[House Report 112-279]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
112th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 112-279
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REDESIGNATION OF THE NOXUBEE NATIONAL
WILDLIFE REFUGE
_______
November 10, 2011.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union 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 H.R. 588]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 588) 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 bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 588 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. 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.''
H.R. 588 would rename the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge
in Mississippi as the Sam D. Hamilton National Wildlife Refuge.
An identical proposal, S. 266, was introduced on February 3,
2011, by Senator Thad Cochran (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
H.R. 588 was introduced on February 9, 2011, by Congressman
Gregg Harper (R-MS). The bill was 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 October 5, 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, October 25, 2011.
Hon. Doc Hastings,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
reviewed H.R. 588, a bill 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 October 5, 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.
On July 6, 2011, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for 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. The two pieces of legislation are similar, and
the estimated costs are the same.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave.
Sincerely,
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 not apply.
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 redesignate the Noxubee National
Wildlife Refuge as the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National
Wildlife Refuge.
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.