69–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 110–396 

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY EXPANSION 

ACT OF 2007 

OCTOBER 22, 2007.—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. 783] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 783) to modify the boundary of Mesa Verde National 

Park, 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 ‘‘Mesa Verde National Park Boundary Expansion Act 

of 2007’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES. 

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

(1) on June 29, 1906, Mesa Verde National Park was established as the first 

national park in the United States to preserve the works of humanity; 

(2) on September 6, 1978, Mesa Verde National Park became the first World 

Heritage Site designated in the United States; and 

(3) Mesa Verde National Park protects some of the best preserved and notable 

archeological sites of the ancient Puebloan culture that flourished in the southwestern United States from approximately 600–1300, including the elaborate 

stone villages in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls referred to as ‘‘cliff 

dwellings’’. 

(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

(1) to modify the boundary of Mesa Verde National Park— 

(A) to protect the archeological sites located on property adjacent to the 

Park boundary; 

(B) to extend and expand the knowledge and understanding of the ancient Puebloan culture, a major influence in the development of the southwestern United States; 


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(C) to protect from potential development the scenic and biological value 

of the pinyon-juniper covered hills that—

(i) border the Park; and 

(ii) are in full view of the Park entrance road; and 

(D) to protect the largest recorded colony of the globally imperiled Gray’s 

Townsend Daisy, to ensure continuation of a major wildlife corridor, and to 

protect important habitat for wildlife; and 

(2) to provide greater opportunities to visitors, researchers, and surrounding 

communities to understand and appreciate the natural environment of Mesa 

Verde and the contributions of the ancient Puebloan culture to the region by 

providing the land required to construct a contemporary museum collections 

storage facility and visitor orientation center. 

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map entitled ‘‘Mesa Verde National 

Park Proposed Boundary Adjustment’’, numbered 307/80,180, and dated March 

1, 2007. 

(2) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means the Mesa Verde National Park in the 

State of Colorado. 

(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Interior. 

SEC. 4. MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK. 

(a) ACQUISITION OF LAND.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may acquire the land or an interest in the 

land described in subsection (b) for addition to the Park. 

(2) MEANS.—An acquisition of land under paragraph (1) may be made by donation, purchase from a willing seller with donated or appropriated funds, or 

exchange. 

(b) DESCRIPTION OF LAND.—The land referred to in subsection (a)(1) is the approximately 360 acres of land adjacent to the Park, as generally depicted on the 

map. 

(c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file and available for inspection 

in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service. 

(d) BOUNDARY MODIFICATION.—The boundary of the Park shall be revised to reflect the acquisition of the land under subsection (a). 

(e) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall administer any land or interest in land 

acquired under subsection (a)(1) as part of the Park in accordance with the laws (including regulations) applicable to the Park. 

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out 

this Act. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 783 is to modify the boundary of Mesa Verde 

National Park. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 783 modifies the boundary of Mesa Verde National Park to 

add 362 acres and authorizes the National Park Service to acquire 

this land by donation, purchase from a willing seller with donated 

or appropriated funds, or exchange. 

Mesa Verde National Park in Southwestern Colorado was established in 1906 to protect lands inhabited by Ancestral Puebloans 

from approximately 600 A.D. to 1300 A.D. It contains the most 

complete and extensive concentration of cliff-dwellings in the 

United States. Today, with more than 52,000 acres, the park preserves and protects more than 4,000 archeological sites and over 

3,000,000 associated objects in the park’s research collection. 

H.R. 783 authorizes acquisition of a 324-acre parcel, known as 

the Henneman property, and a 38-acre parcel that the Mesa Verde 

Foundation proposes to donate to the National Park Service. Both 

parcels border the northeastern park boundary. The Henneman 


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property is in full view of the park’s entrance road and contains 

Ancestral Puebloan sites, an ancient pinyon-juniper forest, and the 

largest recorded population of the globally-imperiled Gray’s Townsend Daisy. The property is currently zoned for subdivision into 10- 

acre lots. The family would prefer to protect the property through 

inclusion in the park. The Hennemans have entered into a contract 

to sell their property to the Conservation Fund by November 15, 

2007, contingent upon passage of this legislation and availability of 

funds to acquire the property. 

