[Senate Report 110-6]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 31
110th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 110-6
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COFFMAN COVE ADMINISTRATIVE SITE CONVEYANCE ACT OF 2007
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February 15, 2007.--Ordered to be printed
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Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 202]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 202) to provide for the conveyance of
certain Forest Service land to the city of Coffman Cove,
Alaska, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE
The purpose of S. 202 is to provide for the conveyance of
approximately 12 acres of Forest Service land to the city of
Coffman Cove, Alaska.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
The city of Coffman Cove, Alaska, is a small community with
about 200 residents that developed around a Tongass National
Forest logging camp and work site. The 12-acre Forest Service
site now sits in the middle of town, and a new ferry terminal
is planned for an adjacent parcel. The location of most of the
Forest Service site makes it difficult and inefficient for the
Forest Service to manage, and an obstacle to the future
development and design of the city's downtown. Conveyance of
the Forest Service site would benefit both the Forest Service
and the city in these regards.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 202 was introduced by Senators Murkowski and Stevens on
January 8, 2007. The Committee considered identical
legislation, S. 1548, during the 109th Congress, also sponsored
by Senators Murkowski and Stevens.
The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing
on S. 1548 on November 2, 2005 (S. Hrg. 109-347). At a business
meeting held on May 24, 2006, the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources ordered S. 1548 favorably reported with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute (S. Rept. 109-301).
S. 1548 passed the Senate with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute, by unanimous consent, on December 7, 2006. No
further action occurred prior to the sine die adjournment of
the 109th Congress.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in
open business session on January 31, 2007, by voice vote of a
quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 202.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Sections 1 and 2 provide the short title and definitions
for the bill.
Section 3(a and b) directs the Secretary of Agriculture to
convey approximately 12 acres to the city of Coffman Cove,
Alaska.
Subsection (c) provides the Secretary with the right to
reserve a right-of-way to Forest Service land excluded from the
conveyance.
Subsection (d) provides a reversionary clause if the land
is not used for public purposes.
Subsection (e) provides that if the city sells any portion
of the land, the sale must be for fair market value and the
city must pay the Secretary an amount equal to the gross
proceeds of the sale.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of costs of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
S. 202--Coffman Cove Administrative Site Conveyance Act of 2007
S. 202 would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey
to the city of Coffman Cove, Alaska, for no consideration,
about 12 acres of land previously used as a Forest Service
administrative site. Under the Forest Service Realignment and
Enhancement Act of 2005, this property could be sold, and the
Forest Service could spend the receipts without further
appropriation. CBO expects, however, that it is unlikely that
the land would be sold in the absence of this legislation.
Moreover, we estimate that the loss of receipts--if any--would
be less than $500,000 and would be offset by a like reduction
in direct spending. We estimate that the administrative costs
of completing the conveyance under the bill would not be
significant. Finally, we estimate that enacting S. 202 would
have no effect on revenues.
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.
Enacting this legislation would benefit the city of Coffman
Cove.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
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. 202.
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. 202.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
Because S. 202 is identical to legislation passed by the
Senate in the 109th Congress, the Committee did not request
Executive Agency views on S. 202. The views of the
administration were included in testimony received by the
Committee at a hearing on S. 1548 on November 2, 2005, as
follows:
Statement of Gloria Manning, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest
System, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture
Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to appear
before you today to provide the Department views on S. 1541,
the ``Public Land Protection and Conservation Act of 2005''; S.
1548, to provide for the conveyance of certain Forest Service
land to the city of Coffman Cove, Alaska; and H.R. 482, to
provide for a land exchange involving Federal lands in the
Lincoln National Forest in the State of New Mexico.
* * * * * * *
S. 1548 Coffman Cove
S. 1548 would convey a portion of a 15-acre Forest Service
administrative site situated in the center of a small Alaskan
community, Coffman Cove, to the City of Coffman Cove. The bill
directs the Secretary of Agriculture, without consideration, to
convey fee simple title to twelve acres of the administrative
site, to the City.
The Department objects to S. 1548 on the basis of long-
standing policy that the government receives market value for
such conveyances. However, the Department is sympathetic to the
needs of the City of Coffman Cove to control the future
development of its future downtown area.
The Forest Service played a central role in the development
of the community. In the 1960s, Coffman Cove was a logging camp
and work site. Logs were harvested from the surrounding Tongass
National Forest. Eventually, the community developed around the
Forest Service administrative site.
In 1986, the State of Alaska received lands surrounding the
Coffman Cove administrative site as part of its statehood
entitlement. Over time, a decrease in timber sale activity led
to a diminished need for the Forest Service administrative
site. Within the last six years, all buildings have been
removed from the site.
Coffman Cove was incorporated in 1989, and is currently
home to about 200 residents. The City is seeking to diversify
its economic base in response to changes in the management of
the surrounding Tongass National Forest and other economic
conditions. With the development of a new ferry terminal
adjacent to the Forest Service administrative site, economic
opportunities for the City to develop commercial operations and
tourism support facilities are improving. However, the location
of the Forest Service parcel in the center of town, along the
main street bisecting the town and near the ferry terminal,
presents a significant obstacle to Coffman Cove's efforts to
more fully develop and diversify its economy and design its
future downtown. The location of most of the parcel also makes
it difficult and inefficient for the Forest Service to
adequately manage the site.
Should the Subcommittee choose to move the bill in spite of
these concerns, the Department would like to work with the
Subcommittee on amendments that would improve accuracy and
management efficiency.
* * * * * * *
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 the bill S. 202, as ordered
reported.