[House Report 112-171] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 112th Congress Report HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 112-171 ====================================================================== TO REDESIGNATE THE NOXUBEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AS THE SAM D. HAMILTON NOXUBEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE _______ July 20, 2011.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed _______ Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany S. 266] [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the act (S. 266) to redesignate the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge as the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the act do pass. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The purpose of S. 266 is to redesignate the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge as the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION The Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1940 through lands obtained from the Resettlement Administration, which was a federal agency created in 1935 during the Franklin Roosevelt Administration. Today, it is 48,000 acres in size and is located within the three Mississippi counties of Noxubee, Oktibbeha and Winston. The refuge is primarily comprised of 42,500 acres of bottomland and upland woodlands. It provides essential habitat to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, the American alligator, bobcat, quail, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys. Further, upwards of 15,000 waterfowl, primarily American widgeons, gadwalls, mallards and wood ducks, overwinter on the refuge. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, over 125,000 people visit the refuge annually to participate in fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, wildlife photography and environmental education. In addition, Noxubee serves as an outdoor classroom for Mississippi State University and other local educational institutions. The son of a U.S. Air Force pilot, Sam D. Hamilton was born in 1955 in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and grew up in Starkville, Mississippi. His first job outdoors was at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge where he learned how to band wood ducks and Canada geese, to build waterfowl pens and to appreciate the value of managing wildlife habitat. Hamilton was a 1977 graduate of Mississippi State University and had a distinguished 30-year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prior to his confirmation as Director, he served as Regional Director of the Service's Southeast Region in Atlanta, Georgia, where he successfully managed a $484 million dollar budget, 1,500 federal employees, 128 national wildlife refuges and more than 350 federally-listed threatened and endangered species. Sam Hamilton was selected as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by President Barack Obama and was sworn in as its 15th Director of the Service on September 15, 2009. Tragically, Hamilton died of a heart attack on February 20, 2010, at the age of 54. At the time of his untimely death, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar described Hamilton as, ``A friend, a visionary and a professional whose years of service and passionate dedication to his work have left an indelible mark on the lands and wildlife we cherish.'' S. 266 would rename the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi as the Sam D. Hamilton National Wildlife Refuge. An identical proposal, H.R. 588, has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Greg Harper (R-MS). The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded a grant of $100,000 to the Friends of the Noxubee Refuge for new signs and any other capital improvements that may be necessary to rename the refuge. COMMITTEE ACTION S. 266 was introduced on February 3, 2011, by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS). On February 17, 2011, the bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The bill was then referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs. On April 7, 2011, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs held a hearing on the bill. On June 15, 2011, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs was discharged 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 Natural Resources' oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII 1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) 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)(2)(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. 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: U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, July 6, 2011. Hon. Doc Hastings, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed S. 266, an act to redesignate the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge as the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on June 15, 2011. CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would have no significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave. Sincerely, Robert A. Sunshine (For Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director). 2. Section 308(a) of 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. CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would have no significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do apply. 3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply. EARMARK STATEMENT This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 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.