[House Report 106-65]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 106-65
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OTAY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS ACT OF 1999
_______
March 17, 1999.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 15]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 15) to designate a portion of the Otay Mountain region of
California as wilderness, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon without amendments and recommend that the
bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 15 is to designate a portion of the
Otay Mountain region of California as wilderness.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Otay Mountains, near the U.S.-Mexico border, are a
unique region with diverse natural values. The area has good
opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation and is
particularly important to the people of San Diego City and
County. The area contains several sensitive species, including
the only known population of the Mexican flannel bush, and the
only known stand of Tecate Cypress.
In the 1980s the Bureau of Land Management recommended a
large portion of these mountains be designated as wilderness,
and this recommendation has received strong public support. All
parties seem to agree that the area needs protection.
The Otay Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999 would designate
about 18,500 acres of the Otay Mountain region as wilderness to
protect its sensitive resources and preserve it for future
generations.
During negotiations and hearings on H.R. 15 several sources
expressed concern that wilderness designation in the Otay
Mountain region could adversely affect Border Patrol and drug
interdiction activities. The Border Patrol assured the
Committee that because the roads in the area excluded from the
wilderness area, and given the language in section 6(b) of the
bill, border operations would not be adversely affected by
wilderness designation. Given these assurances, the Committee
decided not to amend section 6(b). It should be emphasized,
however, that should problems arise, the Committee will not
hesitate to push for amendments to this legislation to ensure
effective law enforcement.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 15 was introduced on January 6, 1999, by Congressman
Brian Bilbray (R-CA). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
National Parks and Public Lands. On February 4, 1999, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill, where the
Administration testified in support of H.R. 15. On February 25,
1999, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. No amendments
were offered. The bill was then ordered favorably reported to
the Full Committee by voice vote. On March 3, 1999, the Full
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. No amendments
were offered. The bill was then ordered favorably reported to
the House of Representatives by voice vote.
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 Resources' oversight findings and recommendations
are reflected in the body of this report.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8 and Article IV, section 3 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. Government Reform Oversight Findings. Under clause
3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee has received no report of
oversight findings and recommendations from the Committee on
Government Reform on this bill.
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:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, March 12, 1999.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 15, the Otay
Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Victoria Heid
Hall.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 15--Otay Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 15 would not have a
significant impact on the federal budget. Because H.R. 15 would
not affect direct spending or receipts, pay-as-you-go
procedures would not apply. H.R. 15 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.
H.R. 15 would designate as wilderness about 18,500 acres of
public land in the California Desert District of the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM). According to BLM, because the agency
already manages the land as a wilderness study area,
designating it as wilderness would not result in any
significant increase in administrative costs. In addition,
based on information from BLM, we estimate that this wilderness
designation is unlikely to have any effect on offsetting
receipts.
The CBO staff contact is Victoria Heid Hall. This estimate
was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy Assistant Director
for Budget Analysis.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.