89–006

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 107–224

METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL STUDY

ACT OF 2001

SEPTEMBER 28, 2001.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the

State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. HANSEN, from the Committee on Resources,

submitted the following

R E P O R T

[To accompany H.R. 1814]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill

(H.R. 1814) to amend the National Trails System Act to designate

the Metacomet-Monadnock-Sunapee-Mattabesett Trail extending

through western New Hampshire, western Massachusetts, and central Connecticut for study for potential addition to the National

Trails System, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the bill as amended do

pass.

The amendments are as follows:

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail Study Act

of 2001’’.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL FOR STUDY FOR

POTENTIAL ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM.

Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(c)) is amended by

adding at the end the following new paragraph:

‘‘(ll) METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL.—The Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail, a system of trails and potential trails extending southward

approximately 180 miles through western Massachusetts on the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, across central Connecticut on the Metacomet Trail and the Mattabesett

Trail, and ending at Long Island Sound.’’.

SEC. 3. EXPEDITED REPORT TO CONGRESS.

Notwithstanding the fourth sentence of section 5(b) of the National Trails System

Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(b)), the Secretary of the Interior shall submit the study required

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by the amendment made by section 2 to Congress not later than two years after

the date of the enactment of this Act.

Amend the title so as to read:

A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail extending through western Massachusetts and central

Connecticut for study for potential addition to the National Trails System.

The purpose of H.R. 1814, as ordered reported, is to amend the

National Trails Systems Act to designate the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trial extending through western Massachusetts

and central Connecticut for study for potential addition to the National Trails System.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Established in the 1920s and 1930s, the Metacomet Trail (51

miles in Connecticut), Mattabesett Trail (54 miles in Connecticut),

Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (117 miles in Massachusetts), and the

Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail (50 miles in New Hampshire)

connect to provide the New England area of the United States with

approximately 260 miles of trails. These trails connect the public

with important cultural, historical, and recreational sites and scenery unique to the Northeast, such as unusual geologic formations,

traprock ledges and overlooks. Currently, these trails are used by

backpackers, local hikers, cross country skiing, and joggers. These

trails also transverse a number of early native American settlements and the Connecticut River Valley. The Monadnock-Sunapee

Greenway begins approximately 30 miles from Appalachian Trail

and the Mattabesett Trail is approximately ten miles from Long Island Sound. The National Park Service study authorized in H.R.

1814 will examine the three existing trails, as well as opportunities

to extend the trail through these remaining gaps.

Congressman John W. Olver (D–MA) and the other Members

from New England are seeking the National Trail status for these

trails to increase protection from encroaching development. In addition, the National Trail designation offers the possibility of federal

funds as well as technical assistance from the National Park Service.

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1814 was introduced on May 10, 2001, by Congressman

John W. Olver (D–MA). The bill was referred to the Committee on

Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. On July 24, 2001, the

Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On July 31, 2001, the

Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. No amendments were offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the Full Committee by voice vote. On September 12, 2001, the Full Resources

Committee met to consider the bill. Congressman Joel Hefley (R–

CO) offered an amendment at the request of Congressman Charlie

Bass (R–NH) to strike all references to the Sunapee portion (i.e.,

the New Hampshire portion) of the trail to be studied by the National Park Service. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

The bill, as amended, was then ordered favorably reported to the

House of Representatives by voice vote.

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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 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(b)(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.

U.S. CONGRESS,

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE,

Washington, DC, September 21, 2001.

Hon. JAMES V. HANSEN,

Chairman, Committee on Resources,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1814, the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail Study Act of 2001.

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.

Sincerely,

BARRY B. ANDERSON

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).

Enclosure.

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H.R. 1814—Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail Study Act of

2001

H.R. 1814 would amend the National Trails System Act to add

a network of trails in the northeastern United States to the list of

routes to be studied for possible inclusion in the National Trails

System. The Secretary of the Interior would have two years to conduct a study of the 180-mile Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett

trail system in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Based on information provided by the National Park Service and

assuming appropriation of the necessary amount, CBO estimates

that it would cost the federal government $270,000 over the next

two years to conduct the required study and report to Congress on

its findings. H.R. 1814 would not affect direct spending or receipts;

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined

in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impost no costs

on 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.

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

The 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) * * *

* * * * * * *

(c) The following routes shall be studied in accordance with the

objectives outlined in subsection (b) of this section:

(1) * * *

* * * * * * *

(ll) METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL.—The

Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail, a system of trails and potential trails extending southward approximately 180 miles through

western Massachusetts on the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, across

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central Connecticut on the Metacomet Trail and the Mattabesett

Trail, and ending at Long Island Sound.

* * * * * * *

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