89–006

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 107–36

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:

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‘‘(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.

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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:

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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) * * *

* * * * * * *

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(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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