[House Report 109-627]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
109th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 109-627
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PIEDRAS BLANCAS HISTORIC LIGHT STATION OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA ACT OF
2005
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September 6, 2006.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Pombo, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3534]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 3534) to designate the Piedras Blancas Light Station and
the surrounding public land as an Outstanding Natural Area to
be administered as a part of the National Landscape
Conservation System, 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 H.R. 3534 is to designate the Piedras
Blancas Light Station and the surrounding public land as an
Outstanding Natural Area to be administered as a part of the
National Landscape Conservation System, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Federal, state, and local officials, along with private
groups, have long sought a way to recognize the nationally
important land in and around the publicly-owned Piedras Blancas
Light Station in San Luis Obispo County, California. It is
located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is
near the famous Hearst Castle. A proposal has been developed
for a federal designation that protects the historical
structures and habitat. H.R. 3534 will designate the Piedras
Blancas Light Station and the surrounding public land,
consisting of approximately 18 acres, as an Outstanding Natural
Area to be administered as part of the National Landscape
Conservation System by the Bureau of Land Management.
Specifically, the designation would still allow certain
recreational and research activities to continue and would
prohibit the possibility of future sale or partition of the
land under federal mining laws. H.R. 3534 would also require a
comprehensive management plan be completed by the Department of
the Interior no later than three years after the date of
enactment. The management plan would be developed in
consultation with federal, State and local agencies with full
public participation.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 3534 was introduced on July 28, 2005, by Congresswoman
Lois Caps (D-CA). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
Forests and Forest Health. On April 5, 2006, the Subcommittee
held a hearing on the bill. On July 19, 2006, the Full
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
was discharged from further consideration 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, clause 3 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, credit
authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax
expenditures. According to the Congressional Budget Office,
enactment of H.R. 3534 could affect direct spending, but any
such effects would be ``negligible.''
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 the Piedras Blancas
Light Station and the surrounding public land as an Outstanding
Natural Area to be administered as a part of the National
Landscape Conservation System, 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. 3534--Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding Natural
Area Act of 2005
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 3534 would have no
significant effect on the federal budget. The bill could affect
direct spending, but we estimate that any such effects would be
negligible. Enacting H.R. 3534 would not affect revenues. H.R.
3534 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.
H.R. 3534 would establish the Piedras Blancas Historic
Light Station Outstanding Natural Area on 18 acres of federal
land in San Luis Obispo County, California. The light station
is an active lighthouse that was built in 1875 and is located
halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) would continue to manage the land within
the proposed natural area. The legislation would require BLM to
create a comprehensive management plan within three years.
Based on information from the agency, CBO estimates that the
cost to develop a plan and manage the federal land would total
less than $100,000 annually over the 2007-2011 period, assuming
the availability of appropriated funds.
The bill also would withdraw the land from programs to
develop natural resources. According to BLM, that land
currently generates no significant receipts and is not expected
to do so over the next 10 years. Therefore, we estimate that
the proposed withdrawal would have an insignificant effect on
offsetting receipts (a credit against direct spending).
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The 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
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.