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[House Report 107-36]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

  

                                                                       
107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                     107-36

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        EIGHTMILE RIVER WILD AND SCENIC RIVER STUDY ACT OF 2001

                                _______
                                

 April 3, 2001.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 182]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 182) to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 
a segment of the Eight Mile River in the State of Connecticut 
for study for potential addition to the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Eightmile River Wild and Scenic 
River Study Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
          (1) the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut possesses 
        important resource values, including wildlife, ecological, and 
        scenic values, and historic sites and a cultural past important 
        to America's heritage;
          (2) there is strong support among State and local officials, 
        area residents, and river users for a cooperative wild and 
        scenic river study of the area; and
          (3) there is a longstanding interest among State and local 
        officials, area residents, and river users in undertaking a 
        concerted cooperative effort to manage the river in a 
        productive and meaningful way.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION FOR STUDY.

    Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(138) Eightmile River, Connecticut.--The segment from its 
headwaters downstream to its confluence with the Connecticut River.''.

SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT.

    Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(18) The study of the Eightmile River, Connecticut, named in 
paragraph (138) of subsection (a) shall be completed by the Secretary 
of the Interior and the report thereon submitted to Congress not later 
than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this paragraph.''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
to carry out this Act.

  Amend the title so as to read:

      To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of 
the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut for study for potential 
addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other 
purposes.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of H.R. 182, as ordered reported, is to amend 
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the 
Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut for study for 
potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System, and for other purposes.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    This bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
conduct a study of the Eightmile River in Connecticut for the 
purpose of evaluating its eligibility for designation as a Wild 
and Scenic River. This study could ultimately result in adding 
a segment of the Eightmile River to the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System from its headwaters downstream to its 
confluence with the Connecticut River.
    The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by 
Congress in 1968 to create a ``Hall of Fame'' for exceptional 
rivers. To be eligible, rivers or river segments must meet two 
criteria. First, the river corridor must be free flowing and, 
second, it must contain at least one ``outstanding remarkable 
resource'' deserving special recognition, such as a prominent 
natural, cultural, scenic, or recreational resource.
    The Eightmile River in Connecticut is a free flowing river 
that contains excellent water quality and a wide diversity of 
aquatic habitats. In addition, it supports a high diversity of 
fish species and flows through large tracts of forest. It is 
also an important recreational resource and contributes 
prominently to the character of the communities in which it 
flows, including the towns of East Haddam, Lyme and Salem. The 
Eightmile River System is currently listed on the National Park 
Service's Nationwide Rivers Inventory which lists river areas 
believed to be good candidates for Wild and Scenic designation. 
There is longstanding interest among state and local officials, 
area residents and river users in protecting the River by 
pursuing a possible strategy for its protection and management. 
The National Park Service will summarize the results of its 
study in a report that serves as the basis for a designation 
recommendation.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 182 was introduced on January 3, 2001, by Congressman 
Rob Simmons (R-CT). The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands. On March 13, 2001, 
the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On March 22, 2001, 
the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. Congressman Joel 
Hefley (R-CO) offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute to make two technical corrections to the original 
bill. First, the amendment corrected the spelling of 
``Eightmile,'' which is one word rather than two. Second, the 
amendment inserted technical language in the form of the 
heading to Section 4 which was inadvertently omitted from the 
original bill. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. The 
bill, as amended, was then forwarded to the Full Committee by 
voice vote. On March 28, 2001, the Full Resources Committee met 
to consider the bill. No further amendments were offered and 
the bill, as amended, was then ordered favorably reported to 
the House of Representatives by voice vote.

            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 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, as ordered reported, is to designate a 
segment of the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut for 
study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic 
Rivers 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:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, March 30, 2001.
Hon. James V. Hansen, 
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 182, the Eightmile 
River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2001.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan 
Carroll.
            Sincerely,
                                         Barry B. Anderson,
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 182--Eightmile River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2001

    H.R. 182 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
study a segment of the Eightmile River in Connecticut for 
potential addition to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The 
legislation would require the Secretary to complete the study 
within three years of enactment. Based on information from the 
National Park Service, CBO estimates that carrying out the 
study would cost $100,000 a year over the next three years, 
assuming availability of the necessary amounts. Because 
enacting H.R. 182 would not affect direct spending or receipts, 
pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
    H.R. 182 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 Megan Carroll. 
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    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 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 italics and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

              SECTION 5 OF THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT

  Sec. 5. (a) The following rivers are hereby designated for 
potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers 
system:
  (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (138) Eightmile River, Connecticut.--The segment from its 
headwaters downstream to its confluence with the Connecticut 
River.
  (b)(1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (18) The study of the Eightmile River, Connecticut, named in 
paragraph (138) of subsection (a) shall be completed by the 
Secretary of the Interior and the report thereon submitted to 
Congress not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment 
of this paragraph.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                                
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