79–010

Calendar No. 741

106TH CONGRESS REPORT

2d Session " ! SENATE 106–377

ADDITION OF LAND TO SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK

AUGUST 25, 2000.—Ordered to be printed

Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of July 26, 2000

Mr. MURKOWSKI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural

Resources, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 2279]

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was

referred the bill (S. 2279) to authorize the addition of land to Sequoia National Park, and for other purposes, having considered the

same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.

The amendment is as follows:

On page 2, line 5, amend subsection (c) to read as follows:

‘‘(c) ADDITION TO PARK.—Upon acquisition of the land

under subsection (a)—

‘‘(1) the Secretary of the Interior shall—

‘‘(A) modify the boundaries of Sequoia National

Park to include the land within the park; and

‘‘(B) administer the land as part of Sequoia National Park in accordance with all applicable laws;

and

‘‘(2) The Secretary of Agriculture shall modify the

boundaries of the Sequoia National Forest to exclude

the land from the forest boundaries.’’.

PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE

The purpose of S. 2279 is to authorize the addition of approximately 1,540 acres of land to Sequoia National Park.

BACKGROUND AND NEED

The 1,540 acre Dillonwood Grove is the largest privately owned

stand of giant sequoia trees anywhere in the world, and borders

the southern boundary of Sequoia National Park in California.

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Dillonwood is the southern extension of the Garfield Grove, which

is located within the park. The Garfield/Dillonwood grove ranks

among the five groves in the world in total number of mature sequoia trees. Much of the Dillonwood section of the combined grove

is a vigorous young forest, a result of natural regeneration after

past sequoia logging. The grove also contains a number of surviving

monarch specimens.

Dillonwood’s locale is primarily on steep terrain ranging in elevation from 5,400 to 8,000 feet. It is accessible in good weather by

a dirt road that extends to the park boundary. Aside from its

boundary with Sequoia National Park, Dillonwood is entirely surrounded by national forest land.

The owner of the property has decided to sell the land, and has

expressed a strong desire to have it added to Sequoia National

Park. The Save-the-Redwoods League has negotiated an option to

purchase Dillonwood for $10 million with the intent of subsequently selling the property to the Federal Government. Since

Dillonwood is located outside of the boundaries of Sequoia National

Park and is considered an inholding within the adjacent national

forest, legislation is needed to authorize the addition of the grove

to the park.

S. 2279 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the

Dillonwood Grove and modify the boundaries of Sequoia National

Park so that the land can be administered as part of the park.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

At the business meeting on July 13, 2000, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 2279 favorably reported, as

amended.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on July 13, 2000, by a majority vote of a quorum

present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2279, if amended as

described herein.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

During the consideration of S. 2279, the Committee adopted an

amendment to clarify that both the Secretary of the Interior and

the Secretary of Agriculture are directed to adjust the boundaries

of the lands under their respective jurisdictions. The amendment is

necessary because the Dillonwood property is located within the

boundaries of the Sequoia National Forest, so that both the park

and forest boundaries must be adjusted to reflect its inclusion in

the park.

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 directs the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the land

described in the specified map reference. The land is to be added

to Sequoia National Park, and the park boundary modified to include the land. The boundaries of the Sequoia National Forest are

to be adjusted to exclude the land.

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COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office:

U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, July 19, 2000.

Hon. FRANK H. MURKOWSKI, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2279, a bill to authorize the

addition of land to Sequoia National Park, and for other purposes.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.

Sincerely,

BARRY B. ANDERSON

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).

Enclosure.

S.2279—A bill to authorize the addition of land to Sequoia National Park, and for other purposes

S. 2279 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to acquire by

donation, purchase, or exchange about 1,540 acres of land in California known as Dillonwood Grove. Once acquired, the acreage

would be added to the boundaries of Sequoia National Park and administered as part of the park.

Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts and based on

information provided by the National Park Service, CBO estimates

that purchasing Dillonwood Grove would cost the federal government about $10 million in fiscal year 2001. Managing the additional acreage would not have any significant cost.

S. 2279 would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore,

pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. The bill contains no private-sector or intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform 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. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out

S. 2279. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing Government-established standards or significant economic responsibilities on private individuals and businesses.

No personal information would be collected in administering the

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy.

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 2279, as ordered reported.

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EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Legislative reports from the Department of the Interior and the

Office of Management and Budget setting forth Executive agency

recommendations on S. 2279 had not been received at the time the

report on S. 2279 was filed. When the reports become available, the

Chairman will request that they be printed in the Congressional

Record for the advice of the Senate. The testimony provided by the

National Park Service at the Subcommittee hearing follows:

STATEMENT OF JACQUELINE LOWEY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR,

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Thank you for the opportunity to present the position of

the Department of the Interior on S. 2279, a bill to authorize the addition of land to Sequoia National Park. The Department supports Congressional efforts to protect the

land that is the subject of this bill.

Acquisition of the 1,540-acre Dillonwood parcel would

provide opportunities for research and conservation management, as well as recreational activities. The fact that it

is contiguous to the Garfield Grove in Sequoia National

Park would enhance these opportunities. Ranging in elevation from approximately 5,000–7,800 feet and adjacent

to the southern boundary of Sequoia National Park,

Dillonwood contains waterfalls on the Tule River, remote

alpine locations, and magnificent vistas of the San Joaquin

Valley. Dillonwood provides habitat for a number of

threatened and sensitive species, including the California

spotted owl, and the Pacific fisher. It is adjacent to an historical roost for the California condor. It is also populated

by mountain lions and black bears. Bears have been frequently poached to harvest bear gall bladders for the foreign aphrodisiac market. The current owners have worked

to eliminate this practice. The property is estimated to cost

over $10,000,000. We expect that private contributions

could make up at least fifty percent of this purchase price.

S. 2279 would extend the boundary of Sequoia National

Park to include the Dillonwood parcel. The park was established in 1890 to ‘‘perpetuate the environment in a natural state for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.’’

Several areas have been added to the park since 1890, including the Mineral King Area, formerly of the Sequoia

National Forest, which was added to the park in 1978. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are managed as

one entity, covering over 864,411 acres. Preservation of the

unique giant sequoia trees, native to the western slope of

the Sierra Nevada, was and continues to be a primary purpose of the park. As noted above, the 1,540 acre parcel contains part of the Dillonwood sequoia grove that is an extension of the Garfield Grove, which is located within the

park. The majority of the Dillonwood grove is within the

boundary of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The

combined Garfield/Dillonwood Grove ranks among the top

five groves in total number of mature sequoia trees and is

larger than the world-famous Giant Forest Grove.

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The Dillonwood Grove, which was logged between the

1880s–1950s, contains both ancient, old-growth monarchs

and extensive stands of healthy, young sequoias. The diverse second-growth forest, which reproduced after the logging, contrasts dramatically with some of the older groves

that have been protected within the park for over a century. Fire suppression in the park between the turn of the

century and the 1960s impaired the regeneration of giant

sequoias.

The Dillonwood Grove is presently within the boundary

of the Giant Sequoia National Monument, proclaimed by

President Clinton on April 15, 2000. The Presidential Proclamation provides that any land acquired by the Federal

government within this boundary would become part of

the National Monument. The President’s budget for the

United States Forest Service also includes $4 million toward the purchase of the Dillonwood Grove.

We believe the resources of the Dillonwood Grove are

worthy of protection and we would be pleased to work with

the Committee on the appropriate ways of preserving

these resources for the enjoyment of future generations.

This concludes my testimony. I would be happy to answer any of your questions.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 2279, as ordered reported.

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