99–006 

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. 


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(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 


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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, payas-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. 


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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. 

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. 

Æ 


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