The Mesa Verde Foundation has been working with the park to 

design and construct a visitor information center and museum collection facility to be located on the Foundation’s 38-acre parcel adjacent to the park entrance. The Foundation intends to donate the 

parcel to the park but can not do so until the park boundary is expanded. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 783 was introduced by Representative John Salazar (D–CO) 

on January 31, 2007. 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 July 19, 2007, 

the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On October 10, 2007, 

the Subcommittee was discharged from further consideration of 

H.R. 783 and the Full Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. Representative Rau ́l Grijalva (D–AZ) offered an 

amendment in the nature of a substitute to update the map reference in the bill. It was adopted by unanimous consent. The bill, 

as amended, was then ordered favorably reported to the House of 

Representatives by unanimous consent. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 entitles the bill the ‘‘Mesa Verde National Park Boundary Expansion Act of 2007.’’

Section 2. Findings and purposes 

Section 2 contains the bill’s findings and purposes, which include 

the protection of archeological sites, the largest recorded colony of 

the globally imperiled Gray’s Townsend Daisy, and pinyon-juniper 

hills that are currently outside the park boundary and threatened 

by development. A further purpose of the bill is to provide the land 

required to construct a contemporary museum collections storage 

facility and visitor orientation center. 

Section 3. Definitions 

Section 3 references the new official boundary map and defines 

the terms ‘‘Park’’ and ‘‘Secretary’’ as used in the Act. 

Section 4. Mesa Verde National Park 

Section 4(a) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire 

lands or interests therein described in subsection (b) for addition 

to Mesa Verde National Park. Lands may be acquired by donation, 

purchase from a willing seller with donated or appropriated funds, 

or by exchange. Section 4(b) describes the approximately 360 acres 


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to be acquired, as depicted on the referenced map. Section 4(c) 

states that the map shall be kept on file and available for public 

inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service. 

Section 4(d) modifies the park boundary to reflect the acquisition 

of lands under this Act. Section 4(e) requires the Secretary to administer any acquired land as part of Mesa Verde National Park 

in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable to the park. 

Section 5. Authorization of appropriations 

Section 5 authorizes appropriations of such sums as may be necessary to carry out the Act. 

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 modify the boundary of Mesa Verde National Park. 

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. 783—Mesa Verde National Park Boundary Expansion Act of 

2007 

Summary: H.R. 783 would authorize the National Park Service 

(NPS) to acquire about 360 acres to be added to Mesa Verde National Park. Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, 

CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 783 would cost $12 million 

over the 2008–2012 period. Enacting H.R. 783 would not affect direct spending or revenues. 


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H.R. 783 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would have no significant impact on the budgets of state, local, 

or tribal governments. 

Estimated costs to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 783 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources 

and environment). 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 

Estimated Authorization Level ............................................................ 2 10 0 0 0 

Estimated Outlays ............................................................................... 2 2 3 3 2 

Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes H.R. 783 will 

be enacted early in fiscal year 2008. Based on information provided 

by the NPS and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, 

CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $2 million in 

2008 and $12 million over the 2008–2012 period. Of that amount, 

we estimate that the NPS would spend $2 million in the first year 

to purchase a 324-acre tract of land called the Henneman property. 

The remaining $10 million would be spent to construct a visitor facility on a portion of a 38-acre property expected to be donated to 

the NPS in 2008 or 2009. Some federal construction costs could be 

offset by private donations to the NPS or through cost-sharing arrangements with the Mesa Verde Foundation. 

We estimate that annual expenses to administer lands acquired 

under the bill, including those to operate the new visitor facility, 

would be less than $100,000. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 783 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA and would have no significant impact on the budgets of 

state, local, or tribal governments. 

Previous CBO estimate: On June 7, 2007, CBO transmitted a 

cost estimate for S. 126, the Mesa Verde National Park Boundary 

Expansion Act of 2007, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on May 23, 2007. S. 126 

and H.R. 783 are identical, as are the estimated costs. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Deborah Reis; Impact on 

state, local, and tribal governments: Lisa Ramirez-Branum; Impact 

on the private sector: Amy Petz. 

Estimate 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. 783 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. 


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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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