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112th Congress } { Report
2d Session } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES { 112-432
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WALLOWA FOREST SERVICE COMPOUND CONVEYANCE ACT
_______
April 16, 2012.--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 S. 271]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (S. 271) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to
enter into a property conveyance with the city of Wallowa,
Oregon, and for other purposes, having considered the same,
report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that
the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of S. 271 is to require the Secretary of
Agriculture to enter into a property conveyance with the city
of Wallowa, Oregon.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
In 1936, the city of Wallowa, Oregon, donated to the U.S.
Forest Service approximately one acre of land in downtown
Wallowa where the Forest Service sought to construct a ranger
station and associated buildings. The Civilian Conservation
Corps subsequently built a number of facilities on the site.
The site was used for many decades by the Forest Service, but
now sits vacant and has accumulated hundreds of thousands of
dollars in deferred maintenance needs. A local nonprofit
organization has proposed using the compound for local
historical and cultural preservation, interpretation, and
education. The Forest Service recently identified the property
for sale under the Forest Service Facility Realignment and
Enhancement Act, which requires fair market value for any
conveyance. S. 271 would require the Secretary of Agriculture,
at the request of the city of Wallowa, to convey the parcel
consisting of approximately 1.11 acres to the city without
consideration.
COMMITTEE ACTION
S. 271 was introduced on February 3, 2011, by Senator Ron
Wyden (D-OR). On November 2, 2011, the bill passed the Senate
by unanimous consent. The bill was then referred to the House
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On
February 3, 2012, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill.
On February 29, 2012, the Full Natural Resources Committee met
to consider S. 271. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands was discharged by unanimous consent. No
amendments were offered to the bill and the bill was then
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by
voice vote.
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:
S. 271--Wallowa Forest Service Compound Conveyance Act
S. 271 would direct the Forest Service to convey, without
consideration, about 1 acre of land and improvements in Oregon
to the city of Wallowa. Based on information provided by the
Forest Service, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation
would have no significant net effect on the federal budget.
Enacting S. 271 would affect direct spending; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Because the affected land (and
related structures) would probably have been sold under
existing authority, enacting the legislation would reduce
offsetting receipts. However, because the Forest Service can
spend those receipts, the loss in receipts would be offset by
lower direct spending of a similar amount. (CBO estimates that
the value of the land is less than $500,000.) Enacting S. 271
would not affect revenues.
S. 271 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 July 28, 2011, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S.
271, the Wallowa Forest Service Compound Conveyance Act, as
ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources on July 14, 2011. The two versions of the legislation
are similar, and the CBO cost estimates are the same.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The
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, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures. Enacting S. 271 would affect
direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply.
Because the affected land (and related structures) would
probably have been sold under existing authority, enacting the
legislation would reduce offsetting receipts. However, because
the Forest Service can spend those receipts, the loss in
receipts would be offset by lower direct spending of a similar
amount. (CBO estimates that the value of the land is less than
$500,000.) Enacting S. 271 would not affect revenues.
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 require the Secretary of
Agriculture to enter into a property conveyance with the city
of Wallowa, Oregon.
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 as defined under
Public Law 104-4.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any local or tribal
law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.
