[House Report 107-318]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
107th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 107-318
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DESIGNATION OF GEORGE ROGERS CLARK NORTHWEST CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR STUDY
FOR POTENTIAL ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM
_______
December 5, 2001.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1963]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 1963) to amend the National Trails System Act to
designate the route taken by American soldier and frontiersman
George Rogers Clark and his men during the Revolutionary War to
capture the British forts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois,
and Vincennes, Indiana, for study for potential addition to the
National Trails System, 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. 1963 is to amend the National Trails
System Act to designate the route taken by American solider and
frontiersman George Rogers Clark and his men during the
Revolutionary War to capture the British forts at Kaskaskia and
Cahokia, Illinois, and Vincennes, Indiana, for study for
potential addition to the National Trails System.
Background and Need for Legislation
During the American Revolutionary War, American Colonel
George Rogers Clark (1752-1819), elder brother of William Clark
of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery, led his men 180
miles from Kaskaskia, Illinois, to Vincennes, Indiana, through
frozen prairies and flooded river valleys over the course of 18
days in 1779 to capture British Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton. It
was during this time that the English Army was encouraging
Native Americans in the area to attack settlers. Clark
successfully stopped the raids when he overthrew Fort Sackville
(near Vincennes, Indiana). As a result of his heroic military
activities, the British ceded what is now Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the Eastern portion of
Minnesota to the United States.
This legislation would allow the National Park Service to
study all the routes taken by the Clark mission from Ft. Pitt,
down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, to and including all land
routes from Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois, to Vincennes,
Indiana, in determining those primary routes taken by Colonel
Clarke which proved instrumental to his mission and victory at
Vincennes, and which would merit designation as a part of the
National Trails System.
Committee Action
H.R. 1963 was introduced on May 23, 2001, by Congressman
Jerry F. Costello (D-IL) and was referred to the Committee on
Resources. On May 30, 2001, the bill was referred to the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands.
On October 16, 2001, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the
bill. On November 15, 2001, the Subcommittee met to mark up the
bill. No amendments were offered and the bill was forwarded to
the Full Committee by voice vote. On November 28, 2001, the
Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. 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 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. 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.
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, December 3, 2001.
Hon. James V. Hansen,
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. 1963, a bill to
amend the National Trails System Act to designate the route
taken by American soldier and frontiersman George Rogers Clark
and his men during the Revolutionary War to capture the British
forts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois, and Vincennes,
Indiana, for study for potential addition to the National
Trails System.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this
estimate is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 1963--A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to designate
the route taken by American soldier and frontiersman George
Rogers Clark and his men during the Revolutionary War to
capture the British forts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, Illinois,
and Vincennes, Indiana, for study for potential addition to the
National Trails System
H.R. 1963 would amend the National Trails System Act to add
the George Rogers Clark Northwest Campaign Trail in Indiana and
Illinois to the list of routes to be studied for possible
inclusion in the National Trails System.
Based on information provided by the National Park Service
and assuming appropriation of the necessary amount, CBO
estimates that it would cost the federal government between
$250,000 and $400,000 over the next two or three years to
conduct the required study and report to the Congress on its
findings. H.R. 1963 would not affect direct spending or
receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
The bill 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 Deborah Reis.
The 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 (new matter is
printed in italic and 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) * * *
* * * * * * *
(41) George Rogers Clark Northwest Campaign Trail.--The
George Rogers Clark Northwest Campaign Trail, tracing the water
route and overland route of the 1778 and 1779 expedition of
Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark and his Virginia militia
against the British in which he captured the British forts at
Kaskaskia and Cahokia, in what is now Illinois, and twice
captured Vincennes, in what is now Indiana.
* * * * * * *