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[House Report 112-218]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

112th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    112-218

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

 
                            HALE SCOUTS ACT
                                _______
                                

 September 23, 2011.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

       Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural 
                   Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 473]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 473) to provide for the conveyance of 
approximately 140 acres of land in the Ouachita National Forest 
in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy 
Scouts of America, and for other purposes, 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 ``Help to Access Land for the Education 
of Scouts'' or ``HALE Scouts Act''.

SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE, OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST, OKLAHOMA.

  (a) Finding.--Congress finds that it is in the public interest to 
provide for the sale of certain federally owned land in the Ouachita 
National Forest in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations Council, Inc., of the 
Boy Scouts of America, for market value consideration.
  (b) Conveyance Required.--Subject to valid existing rights, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall convey, by quitclaim deed, to the Indian 
Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America (in this section 
referred to as the ``Council'') all right, title, and interest of the 
United States in and to certain National Forest System land in the 
Ouachita National Forest in the State of Oklahoma consisting of 
approximately 140 acres, depending on the final measurement of the road 
set back and the actual size of the affected sections, as more fully 
described in subsection (c). The conveyance may not include any land 
located within the Indian Nations National Scenic and Wildlife Area 
designated by section 10 of the Winding Stair Mountain National 
Recreation and Wilderness Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460vv-8).
  (c) Covered Lands.--The National Forest System land to be conveyed 
under subsection (b) is depicted on the map entitled ``Boy Scout Land 
Request--Ouachita NF''. The map shall be on file and available for 
public inspection in the Forest Service Regional Office in Atlanta, 
Georgia.
  (d) Consideration.--As consideration for the land conveyed under 
subsection (b), the Council shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal 
to the fair market value of the land, as determined by an appraisal 
approved by the Secretary and done in conformity with the Uniform 
Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions and section 206 of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716).
  (e) Survey and Administrative Costs.--The exact acreage and legal 
description of the land to be conveyed under subsection (b) shall be 
determined by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary. The Council shall 
pay the reasonable costs of survey, appraisal, and any administrative 
analyses required by law.
  (f) Access.--Access to the land conveyed under subsection (b) shall 
be from the adjacent land of the Council or its successor. 
Notwithstanding section 1323(a) of the Alaska National Interest Lands 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3210(a)), the Secretary shall not be 
required to provide additional access to the conveyed land.
  (g) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may prescribe 
such terms and conditions on the conveyance under subsection (b) as the 
Secretary considers in the public interest, including the reservation 
of access rights to the conveyed land for administrative purposes.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 473, as ordered reported, is to provide 
for the conveyance of approximately 140 acres of land in the 
Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations 
Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The Indian Nations Council Boy Scout Camp Tom Hale is 
currently on 480 acres located within the Ouachita National 
Forest. Since 1963, hundreds of thousands of Boy Scouts have 
camped at this site. H.R. 473 would direct the Agriculture 
Secretary to sell 140 acres of federal land adjacent to Camp 
Hale to the Council. The legislation also requires that the 
land be appraised in conformity with the Uniform Appraisal 
Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions and shall be sold for 
market value. In addition, the Boy Scouts will pay for 
appraisals, surveys and other administrative costs occurred 
during the transaction. These additional acres will allow the 
Boy Scouts to accommodate more campers and allow a larger array 
of activities at the camp.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 473 was introduced on January 26, 2011, by Congressman 
Dan Boren (D-OK). 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 June 14, 2011, 
the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands 
held a hearing on the bill. On July 20, 2011, the Full 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee 
on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands was discharged by 
unanimous consent. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT) offered an 
amendment; the amendment was adopted by unanimous consent. The 
bill, as amended, 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 Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) 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)(2)(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. 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. 473--HALE Scouts Act

    H.R. 473 would require the Secretary of Agriculture to 
convey, at fair market value, approximately 140 acres of land 
in the Ouachita National Forest, Oklahoma, to the Indian 
Nations Council, Inc. (a chartered council of the Boy Scouts of 
America). Based on information provided by the Forest Service, 
CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have no 
significant impact on the federal budget.
    Enacting H.R. 473 would reduce direct spending; therefore, 
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Under the bill, proceeds from 
the sale of the affected land, which CBO estimates would total 
less than $300,000, would be deposited in the Treasury as 
offsetting receipts (a credit against direct spending). 
Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues. Because the 
council would be required to pay any administrative costs 
associated with the conveyance, CBO also estimates that 
implementing the legislation would not affect spending subject 
to appropriation.
    H.R. 473 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 Jeff LaFave. 
This estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

    2. Section 308(a) of 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. CBO estimates that 
implementing the legislation would have no significant impact 
on the federal budget. Enacting H.R. 473 would reduce direct 
spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Under the 
bill, proceeds from the sale of the affected land, which CBO 
estimates would total less than $300,000, would be deposited in 
the Treasury as offsetting receipts (a credit against direct 
spending). Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues. 
CBO also estimates that implementing the legislation would not 
affect spending subject to appropriation.
    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.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                    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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