39–006 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 113–535 

TO REMOVE A USE RESTRICTION ON LAND FORMERLY A PART OF ACADIA 

NATIONAL PARK THAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE TOWN OF TREMONT, 

MAINE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 

JULY 17, 2014.—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. 4527] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 4527) to remove a use restriction on land formerly a part 

of Acadia National Park that was transferred to the town of 

Tremont, Maine, and for other purposes, having considered the 

same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 4527 is to remove a use restriction on land 

formerly a part of Acadia National Park that was transferred to 

the town of Tremont, Maine. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Public Law 81–629, enacted in 1950, permitted the National 

Park Service to convey property, formerly part of Acadia National 

Park, to the town of Tremont, Maine, to build a new school. In 

1951, the Secretary of the Interior completed the conveyance of approximately 8.45 acres with a clause specifying the land would revert back to the United States of America if it was not used exclusively for school purposes. 

The town is now consolidating schools with a nearby town and 

the property will no longer be used for the originally intended purpose. Tremont would like to retain ownership and continue to use 

the developed property in the best interest of the community. 

H.R. 4527 removes the requirement that the land be used exclusively and perpetually for school purposes, allowing Tremont to use 

the property to the maximum benefit of its residents. The Natural 


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Resources Committee has consistently sought to assist local communities gain control of property within their boundaries by freeing them from federal interference. Communities around the country would benefit significantly and immediately if the example of 

H.R. 4527 is replicated. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 4527 was introduced on April 30, 2014, by Congressman Michael H. Michaud (D–ME). The bill was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. On 

June 10, 2014, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On 

June 19, 2014, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider 

the bill. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental 

Regulation was discharged by unanimous consent. The bill was 

adopted and 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. 4527—A bill to remove a use restriction on land formerly a 

part of Acadia National Park that was transferred to the town 

of Tremont, Maine, and for other purposes 

H.R. 4527 would authorize additional uses of land that was conveyed to the town of Tremont, Maine, by the National Park Service 

(NPS) in 1951. As a condition of the original conveyance, the lands 

could be used only for school purposes. H.R. 4527 would remove the 

use restriction. Based on information provided by NPS, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have no effect on 

the federal budget. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not 

apply. 

H.R. 4527 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. 


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The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von Gnechten. 

The 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 effect on the federal budget. 

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 remove a use restriction on land formerly a part 

of Acadia National Park that was transferred to the town of 

Tremont, Maine. 

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. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5 

Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that this 

bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any specific 

rule-making proceedings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or 

reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italic 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 


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ACT OF AUGUST 1, 1950 

AN ACT To authorize the conveyance, for school purposes, of certain land in Acadia 

National Park to the town of Tremont, Maine, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 

United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, is hereby authorized to convey without consideration, but under such terms and conditions as 

he may deem advisable, to the town of Tremont, Hancock County, 

Maine, for school purposes, eight and forty-five one-hundredths 

acres of land, more or less, situate between Marsh Creek and 

Marsh Road on Mount Desert Island, Hancock County, Maine, now 

a part of Acadia National Park. Lands conveyed to the town of 

Tremont, Maine, under the Act known as NPS Tract 06–126, which 

were conveyed by the National Park Service in deed recorded at the 

Hancock County Registry of Deeds Book 737 Page 467, National 

Park Service Deed 377, shall no longer be required to be used exclusively and perpetually for school purposes and upon the discontinuance of such use of said land, or any part thereof, shall no longer 

be required to revert to the United States. 

Æ 


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