[House Report 112-626]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
112th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 112-626
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PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK ACT
_______
July 26, 2012.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3641]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 3641) to establish Pinnacles National Park in
the State of California as a unit of the National Park System,
and for other purposes, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill
as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Pinnacles National Park Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Pinnacles National Monument was established by
Presidential Proclamation 796 on January 16, 1908, for the
purposes of protecting its rock formations, and expanded by
Presidential Proclamation 1660 of May 7, 1923; Presidential
Proclamation 1704 of July 2, 1924; Presidential Proclamation
1948 of April 13, 1931; Presidential Proclamation 2050 of July
11, 1933; Presidential Proclamation 2528 of December 5, 1941;
Public Law 94-567; and Presidential Proclamation 7266 of
January 11, 2000.
(2) While the extraordinary geology of Pinnacles National
Monument has attracted and enthralled visitors for well over a
century, the expanded Monument now serves a critical role in
protecting other important natural and cultural resources and
ecological processes. This expanded role merits recognition
through legislation.
(3) Pinnacles National Monument provides the best remaining
refuge for floral and fauna species representative of the
central California coast and Pacific coast range, including 32
species holding special Federal or State status, not only
because of its multiple ecological niches but also because of
its long-term protected status with 14,500 acres of
Congressionally designated wilderness.
(4) Pinnacles National Monument encompasses a unique blend of
California heritage from prehistoric and historic Native
Americans to the arrival of the Spanish, followed by 18th and
19th century settlers, including miners, cowboys, vaqueros,
ranchers, farmers, and homesteaders.
(5) Pinnacles National Monument is the only National Park
System site within the ancestral home range of the California
Condor. The reintroduction of the condor to its traditional
range in California is important to the survival of the
species, and as a result, the scientific community with centers
at the Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Zoo in California and
Buenos Aires Zoo in Argentina looks to Pinnacles National
Monument as a leader in California Condor recovery, and as an
international partner for condor recovery in South America.
(6) The preservation, enhancement, economic and tourism
potential and management of the central California coast and
Pacific coast range's important natural and cultural resources
requires cooperation and partnerships among local property
owners, Federal, State, and local government entities and the
private sector.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK.
(a) Establishment and Purpose.--There is hereby established Pinnacles
National Park in the State of California for the purposes of--
(1) preserving and interpreting for the benefit of future
generations the chaparral, grasslands, blue oak woodlands, and
majestic valley oak savanna ecosystems of the area, the area's
geomorphology, riparian watersheds, unique flora and fauna, and
the ancestral and cultural history of native Americans,
settlers and explorers; and
(2) interpreting the recovery program for the California
Condor and the international significance of the program.
(b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of Pinnacles National Park are as
generally depicted on the map entitled ``Proposed: Pinnacles National
Park Designation Change'', numbered 114/111,724, and dated December
2011. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in
the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
(c) Abolishment of Current Pinnacles National Monument.--
(1) In general.--In light of the establishment of Pinnacles
National Park, Pinnacles National Monument is hereby abolished
and the lands and interests therein are incorporated within and
made part of Pinnacles National Park. Any funds available for
purposes of the monument shall be available for purposes of the
park.
(2) References.--Any references in law (other than in this
Act), regulation, document, record, map or other paper of the
United States to Pinnacles National Monument shall be
considered a reference to Pinnacles National Park.
(d) Administration.--The Secretary of the Interior shall administer
Pinnacles National Park in accordance with this Act and laws generally
applicable to units of the National Park System, including the National
Park Service Organic Act (16 U.S.C. 1, 2-4).
SEC. 4. REDESIGNATION OF PINNACLES WILDERNESS AS HAIN WILDERNESS.
Subsection (i) of the first section of Public Law 94-567 (90 Stat.
2693; 16 U.S.C. 1132 note) is amended by striking ``Pinnacles
Wilderness'' and inserting ``Hain Wilderness''. Any reference in a law,
map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States
to the Pinnacles Wilderness shall be deemed to be a reference to the
Hain Wilderness.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of H.R. 3641, as ordered reported, is to
establish Pinnacles National Park in the State of California as
a unit of the National Park System.
Background and Need for Legislation
H.R. 3641 redesignates Pinnacles National Monument in
Paicines, California, as Pinnacles National Park. Pinnacles was
designated a National Monument in 1908 by President Theodore
Roosevelt under the authority of the Antiquities Act.
Proponents aim to raise the profile of Pinnacles National
Monument through this name change.
With the enactment of H.R. 3641, it is anticipated that
management would not change dramatically, as the area is
already under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
Additionally, the bill redesignates existing wilderness as the
Hain Wilderness in honor of the role played in the
establishment of Pinnacles National Monument by immigrant
homesteaders from Michigan who first arrived at the Pinnacles
in 1886. In 1893, Schuyler Hain conceived the idea of
designating the Pinnacles as a public park or even a national
park.
During Full Committee consideration of H.R. 3647, the
Committee adopted an amendment offered by Congressman Rob
Bishop (R-UT) to strike a nearly 3,000-acre wilderness
expansion, to remove unnecessary land acquisition authority and
to eliminate the uncapped authorization of appropriations.
Committee Action
H.R. 3641 was introduced on December 13, 2011, by
Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA). The bill was referred to the House
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On
June 8, 2012, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Public Lands held a hearing on the bill. On July 11, 2012, the
Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands was
discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT)
offered en bloc amendment designated #1 to the bill; the
amendment was adopted by unanimous consent. The bill, as
amended, was then adopted and 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:
H.R. 3641--Pinnacles National Park Act
H.R. 3641 would redesignate the Pinnacles National Monument
in California as the Pinnacles National Park. Based on
information provided by the National Park Service, CBO
estimates that the bill would have no significant impact on the
federal budget. CBO expects that the proposed change in
designation would have no significant effect on the costs of
operating and maintaining the affected lands. Enacting H.R.
3641 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 3641 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 Martin von
Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
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. Based on
information provided by the National Park Service, CBO
estimates that the bill would have no significant impact on the
federal budget. CBO expects that the proposed change in
designation would have no significant effect on the costs of
operating and maintaining the affected lands.
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, as ordered reported, is to establish
Pinnacles National Park in the State of California as a unit of
the National Park System.
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 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):
PUBLIC LAW 94-567
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in
accordance with section 3(c) of the Wilderness Act (78 Stat.
890; 16 U.S.C. 1132(c)), the following lands are hereby
designated as wilderness, and shall be administered by the
Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the applicable
provisions of the Wilderness Act:
(a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(i) Pinnacles National Monument, California, wilderness
comprising twelve thousand nine hundred and fifty-two acres,
and potential wilderness additions comprising nine hundred and
ninety acres, depicted on a map entitled ``Wilderness Plan,
Pinnacles National Monument, California'', numbered 114-20,010-
D and dated September 1975, to be known as the [Pinnacles
Wilderness] Hain Wilderness.
* * * * * * *