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112th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 112-218
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HALE SCOUTS ACT
_______
September 23, 2011.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural
Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 473]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 473) to provide for the conveyance of
approximately 140 acres of land in the Ouachita National Forest
in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy
Scouts of America, 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 ``Help to Access Land for the Education
of Scouts'' or ``HALE Scouts Act''.
SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE, OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST, OKLAHOMA.
(a) Finding.--Congress finds that it is in the public interest to
provide for the sale of certain federally owned land in the Ouachita
National Forest in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations Council, Inc., of the
Boy Scouts of America, for market value consideration.
(b) Conveyance Required.--Subject to valid existing rights, the
Secretary of Agriculture shall convey, by quitclaim deed, to the Indian
Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America (in this section
referred to as the ``Council'') all right, title, and interest of the
United States in and to certain National Forest System land in the
Ouachita National Forest in the State of Oklahoma consisting of
approximately 140 acres, depending on the final measurement of the road
set back and the actual size of the affected sections, as more fully
described in subsection (c). The conveyance may not include any land
located within the Indian Nations National Scenic and Wildlife Area
designated by section 10 of the Winding Stair Mountain National
Recreation and Wilderness Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460vv-8).
(c) Covered Lands.--The National Forest System land to be conveyed
under subsection (b) is depicted on the map entitled ``Boy Scout Land
Request--Ouachita NF''. The map shall be on file and available for
public inspection in the Forest Service Regional Office in Atlanta,
Georgia.
(d) Consideration.--As consideration for the land conveyed under
subsection (b), the Council shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal
to the fair market value of the land, as determined by an appraisal
approved by the Secretary and done in conformity with the Uniform
Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions and section 206 of
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716).
(e) Survey and Administrative Costs.--The exact acreage and legal
description of the land to be conveyed under subsection (b) shall be
determined by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary. The Council shall
pay the reasonable costs of survey, appraisal, and any administrative
analyses required by law.
(f) Access.--Access to the land conveyed under subsection (b) shall
be from the adjacent land of the Council or its successor.
Notwithstanding section 1323(a) of the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3210(a)), the Secretary shall not be
required to provide additional access to the conveyed land.
(g) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may prescribe
such terms and conditions on the conveyance under subsection (b) as the
Secretary considers in the public interest, including the reservation
of access rights to the conveyed land for administrative purposes.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 473, as ordered reported, is to provide
for the conveyance of approximately 140 acres of land in the
Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations
Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Indian Nations Council Boy Scout Camp Tom Hale is
currently on 480 acres located within the Ouachita National
Forest. Since 1963, hundreds of thousands of Boy Scouts have
camped at this site. H.R. 473 would direct the Agriculture
Secretary to sell 140 acres of federal land adjacent to Camp
Hale to the Council. The legislation also requires that the
land be appraised in conformity with the Uniform Appraisal
Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions and shall be sold for
market value. In addition, the Boy Scouts will pay for
appraisals, surveys and other administrative costs occurred
during the transaction. These additional acres will allow the
Boy Scouts to accommodate more campers and allow a larger array
of activities at the camp.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 473 was introduced on January 26, 2011, by Congressman
Dan Boren (D-OK). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On June 14, 2011,
the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
held a hearing on the bill. On July 20, 2011, the Full
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands was discharged by
unanimous consent. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT) offered an
amendment; the amendment was adopted by unanimous consent. The
bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House
of Representatives by unanimous consent.
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. 473--HALE Scouts Act
H.R. 473 would require the Secretary of Agriculture to
convey, at fair market value, approximately 140 acres of land
in the Ouachita National Forest, Oklahoma, to the Indian
Nations Council, Inc. (a chartered council of the Boy Scouts of
America). Based on information provided by the Forest Service,
CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have no
significant impact on the federal budget.
Enacting H.R. 473 would reduce direct spending; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Under the bill, proceeds from
the sale of the affected land, which CBO estimates would total
less than $300,000, would be deposited in the Treasury as
offsetting receipts (a credit against direct spending).
Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues. Because the
council would be required to pay any administrative costs
associated with the conveyance, CBO also estimates that
implementing the legislation would not affect spending subject
to appropriation.
H.R. 473 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.
This estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, 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. CBO estimates that
implementing the legislation would have no significant impact
on the federal budget. Enacting H.R. 473 would reduce direct
spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Under the
bill, proceeds from the sale of the affected land, which CBO
estimates would total less than $300,000, would be deposited in
the Treasury as offsetting receipts (a credit against direct
spending). Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues.
CBO also estimates that implementing the legislation would not
affect spending subject to appropriation.
3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does
not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not
apply.
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.
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 in existing
law.
