59–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 110–127 

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK EXTENSION ACT OF 2007 

MAY 7, 2007.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 

Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. RAHALL, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1080] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 1080) to modify the boundaries of Grand Teton National 

Park to include certain land within the GT Park Subdivision, 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 H.R. 1080 is to modify the boundaries of Grand 

Teton National Park to include certain land located within the GT 

Park Subdivision. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 1080 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to expand the boundaries of the Grand Teton National Park to include 

approximately 50 acres that landowners in the Grand Teton Park 

Subdivision wish to donate to the park. 

The property is adjacent to the park’s eastern boundary and is 

visible from the park’s main road. According to the National Park 

Service, the land is similar in character and quality to the adjacent 

park lands and offers unobstructed views of the Teton Range across 

the broad valley of Jackson Hole. 

One lot in the subdivision is owned by the Gerald Halpin family. 

The remaining seven lots were donated by the Halpin family to private organizations, including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Park Foundation, and the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. 


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All of these owners would like to donate their land to the park, 

but the parcels lie outside the existing park boundary. The 1950 

law creating the park includes a provision forbidding expansion of 

any national park or monument in Wyoming without the express 

authorization of Congress. 

H.R. 1080 would authorize the Secretary to accept the donation 

of lands within the subdivision and, upon acquisition, adjust the 

boundary of Grand Teton National Park. The bill would prohibit 

the future sale, donation, exchange or other transfer of the acquired land without congressional approval. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1080 was introduced on February 15, 2007, by Representative Barbara Cubin (R–WY). 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 

April 19, 2007, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. It was 

adopted, without amendment, by voice vote. The bill was then forwarded to the Full Committee. On May 2, 2007 the Full Natural 

Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The bill as introduced was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 provides that this Act may be cited as the ‘‘Grand 

Teton National Park Extension Act of 2007.’’ 

Section 2. Definitions 

Section 2 defines the terms of the bill, including defining the 

area to be added to the park as approximately 49.67 acres within 

the GT Park Subdivision, as generally depicted on a plat recorded 

in the Office of the Teton County Clerk and Recorder on December 

16, 1997. 

Section 3. Acquisition of land 

Section 3 would permit the Secretary of the Interior to accept 

from any willing donor the donation of any land or interest in land 

within the defined Subdivision. 

Upon acquisition of any land or an interest in land acquired 

under subsection (a), the Secretary is directed to include the land 

or interest in land within the boundaries of the Grand Teton National Park; and to administer the land or interest as part of the 

Park, in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. 

The section also directs that the transfer be completed within 

one (1) year of the date of enactment, and forbids the Secretary 

from donating, selling, exchanging or otherwise transferring any 

land acquired under the bill without express authorization from 

Congress. 

Section 4. Authorization of appropriations 

Section 4 authorizes such sums as are necessary to carry out the 

Act. 


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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. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 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 modify the boundaries of Grand Teton National 

Park to include certain land located within the GT Park Subdivision. 

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: 

H.R. 1080—Grand Teton National Park Extension Act of 2007 

H.R. 1080 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to accept 

the donation of about 50 acres of land in Wyoming. Once acquired, 

the property would become part of the Grand Teton National Park 

under the administration of the National Park Service. Subject to 

the availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1080 would cost less than $500,000, mostly for surveys and appraisals. Enacting this legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

have no significant impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal 

governments. 

On February 8, 2007, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 

277, the Grand Teton National Park Extension Act of 2007, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources on January 31, 2007. S. 277 and H.R. 1080 are identical, 

as are the cost estimates. 


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The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

H.R. 1080 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e) 

or (f) of rule XXI. 

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. 

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