The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection. to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program. Sincerely yours, STANLEY A. CAIN, Assistant Secretary of the Interior. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION The Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs recommends enactment of H.R. 5558. H. Rept. 1069 90TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session { REPORT No. 1070 AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO EXCHANGE CERTAIN PROPERTY AT ACADIA NATIONAL PARK IN MAINE WITH THE OWNER OF CERTAIN PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE PARK JANUARY 31, 1968.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed Mr. TAYLOR, from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H.R. 14463] The Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 14463) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to exchange certain property at Acadia National Park in Maine with the owner of certain property adjacent to the park, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. The amendment is as follows: Page 1, line 8, strike out "his" and insert "the Secretary's". PURPOSE The purpose of H.R. 14463, by Congressman Hathaway, is to provide for the elimination of 1.8 acres of land from Acadia National Park in the State of Maine and for the addition to the same of a 10-acre tract of land. NEED The two tracts involved in H.R. 14463 will be exchanged for each other with a cash payment of $200 by the United States to the owner of the 10-acre tract, Mr. Maurice Rich, Sr., to make up the difference in the appraised values of the tracts. Enactment of H.R. 14463 is necessary to authorize the proposed exchange for two reasons: (1) There is no authority under the act establishing Acadia National Park (act of Feb. 26, 1919, 40 Stat. 1178) to acquire land for this park except by donation; (2) there is no general authority under which lands within any unit of the national part system may be disposed of. The land to be transferred to Mr. Rich is not needed by the National Park Service but will be useful to him for access to his farm. The land to be accepted by the Park Service from him will eliminate one of numerous inholdings within the park. COST H.R. 14463 involves no cost to the Government beyond the $200 spoken of above plus such amounts as are necessary to defray the administrative expenses of effectuating the exchange. DEPARTMENTAL REPORT The favorable report of the Department of the Interior dated January 19, 1968, is set forth below in full. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THF INTERIOR, Hon. WAYNE N. ASPINALL, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, D.C., January 19, 1968. Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, DEAR MR. ASPINALL: This responds to your request for a report from this Department on H.R. 14463, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to exchange certain property at Acadia National Park in Maine with the owner of certain property adjacent to the park. We recommend the enactment of the bill. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey to one Maurice Rich, Sr., approximately 1.8 acres of park land within the town of Southwest Harbor, Maine, in exchange for a conveyance to the Federal Government of any property owned by Mr. Rich which the Secretary determines is suitable for addition to the park. The bill requires that the values of the exchanged properties either be approximately equal or that they be equalized by the Secretary receiving or paying money. Mr. Rich has informally agreed to convey to the Federal Government in exchange for the 1.8 acres of parkland, a nearby parcel of approximately 10 acres which is completely surrounded by parkland. This 10-acre tract has been in agricultural use as mixed pastureland and woodlot. Its conveyance to the Federal Government would eliminate one of the many inholdings within Acadia National Park and would permit improved management and protection of the surrounding parkland. The 1.8-acre parcel which the Federal Government would convey to Mr. Rich is unimproved and contains no unusual scenic or natural values requiring its retention within the park. An independent appraiser has found the value of the Rich property to be $350 and the value of the Federal parcel to be $150. H. Rept. 1070 The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program. Sincerely yours, CLARENCE F. PAUTZKE, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION The Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs recommends enactment of H.R. 14463, as amended. O H. Rept. 1070 |