[Senate Report 106-402]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 792
106th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 106-402
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CONVEYANCE OF LAND IN POWELL, WYOMING
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September 7, 2000.--Ordered to be printed
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Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 2069]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 2069) to permit the conveyance of certain
land in Powell, Wyoming, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the
bill do pass.
purpose of the measure
The purpose of S. 2069 is to waive the public use
restriction on an approximately 15,424 square foot parcel of
land in Powell, Wyoming to provide for its sale by the city of
Powell.
background and need
In 1934 land was conveyed to the city of Powell, by the
General Land Office (the predecessor to the Bureau of Land
Management). The land was conveyed under the Reclamation Act in
an effort to establish a town near the Shoshone Irrigation
Project. The city has leased the parcel specified in S. 2069 to
the local fire district since 1953. Modern fire fighting
equipment currently in use by the district does not have safe
egress from the fire hall building on the parcel due to the
configuration of the property and traffic congestion. Long
range planning by the district dictates that the fire hall be
relocated to another, safer site.
When the parcel was originally conveyed in 1934, it was
subject to reversion if not used for public purposes. S. 2069
will remove the restriction so that the parcel can be sold. The
proceeds will assist in the financing of a new fire hall in a
safer and more efficient location.
legislative history
S. 2069 was introduced on February 10, 2000, by Senators
Enzi and Thomas. The Subcommittee on Forests and Public Land
Management held a hearing on S. 2069 on June 7, 2000. At the
business meeting on July 13, 2000, the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources ordered S. 2069 reported favorably without
amendment.
committee recommendation and tabulation of votes
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in
open business session on July 13, 2000, by a voice vote of a
quorum present recommends that the Senate pass S. 2069.
section-by-section analysis
Section 1(a) contains congressional findings.
Subsection (b) waives the public purpose condition in the
Act of April 16, 1906 on the parcel described in subsection (c)
and requires the Secretary of the Interior to file the
appropriate land record.
Subsection (c) describes the parcel of land.
cost and budgetary considerations
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate of the costs
of this measure follows:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, July 19, 2000.
Hon. Frank H. Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2069, a bill to
permit the conveyance of certain land in Powell, Wyoming.
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).
S. 2069--A bill to permit the conveyance of certain land in Powell,
Wyoming
CBO estimates that enacting S. 2069 would have no
significant impact on the federal budget. The bill would not
affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures would not apply.
Since 1906, the town of Powell, Wyoming, has operated a
volunteer fire department on about 1 acre of land that was
transferred by the federal government to that town in 1934. As
a condition of that transfer, current law requires the town to
continue to use that land for a public purpose, or ownership of
the land will revert back to the federal government. S. 2069
would amend current law to waive that requirement. Based on
information from the Bureau of Land Management and the town,
CBO estimates that this change would not affect the federal
budget.
S. 2069 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act would
impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. The
bill would benefit Powell, Wyoming, by enabling it to sell the
land and use the proceeds to acquire other land more suitable
for its volunteer fire department.
The CBO staff contact is Megan Carroll. This estimate was
approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for
Budget Analysis.
regulatory impact evaluation
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 2069.
The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of
imposing Government-established standards or significant
economic responsibilities on private individuals and
businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of S. 2069, as ordered reported.
executive communications
On July 13, 2000 the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of
the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget setting
forth Executive agency recommendations on S. 2069. These
reports had not been received at the time the report on S. 2069
was filed. When the reports become available, the Chairman will
request that they be printed in the Congressional Record for
the advice of the Senate. The testimony provided by the Bureau
of Land Management at the Subcommittee hearing follows:
Statement of Pete Culp, Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty, Bureau
of Land Management
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate
the opportunity to appear before you today to testify on S.
2069 Powell, Wyoming Land Conveyance. S. 2069 would waive the
reversionary clause to the 1906 Act for public land conveyed to
the town of Powell, Wyoming.
The Administration supports this wavier of the reversionary
clause for land in Powell, Wyoming. The town has been in
control of this land since 1906 and the sale of this land would
benefit the local community.
That concludes my testimony. I would be happy to respond to
any questions.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by S. 2069, as ordered
reported.