[House Report 115-540]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-540
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STE. GENEVIEVE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ESTABLISHMENT ACT
_______
February 2, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 2888]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 2888) to establish the Ste. Genevieve National
Historic Site in the State of Missouri, and for other purposes,
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. 2888 is to establish the Ste. Genevieve
National Historic Site in the State of Missouri.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Ste. Genevieve was founded circa 1750 by French Canadian
settlers, most of whom came from earlier settlements just
across the Mississippi in present-day Illinois. Though
resources such as salt and lead attracted settlers to the west
side of the Mississippi, the rich soil was the greatest draw.
Ste. Genevieve was primarily an agricultural settlement, with
free and enslaved residents working in the Grand Champ, or
Common Field, a large area of privately held, long agricultural
lots surrounded by one large fence.\1\
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\1\National Park Service. Ste. Genevieve Final Special Resource
Study and Environmental Assessment. 2016. 3. Accessed November 9, 2017.
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?projectID=31496.
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After a series of floods, the most severe of which occurred
in 1785, the town was moved inland approximately three miles,
to where it exists today. Residents continued to work the
Common Field, which, though smaller, is still cultivated today.
Ste. Genevieve became a hub of trade, and following the
Revolutionary War there was an influx of British Americans that
intensified following the Louisiana Purchase, expanding the
village. Ste. Genevieve retains many of its historic buildings,
landscapes, and community characteristics.\2\
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\2\Ibid., 1.
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Ste. Genevieve is one of the oldest National Historic
Landmark districts in the country. When a portion of the
district was initially designated as such in 1960, it was
recognized for the unique concentration of French vertical log
architecture--the largest extant collection of this
architecture in North America. The most notable feature of
French vernacular log architecture is the use of logs
vertically, rather than horizontally, as seen in buildings in
the frontier settlements of people of other ethnic European
extractions. With new research and an expanded understanding of
French settlement in the mid-Mississippi ``Illinois Country,''
additional resources have been identified. The nationally
significant district now encompasses much of the City of Ste.
Genevieve, and agricultural landscapes and archeological sites
in Ste. Genevieve County.\3\
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\3\Ibid., i.
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In 2009, under Public Law 109-319, Congress authorized the
Ste. Genevieve Special Resource Study and Environmental
Assessment. The study concluded that the Ste. Genevieve
district is nationally significant and suitable, and that
certain resources within the district are feasible and have a
need for direct National Park Service (NPS) management. The
proposed historic site includes a mix of privately and
publicly-owned parcels. The State of Missouri owns many of
those properties and could transfer them to NPS ownership by
donation. Private properties may be acquired over time through
donation or purchase from willing sellers as funding allows.
The special resource study estimated the annual cost to
operate the site would be $800,000 to $1.2 million per year,
which is comparable to other national historic sites and parks.
This operational budget would primarily fund a NPS staff of 6-
12 Full Time Equivalents for interpretive and educational
programs, and outreach. The additional facilities and
properties will increase park operational and maintenance
costs, but the amount will depend on the number of facilities
acquired and their condition. Additional funds for maintenance,
repairs and capital improvements would be awarded through the
NPS competitive process, subject to service-wide priorities and
the availability of appropriations.
There is widespread support for the establishment of the
Historical Park. Supporting organizations include:
City of Ste. Genevieve
County Commission of Ste. Genevieve
Foundation for the Restoration of Ste. Genevieve
Les Amis
The Missouri Parks Association
National Society Colonial Dames of America in the State of
Missouri
New Bourbon Regional Port Authority
Sierra Club (Eastern Missouri Group)
State Historical Society of Missouri
Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce
Ste. Genevieve Downtown Renewal Project
Ste. Genevieve Museum
Ste. Genevieve Tourism Tax Commission.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) has introduced a Senate
companion bill, S. 1335.
MAJOR PROVISIONS
Establishes the Ste. Genevieve National Historical
Park as a unit of the National Park System.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire lands located within the boundary of the Historical
Park or any nationally significant property identified in the
special resource within the Historic District by donation,
purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to revise
the boundaries of the Historical Park whenever properties
within the Historic District are acquired.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
provide technical assistance and enter into cooperative
agreements with the owner of a nationally significant property
within the Historical Park or the Historic District, to
identify, mark, interpret, improve, and restore the property.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 2888 was introduced on June 12, 2017, by Congressman
Jason Smith (R-MO). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee
on Federal Lands. On November 15, 2017, the Subcommittee held a
hearing on the legislation. On December 12, 2017, the Natural
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered
and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent on December 13, 2017.
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 AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, December 15, 2017.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2888, the Ste.
Genevieve National Historical Park Establishment Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani
Shankaran.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall,
Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 2888--Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park Establishment Act
H.R. 2888 would establish the Ste. Genevieve National
Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System in the
state of Missouri. The bill would authorize the National Park
Service (NPS) to acquire approximately 13 acres of land,
including historic houses, for inclusion in the park by
donation, exchange, or purchase.
Once the necessary parcels of land are acquired, the NPS
would be authorized to establish the park and would incur costs
to operate and maintain the park's properties and facilities.
The bill would require the agency to develop a management plan
for the park and would authorize the agency to provide
interpretive tours and educational programs within the park.
Finally, H.R. 2888 would authorize the NPS to provide technical
assistance and to enter into cooperative agreements with non-
federal entities to preserve historically significant property
related to the park.
Using information from the NPS and from local officials in
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, about the properties in question, CBO
estimates that acquiring the 13 acres of property would cost
less than $500,000. CBO expects that the property owned by the
state of Missouri would likely be donated to the NPS and
property owned by private individuals would be purchased by the
NPS with appropriated funds over the next five years.
In addition, CBO estimates that the NPS would spend about
$1 million per year on maintenance and operating costs for the
park once the properties are acquired. CBO estimates that
implementing H.R. 2888 would cost $6 million over the 2018-2022
period; such spending would be subject to the availability of
appropriated funds.
Enacting H.R. 2888 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2888 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 2888 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani
Shankaran. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
2. 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 establish the Ste. Genevieve
National Historic Site in the State of Missouri.
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.
COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
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 to existing
law.
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