69–010 

Calendar No. 124 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 115–94 

ALEX DIEKMANN PEAK DESIGNATION ACT OF 2017 

JUNE 8, 2017.—Ordered to be printed 

Ms. MURKOWSKI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 117] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 117) to designate a mountain peak in the State 

of Montana as ‘‘Alex Diekmann Peak,’’ having considered the same, 

reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends 

that the bill, as amended, do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Beginning on page 1, strike line 6 and all that follows through 

page 4, line 2, and insert the following: 

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF ALEX DIEKMANN PEAK, MONTANA. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 117 is to designate a mountain peak in the 

State of Montana as ‘‘Alex Diekmann Peak.’’ 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

Alex Diekmann was a renowned conservationist who lived in 

Bozeman, Montana. Mr. Diekmann dedicated his professional life 

to protecting the natural and scenic resources of the Northern 

Rockies. Over the course of his career, Mr. Diekmann was responsible for the protection of more than 50 distinct areas in the States 

of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, and the conservation of more 

than 100,000 acres, including mountains and valleys, rivers and 

creeks, ranches and farms, and historic sites and open spaces. 

Mr. Diekmann played a central role in securing the future of an 

array of landscapes, including the Devil’s Canyon in the Craig 

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Thomas Special Management Area in Wyoming and a number of 

other lands across the Crown of the Continent in Montana. These 

include the world-famous Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; Glacier 

National Park; the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem; recreational trails, 

working forests and ranches; and critical drinking water supply for 

Whitefish. Mr. Diekmann made a particularly profound mark on 

the preservation of the natural wonders in and near the Madison 

Valley and the Madison Range, in Montana, where more than 12 

miles of the Madison River and much of the world-class scenery, 

fish and wildlife, and recreation opportunities of the area have become and shall remain conserved and available to the public because of his efforts. 

After inspiring others with his skill, passion, and spirit of partnership that brought together communities, landowners, sportsmen, and the public at large, Mr. Diekmann lost a heroic battle 

with cancer on February 1, 2016, at the age of 52. He is survived 

by his wife, Lisa, and their two sons, Logan and Liam, and leaves 

a lasting legacy across Montana and the Northern Rockies that will 

benefit all people of the United States today and in the generations 

to follow. 

To honor Mr. Diekmann’s legacy, S. 117 designates an unnamed 

peak in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in Montana as the ‘‘Alex 

Diekmann Peak.’’ 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 117 was introduced by Senators Daines and Tester on January 

12, 2017. 

In the 114th Congress, Senators Daines and Tester introduced 

similar legislation, S. 3192, on July 13, 2016. The Committee held 

a hearing on S. 3192 on September 22, 2016. 

A companion bill, H.R. 5778, was introduced by Representative 

Zinke in the House of Representatives on July 13, 2016. 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in an open 

business session on March 30, 2017, and ordered S. 117, as amended, favorably reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on March 30, 2017, by a voice vote of a 

quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 117, as 

amended. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

During its consideration of S. 117, the Committee adopted an 

amendment to delete the findings. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 provides a short title for the measure. 

Section 2. Designation of Alex Deikmann Peak, Montana 

Section 2(a) provides the coordinates and description of the peak 

and designates it as the ‘‘Alex Diekmann Peak.’’ 

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Subsection (b) requires any reference in a law, map, regulation, 

document, record, or other paper of the United States to refer to 

the peak described in section 2(a) as ‘‘Alex Diekmann Peak.’’ 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of the costs of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 117—Alex Diekmann Peak Designation Act of 2017 

CBO estimates that enacting S. 117 would have no significant effect on the federal budget and would not affect direct spending or 

revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting the bill would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2028. 

S. 117 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not 

affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 117. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing Government-established standards or significant economic responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 117, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 117, as ordered reported, does not contain any congressionally 

directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Because S. 117 is similar to legislation considered by the Committee in the 114th Congress, the Committee did not request Executive Agency views. The testimony provided by the U.S. Forest 

Service at the hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on September 22, 2016, follows: 

STATEMENT OF LESLIE WELDON DEPUTY CHIEF, NATIONAL

FOREST SYSTEM FOREST SERVICE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE

Madam Chairman and members of the Committee, 

thank you for the opportunity to present the views of the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding S. 346, 

S. 2991, S. 3192, S. 3203, S. 3254, and S. 3273. 

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S. 3192, ‘‘THE ALEX DIEKMANN PEAK DESIGNATION ACT OF

2016’’ 

This bill would name a currently unnamed mountain for 

renowned conservationist Alex Diekmann. The 9,765-foot 

peak is located 2.2 miles west-northwest of Finger Mountain on the western boundary of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, on the Beaverhead National Forest in Montana. 

The Department of Agriculture supports this bill. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the bill as ordered reported. 

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