[DOCID: f:hr622.109]
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109th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 109-622
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MISSISSIPPI RIVER TRAIL STUDY ACT
_______
September 6, 2006.--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. 1796]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 1796) to amend the National Trails System Act to
designate the route of the Mississippi River from its
headwaters in the State of Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico for
study for potential addition to the National Trails System as a
national scenic trail, national historic trail, or both, 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. 1796 is to amend the National Trails
System Act to designate the route of the Mississippi River from
its headwaters in the State of Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico
for study for potential addition to the National Trails System
as a national scenic trail, national historic trail, or both,
and for other purposes.
Background and Need for Legislation
The Mississippi River is a prominent natural feature of our
country, an integral part of our history and a critical artery
for modern commerce. According to the bill's sponsor,
designating a route along the Mississippi ensures that future
generations can appreciate, understand and enjoy the great
waterway.
H.R. 1796 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a study examining the feasibility and suitability of
including the Mississippi River in the National Trails System.
Establishing a national trail along the River will connect the
nearly 40 existing public land units on or very near the River,
which include national forests, national parks and national
wildlife refuges.
H.R. 1796 attempts to control costs by requiring that all
completed and ongoing studies on the scenic or historical
importance of the Mississippi River be utilized to complete the
assessment authorized by this legislation.
Committee Action
H.R. 1796 was introduced on April 21, 2005, Congresswoman
Betty McCollum (D-MN). The bill was referred to the Committee
on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
National Parks and the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest
Health. On April 27, 2006, the Subcommittee on National Parks
held a hearing on H.R. 1796. On July 19, 2006, the Committee on
Resources met to consider the bill. The Subcommittees were
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 voice
vote.
Constitutional Authority Statement
Article I, section 8, clause 3, and Article IV, section 3,
clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States grant
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 amend the National Trails System
Act to designate the route of the Mississippi River from its
headwaters in the State of Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico for
study for potential addition to the National Trails System as a
national scenic trail, national historic trail, or both.
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. 1796--Mississippi River Trail Study Act
H.R. 1796 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
study whether to establish a national trail along the entire
length of the Mississippi River. Based on information from the
National Park Service, CBO estimates that the proposed study
would cost about $500,000, assuming the availability of
appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 1796 would not affect direct
spending or revenues.
H.R. 1796 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 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 (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
SECTION 5 OF THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT
NATIONAL SCENIC AND NATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAILS
Sec. 5. (a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(c) The following routes shall be studied in accordance with
the objectives outlined in subsection (b) of this section:
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
[(42) The] (41) Long Walk Trail.--The Long Walk Trail, a
series of routes which the Navajo and Mescalero Apache Indian
tribes were forced to walk beginning in the fall of 1863 as a
result of their removal by the United States Government from
their ancestral lands, generally located within a corridor
extending through portions of Canyon de Chelley, Arizona, and
Albuquerque, Canyon Blanco, Anton Chico, Canyon Piedra Pintado,
and Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
[(41)] (42) Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail.--The
Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail, a system of trails and
potential trails extending southward approximately 180 miles
through western Massachusetts on the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail,
across central Connecticut on the Metacomet Trail and the
Mattabesett Trail, and ending at Long Island Sound.
* * * * * * *
(43) Mississippi River Trail.--The route of the Mississippi
River from its headwaters in the State of Minnesota to the Gulf
of Mexico.
* * * * * * *
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