99–006

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 107–318

DESIGNATION OF GEORGE ROGERS CLARK NORTHWEST

CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR STUDY FOR POTENTIAL ADDITION

TO THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM

DECEMBER 5, 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. 1963]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill

(H.R. 1963) to amend the National Trails System Act to designate

the route taken by American soldier and frontiersman George Rogers Clark and his men during the Revolutionary War to capture

the British forts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois, and Vincennes, Indiana, for study for potential addition to the National

Trails System, 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. 1963 is to amend the National Trails System

Act to designate the route taken by American solider and frontiersman George Rogers Clark and his men during the Revolutionary

War to capture the British forts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois,

and Vincennes, Indiana, for study for potential addition to the National Trails System.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

During the American Revolutionary War, American Colonel

George Rogers Clark (1752–1819), elder brother of William Clark

of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery, led his men 180 miles

from Kaskaskia, Illinois, to Vincennes, Indiana, through frozen

prairies and flooded river valleys over the course of 18 days in 1779

to capture British Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton. It was during this

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time that the English Army was encouraging Native Americans in

the area to attack settlers. Clark successfully stopped the raids

when he overthrew Fort Sackville (near Vincennes, Indiana). As a

result of his heroic military activities, the British ceded what is

now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the Eastern

portion of Minnesota to the United States.

This legislation would allow the National Park Service to study

all the routes taken by the Clark mission from Ft. Pitt, down the

Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, to and including all land routes from

Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois, to Vincennes, Indiana, in determining those primary routes taken by Colonel Clarke which proved

instrumental to his mission and victory at Vincennes, and which

would merit designation as a part of the National Trails System.

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1963 was introduced on May 23, 2001, by Congressman

Jerry F. Costello (D–IL) and was referred to the Committee on Resources. On May 30, 2001, the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. On

October 16, 2001, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On

November 15, 2001, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. No

amendments were offered and the bill was forwarded to the Full

Committee by voice vote. On November 28, 2001, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. No amendments were

offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of

Representatives 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.

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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, December 3, 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. 1963, a bill to amend the

National Trails System Act to designate the route taken by American soldier and frontiersman George Rogers Clark and his men

during the Revolutionary War to capture the British forts at

Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois, and Vincennes, Indiana, for study

for potential addition to the National Trails System.

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.

H.R. 1963—A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the route taken by American soldier and frontiersman

George Rogers Clark and his men during the Revolutionary

War to capture the British forts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois, and Vincennes, Indiana, for study for potential addition

to the National Trails System

H.R. 1963 would amend the National Trails System Act to add

the George Rogers Clark Northwest Campaign Trail in Indiana and

Illinois to the list of routes to be studied for possible inclusion in

the National Trails System.

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 between $250,000 and

$400,000 over the next two or three years to conduct the required

study and report to the Congress on its findings. H.R. 1963 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 impose 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.

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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 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) * * *

* * * * * * *

(41) GEORGE ROGERS CLARK NORTHWEST CAMPAIGN TRAIL.—The

George Rogers Clark Northwest Campaign Trail, tracing the water

route and overland route of the 1778 and 1779 expedition of Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark and his Virginia militia

against the British in which he captured the British forts at

Kaskaskia and Cahokia, in what is now Illinois, and twice captured

Vincennes, in what is now Indiana.

* * * * * * *

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