 2021.
In the 116th Congress, Senators McSally and Sinema
introduced a similar bill, S. 4569, on September 15, 2020. The
bill had one additional cosponsor, Senator Kelly. The
Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a
hearing on S. 4569 on November 18, 2020, but no further action
was taken on the bill.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in
open business session on November 18, 2021, by a majority voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S.
1317. Senator Lee asked to be recorded as voting no.
SUMMARY
S. 1317 would transfer to the National Park Service
administrative jurisdiction over the approximately 98 acres of
land currently administered by the Forest Service and revise
the boundary of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument to
include this land.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The Congressional Budget Office has not estimated the costs
of S. 1317 as passed by the Senate. The Committee has
requested, but has not yet received, the Congressional Budget
Office's estimate of the cost of S. 1317 as ordered reported.
When the Congressional Budget Office completes its cost
estimate, it will be posted on the Internet at www.cbo.gov.
REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 1317. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses. No personal information would be collected in
administering the program. Therefore, there would be no impact
on personal privacy. Little, if any, additional paperwork would
result from the enactment of S. 1317, as ordered reported.
CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING
S. 1317, as ordered reported, does not contain any
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits,
or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The testimonies provided by the Department of the Interior
and the Department of Agriculture at the June 23, 2021, hearing
on S. 1317 follow:
Statement of Michael A. Caldwell, Acting Associate Director, Park
Planning, Facilities and Lands, National Park Service, U.S. Department
of the Interior
Chairman King, Ranking Member Daines, and members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide the
Department of the Interior's views on S. 1317, a bill to modify
the boundary of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in the
State of Arizona, and for other purposes. The Department
supports S. 1317.
S. 1317 would transfer to the National Park Service (NPS)
administrative jurisdiction over approximately 97.71 acres of
land currently administered by the U.S. Forest Service and
revise the boundary of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
to include this land. The land that would be added to the
monument is currently part of the Coconino National Forest and
includes an NPS visitor center, park administrative facilities,
and a section of Forest Service Road 545 which connects the NPS
entrance kiosk and the administrative area to the Monument. At
present, the NPS operates these facilities and maintains Forest
Service Road 545 through an interagency agreement with the U.S.
Forest Service.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument protects
approximately 3,040 acres containing the youngest, least-eroded
cinder cone in the San Francisco Volcanic Field at the site of
the Colorado Plateau's most recent volcanic eruption which
occurred 900 years ago. This dormant volcano, and its
relatively undeveloped landscape, provide a unique opportunity
to study plant succession and ecological change in an arid
volcanic landscape.
Sunset Crater National Monument was established by
President Herbert Hoover by Presidential Proclamation 1911 on
May 26, 1930, in order to protect the area's unique geologic
formations. The monument, created from and surrounded by the
Coconino National Forest, was administered by the. U.S. Forest
Service for three years until it was transferred to the NPS in
1933. In 1990, with the passage of Public Law 101-612, the
monument was redesignated as Sunset Crater Volcano National
Monument.
This legislation would provide for an increase in
efficiency by removing administrative burdens stemming from the
need to operate NPS facilities under an interagency agreement.
The NPS has used this land to support the management of the
monument for decades. Currently, administration of the area is
complicated for both agencies. For example, any ground
disturbing activity within the area requires compliance efforts
and approval by both agencies. This change in land
administration is supported locally among city and county
officials.
Chairman King, that concludes my statement. I would be
happy to answer any questions you or other members of the
Subcommittee may have.
Statement of Jennifer Eberlien, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest
System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
Chairman King, Ranking Member Daines, and Members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the
views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding S.
1317, the ``Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Boundary
Adjustment Act.''
This bill modifies the boundary of the Sunset Crater
Volcano National Monument in Arizona to include approximately
98 acres of identified National Forest System land immediately
adjacent to the Monument. The bill transfers administrative
jurisdiction over the land from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Forest Service, Coconino National Forest, to the
Department of the Interior, National Park Service. The bill
directs the National Park Service to administer the land as
part of the Monument.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service
supports the proposed boundary adjustment from the Coconino
National Forest to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. The
adjustment will allow better management of natural resources
and topographic features that pertain to the Monument; provide
clear jurisdiction to better serve the public; and provide a
stronger basis for cooperation between the two agencies.
The Coconino National Forest land management plan allows
for boundary adjustments and includes management approaches to
partner with the National Park Service to study, protect, and
monitor heritage resource sites, and manage recreation near the
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Furthermore, the land
management plan Final Environmental Impact Statement noted the
continued need for coordination on potential interagency land
transfers in the future. The Forest Service will continue to
work with the National Park Service on all desired conditions
including for threatened and endangered species habitat,
archeological resources, wetlands and riparian areas, and key
recreation access points.
The proposed adjustment includes an administrative area
that contains maintenance facilities and park housing, a
National Park Service visitor center, and a section of road
that connects the entrance kiosk and the administrative area to
the National Monument. Because existing use authorizations by
the Forest Service have allowed the National Park Service to
occupy this National Forest System land for many years, we
believe it is appropriate for the National Park Service to be
responsible for environmental conditions existing on the
transferred property.
The National Park Service currently operates under an
Interagency Agreement whereby any ground disturbing activity in
the administrative area requires prior approval by the Forest
Service. The proposed boundary adjustment would eliminate this
requirement and thus remove a significant compliance burden for
both agencies. Otherwise, no existing special uses would be
impacted, and Forest Service looks forward to working with the
Committee to ensure multiple uses would not be affected by the
proposed boundary adjustment. Thank you for the opportunity to
provide a statement on this legislation.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the bill as ordered
reported.
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