[DOCID: f:sr118.110]
From the Senate Reports Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
Calendar No. 251
110th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 110-118
======================================================================
PIEDRAS BLANCAS HISTORIC LIGHT STATION OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA ACT OF
2007
_______
June 28, 2007.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 276]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the Act (H.R. 276) 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, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the Act do pass.
PURPOSE
The purpose of H.R. 276 is to designate the Piedras Blancas
Light Station and 18 acres of surrounding public land as an
Outstanding Natural Area to be administered by the Bureau of
Land Management as a part of the National Landscape
Conservation System.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
Piedras Blancas is located in San Luis Obisbo County on
California's central coast, just north of San Simeon (Hearst
Castle), approximately halfway between Los Angeles and San
Francisco. The point is a Spanish name for the white rock
outcropping located just off the end of the point. In the early
1870's, this location was chosen to fill the gap between the
lighthouses at Point Conception and Point Sur.
The Piedras Blancas Lighthouse was completed in 1875. A two
story Victorian style dwelling was completed later that year.
The original tower was 115 feet tall and housed a first-order
Fresnel lens. A fog signal building and additional keeper's
dwelling were added in 1906.
The Piedras Blancas lighthouse was operated by employees of
the U.S. Lighthouse Service until 1939, when the Coast Guard
assumed command. Structural damage to the tower and new
technology eventually replaced many of the functions of the
lightkeepers as the light station became automated. The Coast
Guard subsequently relinquished control and management of the
Piedras Blancas Light Station to the Bureau of Land Management
on October 12, 2001. The site is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
H.R. 276 would designate the lighthouse and the surrounding
18 acres of public land as an Outstanding Natural Area,
following a similar 1980 designation in Oregon for the Yaquina
Head Outstanding Natural Area.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
H.R. 276, sponsored by Representative Capps, passed the
House of Representatives by a voice vote on March 5, 2007.
During the 109th Congress, a similar measure was considered in
the House, H.R. 3534, also sponsored by Rep. Capps. That bill
passed the House of Representatives by a voice vote on
September 25, 2006. However, no further action occurred in the
Senate prior to the sine die adjournment of the 109th Congress.
The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing
on H.R. 276 on May 3, 2007. At its business meeting on May 23,
2007, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered
H.R. 276 favorably reported, without amendment.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in an
open business session on May 23, 2007, by a unanimous voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R.
276.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1(a) provides the short title, the ``Piedras
Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding Natural Area Act of
2007.''
Subsection (b) defines key terms used in the Act.
Section 2 contains congressional findings.
Section 3(a) establishes the Piedras Blancas Historic Light
Station Outstanding Natural Area on 18 acres of public land in
San Luis Obispo County, California, to be administered by the
Secretary of the Interior.
Subsection (b) references the official boundary map for the
Outstanding Natural Area and directs that the map be kept on
file and available for public inspection in Bureau of Land
Management offices in Washington, D.C. and California.
Subsection (c) directs the Secretary to manage the
Outstanding Natural Area as part of the National Landscape
Conservation System, and shall allow only those uses that
further the purposes of the Outstanding Natural Area. The area
is also to be administered under the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and other
applicable laws.
Subsection (d) withdraws the land included within the
Outstanding Natural Area from the public land laws, mining and
mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws.
Section 4(a) directs the Secretary to manage the
Outstanding Natural Area in a manner that conserves, protects,
and enhances the unique and nationally important historical,
natural, cultural, scientific, educational, scenic, and
recreational values of the area.
Subsection (b) directs the Secretary to allow only such
uses of the Outstanding Natural Area that the Secretary finds
are likely to further the purposes for which the area is
established.
Subsection (c) requires the Secretary to complete a
comprehensive management plan for the area not later than three
years after the date of enactment. The purpose of the plan is
to provide long-term management guidance for the public lands
within the boundary of the Outstanding Natural Area, including
interpretation of, and public education about the historic
light station. The plan is to be developed with full public
participation, including consultation with appropriate Federal,
State, and local governmental agencies.
Subsection (d) authorizes the Secretary to enter into
cooperative agreements with appropriate Federal, State, and
local agencies to better implement the management plan and to
continue successful partnerships with the Heart San Simeon
State Historical Monument.
