39–006 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 109–108 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY 

ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2005 

JUNE 8, 2005.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. POMBO, from the Committee on Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 774] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 774) to adjust the boundary of Rocky Mountain National 

Park in the State of Colorado, 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. 774 is to adjust the boundary of Rocky 

Mountain National Park in the State of Colorado. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 774 authorizes a land exchange between the National Park 

Service (NPS) and a private landowner. The exchange is necessary 

so the NPS can relocate a road and parking area for a popular visitor use area in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The current 

road crosses a portion of the MacGregor Ranch and was originally 

designed to serve a single residence and is inadequate for the increasingly popular area. The federal land to be exchanged is suitable for grazing and is needed by MacGregor Ranch. 

The MacGregor Ranch will receive 70 acres in return for its 5.9 

acres because its land is suitable for residential use and therefore 

of higher per acre value than the NPS land. The NPS will retain 

a conservation easement on the land transferred to the Ranch 

which allows grazing, but prohibits construction of buildings. 

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COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 774 was introduced on February 10, 2005, by Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO). The bill was referred to the 

Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks. On May 12, 2005, the Subcommittee 

on National Parks held a hearing on H.R. 774. On May 18, 2005, 

the Full Committee on Resources met to consider the bill, at which 

time the Subcommittee was discharged from further consideration 

by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered and H.R. 774 

was ordered favorably reported to the House 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 Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in 

the body of this report. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8, and Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution 

of the United States grant 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. 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. 

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. 774—Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Adjustment 

Act of 2005 

H.R. 774 would direct the National Park Service (NPS) to convey 

to a private landowner about 70 acres of federal land within the 

boundaries of the Rocky Mountain National Park in exchange for 

about 6 acres of property adjacent to the park. Once acquired by 

the NPS, the new property would be added to the national park 

and developed as an access site. 

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Based on information provided by the NPS, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 774 would cost about $1 million over the next 

year or two, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. This 

amount would be used to complete the required land exchange and 

construct facilities such as a parking lot, access road, and a rest 

area on the newly acquired property. Enacting H.R. 774 would not 

affect revenues or direct spending. For this estimate, CBO assumes 

that the properties to be exchanged would be determined by NPS 

to be roughly equal in value. 

H.R. 774 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Refonn Act and would 

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

governments. 

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. 

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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