[House Report 109-125]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
109th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 109-125
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UPPER WHITE SALMON WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT
_______
June 14, 2005.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Pombo, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 38]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 38) to designate a portion of the White Salmon River as a
component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, 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. 38 is to designate a portion of the
White Salmon River as a component of the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System.
Background and Need for Legislation
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act directed
the Forest Service to study the Upper White Salmon River for
possible designation as a component of the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers system. The study determined that the Upper White
Salmon River and one of its tributaries, Cascade Creek, are
eligible for inclusion. The Forest Service study found 38.4
miles suitable for ``wild and scenic'' designation. H.R. 38
designates 20 of those miles, but does not include 18.4 miles
due to some controversy and private property rights concerns.
H.R. 38 would designate four different segments of the
Upper White Salmon River and Cascade Creek as ``wild'' or
``scenic.'' The segments are limited to federal land, located
in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, and include 6.7 miles
in the Mt. Adams Wilderness.
Committee Action
H.R. 38 was introduced on January 4, 2005, by
Representative Brian Baird (D-WA). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. On May 11, 2005, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On May 18, 2005, the
Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The
Subcommittee was discharged from further consideration of the
bill by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered and the
bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
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 is to designate a portion of the White
Salmon River as a component of 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:
H.R. 38--Upper White Salmon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
H.R. 38 would designate 20 miles of segments of the White
Salmon River And Cascade Cork in Washington as wild and scenic
rivers under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. CBO estimates that
enacting H.R. 38 would have no significant impact on the
federal budget. The bill would not affect direct spending or
revenues. H.R. 38 contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
and would have no significant impact on the budgets of state,
local, or tribal governments.
On February 14, 2005, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for
S. 74, the Upper White Salmon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, as
ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources on February 9, 2005. The two versions of the
legislation are identical, as are the cost estimates.
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 italic and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
SECTION 3 OF THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT
Sec. 3. (a) The following rivers and the land adjacent
thereto are hereby designated as components of the national
wild and scenic rivers system:
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
( ) White salmon river, washington.--The 20 miles of
river segments of the main stem of the White Salmon
River and Cascade Creek, Washington, to be administered
by the Secretary of Agriculture in the following
classifications:
(A) The approximately 1.6-mile segment of the
main stem of the White Salmon River from the
headwaters on Mount Adams in section 17,
township 8 north, range 10 east, downstream to
the Mount Adams Wilderness boundary as a wild
river.
(B) The approximately 5.1-mile segment of
Cascade Creek from its headwaters on Mount
Adams in section 10, township 8 north, range 10
east, downstream to the Mount Adams Wilderness
boundary as a wild river.
(C) The approximately 1.5-mile segment of
Cascade Creek from the Mount Adams Wilderness
boundary downstream to its confluence with the
White Salmon River as a scenic river.
(D) The approximately 11.8-mile segment of
the main stem of the White Salmon River from
the Mount Adams Wilderness boundary downstream
to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest boundary
as a scenic river.
* * * * * * *