89–006 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 111–528 

ROTA CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES STUDY ACT 

JULY 13, 2010.—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. 4686] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 4686) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study 

the suitability and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, 

and limestone forest sites on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands, as a unit of the National Park 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; FINDINGS. 

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act’’. 

(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 

(1) The island of Rota was the only major island in the Mariana Islands to 

be spared the destruction and large scale land use changes brought about by 

World War II. 

(2) The island of Rota has been described by professional archeologists as having the most numerous, most intact, and generally the most unique prehistoric 

sites of any of the islands of the Mariana Archipelago. 

(3) The island of Rota contains remaining examples of what is known as the 

Latte Phase of the cultural tradition of the indigenous Chamorro people of the 

Mariana Islands. Latte stone houses are remnants of the ancient Chamorro culture. 

(4) Four prehistoric sites are listed on the National Register of Historic 

Places: Monchon Archeological District (also known locally as Monchon Latte 

Stone Village), Taga Latte Stone Quarry, the Dugi Archeological Site that contains, latte stone structures, and the Chugai Pictograph Cave that contains examples of ancient Chamorro rock art. Alaguan Bay Ancient Village is another 

latte stone prehistoric site that is surrounded by tall-canopy limestone forest. 


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(5) In addition to prehistoric sites, the island of Rota boasts historic sites remaining from the Japanese period (1914–1945). Several of these sites are on the 

National Register of Historic Places: Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar 

Mill, Japanese Coastal Defense Gun, and the Japanese Hospital. 

(6) The island of Rota’s natural resources are significant because of the extent 

and intact condition of its native limestone forest that provides habitat for several federally endangered listed species, the Mariana crow, and the Rota bridled 

white-eye birds, that are also native to the island of Rota. Three endangered 

plant species are also found on Rota and two are endemic to the island. 

(7) Because of the significant cultural and natural resources listed above, on 

September 2005, the National Park Service, Pacific West Region, completed a 

preliminary resource assessment on the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands, which determined that the ‘‘establishment of a unit 

of the national park system appear[ed] to be the best way to ensure the long 

term protection of Rota’s most important cultural resources and its best examples of its native limestone forest.’’. 

SEC. 2. NPS STUDY OF SITES ON THE ISLAND OF ROTA, COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN 

MARIANA ISLANDS. 

(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall— 

(1) carry out a study regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating 

prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest sites on the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the National Park System; 

and 

(2) consider management alternatives for the island of Rota, Commonwealth 

of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

(b) STUDY PROCESS AND COMPLETION.—Except as provided by subsection (c) of this 

section, section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of the study required by this section. 

(c) SUBMISSION OF STUDY RESULTS.—Not later than 3 years after the date that 

funds are made available for this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report describing the results of the 

study. 

Amend the title so as to read: 

A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest sites on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the National Park System. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 4686 is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest sites on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the National 

Park System. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

At 21,000 acres, Rota is the fourth-largest island in the Marianas 

Archipelago. Like the rest of the islands in the southern half of the 

chain, Rota is volcanic in origin, covered by uplifted limestone from 

ancient coral reefs. The island was one of the few in the Mariana 

Islands to be spared the destruction and large-scale land use 

changes brought about by World War II. For that reason, Rota retains large intact tracts of native limestone forest—the best remaining example in the island chain—as well as the most striking 

and well preserved examples of the three-thousand-year-old 

Chamorro culture. 

Fringed by narrow coral reefs and reef platforms, as well as limestone cliffs, Rota limestone forests provide habitat for rare species, 

including birds such as the Mariana crow, the Rota bridled whiteeye and the Mariana common moorhen, all federally listed as enVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:56 Jul 14, 2010 Jkt 057253 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR528.XXX HR528

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dangered species; the Mariana fruit bat, a threatened species; as 

well as three endangered plants (two trees and a perennial herb). 

According to a September 2005 preliminary resource assessment 

by the National Park Service (NPS), Rota possesses the most numerous, intact, and unique prehistoric sites of any of the islands 

of the Archipelago, including stone houses that are the remnants 

of what is known as the Latte Phase of the cultural tradition of the 

indigenous Chamorro people (latte refers to a structure consisting 

of a stone pillar capped by a separate rock, and is distinctive to the 

Chamorro culture). 

Four of these prehistoric sites are listed on the National Register 

of Historic Places: Monchon Archeological District (also known locally as Monchon Latte Stone Village), Taga Latte Stone Quarry, 

the Dugi Archeological Site that contains latte structures, and the 

Chugai Pictograph Cave that contains examples of ancient 

Chamorro rock art. Alaguan Bay Ancient Village is another latte 

stone prehistoric site that is surrounded by tall-canopy limestone 

forest. 

In addition to prehistoric sites, the island of Rota boasts historic 

sites remaining from the Japanese period (1914–1945). Several of 

these sites are also on the National Register of Historic Places: 

Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar Mill, Japanese Coastal 

Defense Gun, and the Japanese Hospital. 

The NPS preliminary resource assessment determined that, 

based on the natural and cultural resources of the island, ‘‘establishment of a unit of the National Park System appear[s] to be the 

best way to ensure the long term protection of Rota’s most important cultural resources and its best examples of its native limestone forest.’’ The special resource study authorized by H.R. 4686 

will include a formal public comment process, and will provide 

more detailed information about the cultural and natural resources 

on Rota. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 4686 was introduced February 24, 2010, by Congressman 

Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D–CNMI). The bill was referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee 

to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. 

At an April 27, 2010, hearing before the Subcommittee, a representative of the Department of the Interior testified that the Department would support the bill with an amendment to require 

completion of the study within three years after funds are appropriated for the purpose, rather than within 18 months, as was required by the bill as introduced. 

On June 16, 2010, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 

and Public Lands was discharged from further consideration of 

H.R. 4686 and the full Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. Subcommittee Chairman Rau ́l Grijalva (D–AZ) offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to change the 

deadline for the study from 18 months to three years from the time 

funding is made available. 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 

Natural 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 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, as ordered reported, is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest sites 

on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a 

unit of the National Park System. 

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. 4686—Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act 

H.R. 4686 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to conduct a study of the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands, to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park System. The NPS would 

have three years to complete the study and report to the Congress 

on its results. 

Based on information provided by the NPS and assuming the 

availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that carrying out 

the study required by H.R. 4686 would cost about $200,000 over 

the next three years. Enacting the legislation would not affect 

direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures 

would not apply. 

H.R. 4686 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in 

the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on 

state, local, or tribal governments. 


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The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The estimate was 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. 4686 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9 of rule 

XXI. 

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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