[House Report 111-438]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
111th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 111-438
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TO REVISE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK TO
INCLUDE THE GETTYSBURG TRAIN STATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
_______
March 11, 2010.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Rahall, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 4395]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 4395) to revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg
National Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train Station,
and for other purposes, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill
as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY REVISION.
Section 1 of the Act titled ``An Act to revise the boundary of the
Gettysburg National Military Park in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
and for other purposes'', approved August 17, 1990 (16 U.S.C. 430g-4),
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Additional Land.--In addition to the land identified in
subsections (a) and (b), the park shall also include the following, as
depicted on the map titled `Gettysburg National Military Park Proposed
Boundary Addition', numbered 305/80,045 and dated January 2010:
``(1) The land and interests in land commonly known as the
`Gettysburg Train Station' and its immediate surroundings in
the Borough of Gettysburg.
``(2) The land and interests in land located along Plum Run
in Cumberland Township.''.
SEC. 2. ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL OF LAND.
Section 2 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 430g-5) is amended by adding at the
end of subsection (a) the following: ``The Secretary is also authorized
to acquire publicly owned property within the area defined in section
1(d)(1) by purchase, from willing sellers only, if efforts to acquire
that property without cost have been exhausted. The Secretary may not
acquire property within the area defined in section 1(d) by eminent
domain.''.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of H.R. 4395 is to revise the boundaries of the
Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Gettysburg
Train Station, and for other purposes.
Background and Need for Legislation
The critical Civil War battle at Gettysburg began on July
1, 1863. Some of the most intense fighting of that first day
occurred along a nearby railway road cut. Later, the Gettysburg
train station was pressed into use as one of the first field
hospitals.
After the battle ended, local residents established a
national cemetery for the Union dead. President Lincoln arrived
by train at the station on November 18, 1863, and the next day,
during the ceremony to dedicate that Soldier's National
Cemetery, delivered what has become one of the best known and
loved speeches in American history. In 1895, Gettysburg
National Military Park was established when the property was
transferred to the federal government. In 1933, administration
of the site was transferred to the Department of the Interior
and the National Park Service.
H.R. 4395 would expand the boundary of Gettysburg National
Military Park in Pennsylvania to include the train station at
which President Abraham Lincoln arrived to deliver the
Gettysburg Address. The railway station, built just four years
before the battle, is now owned by the Borough of Gettysburg
and operated by the National Trust for Historic Gettysburg. The
building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Park Service would acquire the train station
property from the Borough. H.R. 4395 authorizes the Secretary
of the Interior to purchase the property from a willing seller
only after all other efforts to acquire the land without cost
to the government have been exhausted. It is expected that
local community partners including the Gettysburg Convention
and Visitors Bureau will provide staffing for the site while
the National Park Service will be limited to covering utility
costs.
The bill would also expand the boundaries to include 45
acres in Cumberland Township which the owner has expressed a
willingness to sell to the National Park Service. This parcel
is adjacent to the current park boundary, along the southern
base of Big Round Top and part of the Battlefield Historic
District. It was the site of cavalry skirmishes associated with
the Battle of Gettysburg. The area is also a fragile riparian
zone with critical wetlands and wildlife habitat related to
Plum Run.
Committee Action
H.R. 4395 was introduced on December 16, 2009 by
Representative Todd Russell Platts (R-PA). The bill was
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Public Lands. On January 21, 2010, the Subcommittee held a
hearing on the bill. A representative from the Department of
the Interior testified in favor of the legislation.
On February 24, 2010, the Subcommittee was discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 4395 and the full Natural
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. Subcommittee
Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment to clarify a
typographical error on maps provided by the National Park
Service. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. 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 Natural 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 is to revise the boundaries of the
Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Gettysburg
Train Station, and for other purposes.
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:
H.R. 4395--A bill to revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg National
Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train Station
H.R. 4395 would expand the boundaries of the Gettysburg
National Military Park in Pennsylvania to include two nearby
properties. CBO expects that the National Park Service (NPS),
which administers the park, would probably purchase a small
parcel of land containing the newly refurbished Gettysburg
Train Station and would accept (from the Gettysburg Foundation)
the donation of a 45-acre tract of land along Plum Run in
Cumberland Township.
Based on information provided by NPS, we estimate that
implementing H.R. 4395 would cost about $1 million over the
next year or two, assuming the availability of appropriated
funds, to purchase the train station and conduct minor
development projects at the added sites. We estimate that
annual costs to operate and maintain the new properties after
that time would be minimal because the train station would
continue to be operated by local or nonprofit organizations,
and the Plum Run acreage would be left undeveloped. Enacting
H.R. 4395 would not affect direct spending or revenues;
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
The bill 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.
If enacted, the bill would benefit the Borough of Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Compliance With Public Law 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
Earmark Statement
H.R. 4395 does not contain any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
clause 9 of rule XXI.
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):
ACT OF AUGUST 17, 1990
AN ACT To revise the boundary of Gettysburg National Military Park in
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes.
SECTION 1. GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY REVISION.
(a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(d) Additional Land.--In addition to the land identified in
subsections (a) and (b), the park shall also include the
following, as depicted on the map titled ``Gettysburg National
Military Park Proposed Boundary Addition'', numbered 305/80,045
and dated January 2010:
(1) The land and interests in land commonly known as
the ``Gettysburg Train Station'' and its immediate
surroundings in the Borough of Gettysburg.
(2) The land and interests in land located along Plum
Run in Cumberland Township.
* * * * * * *
SEC. 2. ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL OF LANDS.
(a) General Authority.--The Secretary is authorized to
acquire lands and interests in lands within the park by
donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds,
exchange, or otherwise. In acquiring lands and interests in
lands under this Act, the Secretary shall acquire the minimum
Federal interests necessary to achieve the objectives
identified for specific areas and the park. The Secretary is
also authorized to acquire publicly owned property within the
area defined in section 1(d)(1) by purchase, from willing
sellers only, if efforts to acquire that property without cost
have been exhausted. The Secretary may not acquire property
within the area defined in section 1(d) by eminent domain.
* * * * * * *