Committee Reports
109th Congress (2005-2006)
House Report 109-619
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Committee Reports for the 109th Congress | |
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49-006
2d Session
109-619
--ICE AGE FLOODS NATIONAL GEOLOGIC ROUTE DESIGNATION ACT OF 2006
[To accompany H.R. 383]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
- The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 383) to designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
- The amendments are as follows:
- Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
- This Act may be cited as the `Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route Designation Act of 2006'.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
- The purpose of this Act is to designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route in the States of Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, enabling the public to view, experience, and learn about the Ice Age Floods' features and story through the collaborative efforts of public and private entities.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
- As used in this Act:
- (1) ROUTE- The term `Route' means the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route designated in section 4.
- (2) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.
- (3) FLOODS- The term `Ice Age Floods' or `floods' means the cataclysmic floods that occurred in what is now the northwestern United States during the last Ice Age primarily from massive, rapid and recurring drainage of Glacial Lake Missoula.
SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF THE ICE AGE FLOODS NATIONAL GEOLOGIC ROUTE.
- (a) Designation- In order to provide for the public appreciation, education, understanding, and enjoyment, through a coordinated interpretive program of certain nationally significant natural and cultural sites associated with Ice Age Floods that are accessible generally by public roads, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, with the concurrence of the agency having jurisdiction over such roads, is authorized to designate, by publication of a map or other description thereof in the Federal Register, a vehicular tour route along existing public roads linking such natural and cultural sites. Such route shall be known as the `Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route'.
- (b) Location- The location of the Route shall generally follow public roads and highways from the vicinity of Missoula in western Montana, across northern Idaho, through eastern and southern sections of Washington, and across northern Oregon in the vicinity of the Willamette Valley and the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, as generally depicted on the map titled `Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trial', numbered P43/80,000, and dated June 2004.
- (c) Maps-
- (1) REVISIONS- The Secretary may revise the map by publication in the Federal Register of a notice of availability of a new map, as needed, in cooperation with Federal, State, local, or tribal governments, and other public or private entities.
- (2) AVAILABILITY- Any map referred to in paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
- (d) Description of Sites; Plan; Interpretive Program-
- (1) DESCRIPTION OF SITES; PLAN- Not later than 3 years after the date that funds become available for this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a description of sites along the Route and general plan which shall include the location and description of each of the following:
- (A) Unique geographic or geologic features and significant landforms.
- (B) Important cultural resources.
- (2) INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM- The general plan shall include proposals for a comprehensive interpretive program of the Route.
- (3) TRANSMISSION TO CONGRESS- The Secretary shall transmit the description of sites and general plan to the Committee on Resources of the United States House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate.
- (4) CONSULTATION- The description of sites and plan shall be prepared in consultation with other Federal agencies, the State of Montana, the State of Idaho, the State of Washington, and the State of Oregon, units of local governments, tribal governments, interested private citizens, and nonprofit organizations, and the Ice Age Floods Institute.
SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.
- (a) In General- The Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, shall administer a program to interpret the Route in accordance with this Act.
- (b) Public Education- With respect to sites linked by segments of the Route which are administered by other Federal, State, tribal, and local nonprofit or private entities, the Secretary is authorized to provide technical assistance in the development of interpretive devices and materials pursuant to cooperative agreements with such entities. The Secretary, in cooperation with Federal, State, tribal, or local governments or nonprofit or private entities, shall prepare and distribute information for the public appreciation of sites along the Route.
- (c) Markers- The Secretary shall ensure that the Route is marked with appropriate markers to guide the public. With the concurrence and assistance of the State, tribal, or local entity having jurisdiction over the roads designated as part of the Route, the Secretary may erect thereon signs and other informational devices displaying the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route marker. The Secretary is authorized to accept the donation of suitable signs and other informational devices for placement at appropriate locations.
- (d) Private Property Rights- Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require any private property owner to allow public access (including Federal, State or local government access) to such private property or to modify any provision of Federal, State or local law with regard to public access to or use of private lands.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
- There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $250,000 for each fiscal year to carry out this Act.
- Amend the title so as to read:
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 383, as ordered reported, is to designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Between 1.8 million and 10,000 years ago, North America was repeatedly glaciated. During the last Ice Age, a series of floods in the Pacific Northwest dramatically altered the geologic landscape of Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Glacial Lake Missoula was created, and when an ice dam failed periodically, floods rushed down the Columbia River creating the Columbia River Gorge and washing over Oregon's Willamette Valley and into the Pacific Ocean. The floods carved out miles of earth and created Grand Coulee, Dry Falls, Palouse Falls, the Missoula and Spokane ground-water resources, and the Willamette Valley and Quincy Basin.
In 2001, the National Park Service completed a Special Resource Study, which proposed that the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail be established. The bill requires that the Geologic Trail be administered by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, but the Trail would not be a unit of the National Park System.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 383 was introduced on January 26, 2005, by Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA). The bill was referred to the Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks. On July 13, 2006, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On July 19, 2006, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill, at which time the Subcommittee on National Parks was discharged from further consideration of the bill by unanimous consent. Congressman Stevan Pearce (R-NM) offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to refine the purpose and execution of the bill. The amendment clarified that H.R. 383 does not create a new unit, or entity, within the National Park System. The Park Service will be charged with administering only a program of education and interpretation. There will be no authority to acquire or manage public and private land. Also, the amendment reduced the authorization of appropriations from $500,000 to $250,000 annually. Finally, the name of the designation will be the `Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route' to conform with a similar program that currently exists and is administered by the National Park Service. The amendment in the nature of a substitute was adopted by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8, clause 3 of the Constitution of the United States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) 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)(3)(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.
2. 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.
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 designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, and for other purposes.
4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. 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:
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
H.R. 383--Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route Designation Act of 2006
H.R. 383 would establish the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route. The route would be primarily an auto route along existing highways and roads between Missoula, Montana, and the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Northwest, following the path of the Ice Age floods approximately 17,000 years ago. H.R. 383 would authorize the appropriation of $250,000 annually for the National Park Service (NPS) to identify the route with signs and markers, develop an interpretive program, and report to the Congress.
Assuming appropriation of the specified amount each year, CBO estimates that the NPS would spend $1.25 million over the 2007-2011 period to develop and maintain the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Route. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues or direct spending.
H.R. 383 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.
On October 5, 2005, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 206, the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Designation Act, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on September 28, 2005. Both pieces of legislation would establish an auto route along the path of the Ice Age floods but have different provisions. The Senate version would authorize the appropriation of $12 million for developing the trail; the House version would authorize the appropriation of $250,000 annually.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. The estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
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 make no changes to existing law.
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