Subsection (e) authorizes the Secretary to allow
appropriate research activities consistent with the purposes
for which the Outstanding Natural Area is established.
Subsection (f) authorizes the Secretary to acquire State
and private lands within the boundaries of the Outstanding
Natural Area by donation, exchange, or purchase from a willing
seller.
Subsection (g) provides that any lands or interests therein
adjacent to the Outstanding Natural Area acquired by the United
States after the date of enactment shall be added to and
administered as part of the area.
Subsection (h) clarifies that nothing in this Act or the
management plan for the Outstanding Natural Area shall be
construed to restrict or preclude military or commercial
overflights.
Subsection (i) clarifies that nothing in this Act shall be
construed to preclude or otherwise affect coastal border
security operations or other law enforcement activities.
Subsection (j) recognizes the past use of the Outstanding
Natural Area by Indians and Indian tribes for traditional
cultural and religious purposes and directs the Secretary to
ensure continued access for such purposes.
Subsection (k) is a savings clause that designation of the
Outstanding Natural Area is not intended to create a protective
perimeter or ``buffer zone'' around the area.
Section 5 authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are
necessary to carry out this Act.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
May 31, 2007.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
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 H.R. 276, the Piedras
Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding Natural Area Act of
2007.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Deborah
Reis and David Reynolds.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag.
Enclosure.
H.R. 276--Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding Natural
Area Act of 2007
H.R. 276 would establish the Piedras Blancas Historic Light
Station Outstanding Natural Area on 18 acres of federal land in
San Luis Obispo County, California. The legislation would
require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop a
comprehensive management plan for the area 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 2008-2012 period, assuming
the availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting H.R. 276 could affect direct spending by
withdrawing the 18 acres from programs to develop natural
resources. According to BLM, however, the 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).
Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues.
H.R. 276 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.
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Deborah Reis
and David Reynolds. The 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 H.R. 276. The Act 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 H.R. 276, as ordered reported.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The testimony provided by the Bureau of Land Management at
the May 3, 2007 Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 276 follows:
Statement of Jim Hughes, Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management
Thank you for inviting me to testify on H.R. 276, the
Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding Natural Area
Act which would designate the Piedras Blancas Light Station as
an Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) within the BLM's National
Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). The Department supports
H.R. 276.
background
The 18-acre Piedras Blancas Light Station sits on the
coastal side of California scenic route 1 (California Coastal
Highway) near Hearst Castle halfway between Los Angles and San
Francisco. It is an active lighthouse which began continuous
operation in 1875 and is on the National Register of Historic
Places. Formerly run by the Coast Guard, it has been managed by
the BLM since 2001. Today, in addition to its safety role, the
Light Station is a beacon of community support and activism.
The proposed Piedras Blancas Historical Light Station ONA
is adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary,
administered by NOAA. The designation of the Piedras Blancas
Light Station would provide a compatible and valuable shore-
based presence for this important national treasure and promote
historical and educational opportunities consistent with the
NLCS.
Community partnership and an active volunteer force have
allowed the BLM to begin the important work of restoration of
the light station. Over 80 volunteers are actively involved in
Piedras Blancas projects contributing 8,000 hours of service
over each of the last three years. With strong local community
support our partners include: The Friends of the Piedras
Blancas Light Station, Hearst San Simeon Historic Monument,
California State Parks, the Central Coast Maritime Museum, the
Cambria Historical Society and a wide-range of other federal,
state and local government agencies. In addition, monthly tours
of the light station are being conducted in conjunction with
Hearst Castle.
h.r. 276
H.R. 276 recognizes both the historical significance of the
Piedras Blancas Light Station and the community support for its
preservation. By designating the light station as an
Outstanding Natural Area, the bill follows in the footsteps of
the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area Along the Oregon
coast established by Congress in 1980. In order to safeguard
the buildings and public lands immediately surrounding them the
bill provides protections for the area while encouraging and
enabling active community support and involvement. In addition,
the bill recognizes the importance of administering this area
for educational, scientific uses as well as for traditional
Native American purposes.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of H.R.
276. I will be happy to answer 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 the Act H.R. 276, as
ordered reported.
<all>