89–006

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 107–47

GREAT FALLS HISTORIC DISTRICT STUDY ACT OF 2001

APRIL 24, 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

REPORT

[To accompany H.R. 146]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill

(H.R. 146) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the

suitability and feasibility of designating the Great Falls Historic

District in Paterson, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park

System, and for other urposes, 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. 146 is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Great

Falls Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Great Falls Historic District of the Passaic River in

Paterson, New Jersey, is one of the earliest industrial centers of

America and was once considered the manufacturing center of the

United States. At 77 feet, the Great Falls is the second highest waterfall on the East Coast, second only to Niagara Falls. It was the

waterfall at Paterson that led Alexander Hamilton, then-Secretary

of the Treasury, to invite Pierre L’Enfant in 1791 to design the first

planned industrial city in America. The plan called for harnessing

power for manufacturing mills from the Great Falls through a series of canals, or ‘‘raceways,’’ and led to the first use of hydro-power

in an industrial area in this country.

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Paterson became the most important American industrial site between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Production of

various products, including cotton, paper, railroad locomotives,

iron, steel, and silk remained in Paterson until the early 20th Century. It now contains one of the only substantial collections of historic industrial structures remaining in the United States. Among

the structures still standing is the Samuel Colt gun factory where

the first revolver was manufactured in 1836.

The Historic District currently exhibits many signs of decline and

renewal. While many buildings are deteriorating and some are vacant, some industrial use has continued. Some of the mill buildings

have been reused primarily for housing and office use, although

other commercial, recreational and cultural uses are also being considered.

The Great Falls Historic District has been a National Historic

Landmark since 1976. The proposed National Park area would encompass 10 blocks and be approximately 87 acres. The suitability

study proposed by H.R. 146 has widespread community support.

This study would evaluate the suitability and feasibility of further recognizing the historic and cultural significance of the lands

and structures of the Great Falls Historic District by designating

it as a unit of the National Park System. In addition to authorizing

the Secretary of the Interior to conduct the study, the bill would

also require the Secretary to submit a report describing the results

of the study to the House Committee on Resources and the Senate

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 146 was introduced on January 3, 2001, by Congressman

Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D–NJ). 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. No amendments were

offered and the bill was forwarded to the Full Committee. On

March 28, 2001, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the

bill. No amendments were offered and the bill was 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

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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 is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the

suitability and feasibility of designating the Great Falls Historic

District in Paterson, New Jersey, 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:

U.S. CONGRESS,

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE,

Washington, DC, March 29, 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. 146, the Great Falls Historic District Study Act of 2001.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased

to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.

Sincerely,

BARRY B. ANDERSON.

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).

Enclosure.

H.R. 146—The Great Falls Historic District Study Act of 2001

H.R. 146 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a

study on the suitability and feasibility of making the Great Falls

Historic District in New Jersey a unit of the National Park System.

The bill would require the Secretary to report to the Congress on

its findings within three years of receiving funds. Finally, the bill

would authorize the appropriation of whatever sums are necessary

to conduct the study.

Based on information from the National Park Service, CBO estimates that completing the required study and report would cost the

federal government $250,000 over the next three years, assuming

appropriation of the necessary amounts. The bill would not affect

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

would not apply. H.R. 146 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 Deborah Reis. The estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Assistant Director of

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

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law.

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