19–006 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 112–432 

WALLOWA FOREST SERVICE COMPOUND CONVEYANCE 

ACT 

APRIL 16, 2012.—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 S. 271] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (S. 271) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into a 

property conveyance with the city of Wallowa, Oregon, 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 S. 271 is to require the Secretary of Agriculture 

to enter into a property conveyance with the city of Wallowa, Oregon. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

In 1936, the city of Wallowa, Oregon, donated to the U.S. Forest 

Service approximately one acre of land in downtown Wallowa 

where the Forest Service sought to construct a ranger station and 

associated buildings. The Civilian Conservation Corps subsequently 

built a number of facilities on the site. The site was used for many 

decades by the Forest Service, but now sits vacant and has accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in deferred maintenance 

needs. A local nonprofit organization has proposed using the compound for local historical and cultural preservation, interpretation, 

and education. The Forest Service recently identified the property 

for sale under the Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act, which requires fair market value for any conveyance. S. 271 would require the Secretary of Agriculture, at the reVerDate Mar 15 2010 07:23 Apr 18, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR432.XXX HR432

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quest of the city of Wallowa, to convey the parcel consisting of approximately 1.11 acres to the city without consideration. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

S. 271 was introduced on February 3, 2011, by Senator Ron 

Wyden (D–OR). On November 2, 2011, the bill passed the Senate 

by unanimous consent. The bill was then referred to the House 

Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 

Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On 

February 3, 2012, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On 

February 29, 2012, the Full Natural Resources Committee met to 

consider S. 271. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and 

Public Lands was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered to the bill and the bill 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 

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: 

S. 271—Wallowa Forest Service Compound Conveyance Act 

S. 271 would direct the Forest Service to convey, without consideration, about 1 acre of land and improvements in Oregon to the 

city of Wallowa. Based on information provided by the Forest Service, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have 

no significant net effect on the federal budget. 

Enacting S. 271 would affect direct spending; therefore, pay-asyou-go procedures apply. Because the affected land (and related 

structures) would probably have been sold under existing authority, enacting the legislation would reduce offsetting receipts. However, because the Forest Service can spend those receipts, the loss 

in receipts would be offset by lower direct spending of a similar 

amount. (CBO estimates that the value of the land is less than 

$500,000.) Enacting S. 271 would not affect revenues. 

S. 271 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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On July 28, 2011, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 271, 

the Wallowa Forest Service Compound Conveyance Act, as ordered 

reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on July 14, 2011. The two versions of the legislation are 

similar, and the CBO cost estimates are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. 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, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. Enacting S. 271 would affect direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go 

procedures apply. Because the affected land (and related structures) would probably have been sold under existing authority, enacting the legislation would reduce offsetting receipts. However, because the Forest Service can spend those receipts, the loss in receipts would be offset by lower direct spending of a similar amount. 

(CBO estimates that the value of the land is less than $500,000.) 

Enacting S. 271 would not affect revenues. 

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 require the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into 

a property conveyance with the city of Wallowa, Oregon. 

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 as defined under Public 

Law 104–4. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

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

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

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

Æ 


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