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[House Report 110-736]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

110th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     110-736

======================================================================

 
   WASHINGTON-ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL 
                            DESIGNATION ACT

                                _______
                                

  July 8, 2008.--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. 1286]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 1286) to amend the National Trails System Act to 
designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 
National Historic Trail, 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 ``Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary 
Route National Historic Trail Designation Act''.

SEC. 2. ADDITION TO NATIONAL SCENIC AND NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS.

  Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
  ``(__) Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic 
Trail.--
          ``(A) In general.--The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary 
        Route National Historic Trail, a corridor of approximately 600 
        miles following the route taken by the armies of General George 
        Washington and Count Rochambeau between Newport, Rhode Island, 
        and Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 and 1782, as generally depicted 
        on the map titled `Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 
        National Historic Trail', numbered T01/80,001, and dated June, 
        2007.
          ``(B) Map.--The map referred to in subparagraph (A) shall be 
        on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
        offices of the National Park Service.
          ``(C) Administration.--The trail shall be administered by the 
        Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with--
                  ``(i) other Federal, State, tribal, regional, and 
                local agencies; and
                  ``(ii) the private sector.
          ``(D) Land acquisition.--The United States shall not acquire 
        for the trail any land or interest in land outside the exterior 
        boundary of any federally-managed area without the consent of 
        the owner of the land or interest in land.''.

SEC. 3. ENERGY.

  Nothing in the amendment made by section 2 of this Act shall prohibit 
or hinder the development, production, conveyance, or transmission of 
energy.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of H.R. 1286 is to amend the National Trails 
System Act to designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary 
Route National Historic Trail.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    H.R. 1286 would designate an approximately 600-mile 
national historic trail tracing the routes taken by Continental 
and French troops marching from New England to face the British 
Army at Yorktown, Virginia.
    In 1780, as part of the alliance with the 13 colonies 
seeking to overthrow British rule, France sent an army to the 
aid of General George Washington as he prepared for a decisive 
campaign against General Charles Lord Cornwallis. General Jean 
Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de (Count) Rochambeau sailed 
into Newport, Rhode Island, at the head of the Expedition 
Particuliere, an army of 450 officers and 5,300 men.
    After wintering in Newport, Rochambeau's army marched 
through Rhode Island and Connecticut in June and July of 1781, 
and joined General George Washington's 4,000-man Continental 
Army in Philipsburg, New York. The American and French troops 
took a combination of strategic roads and waterways from 
Philipsburg through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, 
Maryland, the future District of Columbia, and Virginia, 
reaching Williamsburg in late September 1781.
    With a French fleet blocking the Chesapeake, barring 
British reinforcements from New York or a sea escape for 
Cornwallis' army, Washington and Rochambeau's three-week siege 
of Yorktown ended in Cornwallis' surrender to Washington on 
October 19, 1781. After their victory, Washington and the 
Continentals returned to defend northern posts while Rochambeau 
and his troops wintered in Williamsburg prior to marching north 
the following summer. Both armies were warmly celebrated by the 
towns and cities along their return routes.
    A study by the National Park Service, authorized by the 
106th Congress (Public Law 106-473), examined the corridor 
along that historic march and concluded that the trail is 
suitable and feasible for designation as a national historic 
trail under the National Trails System Act. The National Park 
Service's preferred alternative, which the bill implements, 
outlines a route that mostly follows existing public roads; 
some segments are on public lands (especially lands owned by 
local jurisdictions) or near publicly regulated navigable 
waters. While the historic route does cross some private lands, 
the NPS study states ``No federal acquisition of lands or 
interests in lands is proposed or anticipated. . . . Management 
of the trail would depend on cooperative partnerships.''

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 1286 was introduced on March 21, 2007, by 
Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY). 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 October 30, 2007, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the 
bill, at which a representative of the National Park Service 
testified that the Administration supports H.R. 1286.
    On June 25, 2008, the Full Natural Resources Committee met 
to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Forests and Public Lands was discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 1286. Subcommittee Chairman Raul Grijalva 
(D-AZ) offered an amendment to update the map citation. The 
amendment was agreed to by voice vote. Representative Robert J. 
Wittman (R-VA) offered an amendment to clarify that the 
designation of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 
National Historic Trail shall neither prohibit nor hinder the 
development, production, conveyance or transmission of energy. 
The amendment was agreed to by voice vote. The bill as amended 
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.

                   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 amend the National Trails System 
Act to designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 
National Historic Trail.
    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. 1286--Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic 
        Trail Designation Act

    H.R. 1286 would amend the National Trails System Act to 
designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route as a 
National Historic Trail. The route spans over 600 miles across 
nine states and the District of Columbia and traces the marches 
taken by the American and French armies during the Yorktown 
campaign of the Revolutionary War. The National Park Service 
(NPS) would administer the trail and coordinate the efforts of 
public and private entities on trail administration, planning, 
development, and maintenance.
    Based on information provided by the NPS and assuming the 
availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that 
establishing, developing, and administering the proposed 
historic trail would cost about $2 million over the 2009-2013 
period. Of this amount, we estimate that the NPS would spend 
about $300,000 over the next three years to prepare a 
comprehensive management plan for the trail. In addition, we 
estimate that the NPS would spend about $350,000 annually 
beginning in 2010 to operate and maintain the interpretive 
program for trail visitors.
    The bill 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 contacts for this estimate are Deborah Reis 
and Matthew Pickford. The estimate was approved by Theresa 
Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    Compliance With Public Law 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           Earmark Statement

    H.R. 1286 does not contain any congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
clause 9(d), 9(e) or 9(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 Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

SECTION 5 OF THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

             NATIONAL SCENIC AND NATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAILS

  Sec. 5. (a) National scenic and national historic trails 
shall be authorized and designated only by Act of Congress. 
There are hereby established the following National Scenic and 
National Historic Trails:
  (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (__) Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National 
Historic Trail.--
          (A) In general.--The Washington-Rochambeau 
        Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, a corridor 
        of approximately 600 miles following the route taken by 
        the armies of General George Washington and Count 
        Rochambeau between Newport, Rhode Island, and Yorktown, 
        Virginia, in 1781 and 1782, as generally depicted on 
        the map titled ``Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary 
        Route National Historic Trail'', numbered T01/80,001, 
        and dated June, 2007.
          (B) Map.--The map referred to in subparagraph (A) 
        shall be on file and available for public inspection in 
        the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
          (C) Administration.--The trail shall be administered 
        by the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 
        with--
                  (i) other Federal, State, tribal, regional, 
                and local agencies; and
                  (ii) the private sector.
          (D) Land acquisition.--The United States shall not 
        acquire for the trail any land or interest in land 
        outside the exterior boundary of any federally-managed 
        area without the consent of the owner of the land or 
        interest in land.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                                  
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