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Week Ending July 29, 2005
S.136 A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide supplemental funding and other services that are necessary to assist certain local school districts in the State of California in providing educational services for students attending schools located within Yosemite National Park, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the boundaries of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, to adjust the boundaries of Redwood National Park, and for other purposes.
BRIEF
The bill, in two titles would provide funds transportation for the education needs of children living inside Yosemite national Park and to adjust some boundaries of Golden gate and Redwood National Parks.
The bill report, itself, explained the titles: “Title I--Yosemite Schools Funding: The Yosemite Valley, EI Portal and Wawona schools are California public schools that primarily serve the children of employees who live and work in or near Yosemite National Park. Following historic floods in January 1997, the number of families living within Yosemite National Park declined sharply. Because the funding of schools in the State of California is based on average daily attendance, the reduced number of students attending the schools resulted in a corresponding reduction in school funding. This has left inadequate resources to pay for mandated levels of educational services and virtually no funds for construction, maintenance or other operations of the schools. Although funding was included in the FY 2000 Education Appropriations bill for the Mariposa County School District to maintain services at two of the three schools, obtaining special earmarks each year is an inefficient method to obtain school funding.
“The three schools, while in different locations, are in a similar situation in that access to other area schools is difficult. Yosemite Valley school is more than 1 hour from the town of Mariposa via a narrow mountainous road. EI Portal school is more than 40 minutes from Mariposa, and Wawona school is 30 minutes from Oakhurst over a narrow mountain road. All three schools are nearly 4,000 feet above sea level, and have many snow days. The roads between Yosemite National Park and the outlying communities are often closed due to weather or rockslide. It is nearly impossible and clearly dangerous to transport the students in these conditions.
“Although National Park Service (NPS) funds are not generally used for State educational purposes, there is one precedent. Since 1948, Yellowstone National Park has operated a park-based elementary school under statutory authority (16 U.S.C. 40a) that allows the NPS to provide supplemental funding and facilities. Also, similar authority was provided at Grand Canyon National Park for a short time in the 1970's.
S. 136 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide supplemental funding for 4 years to assist the State of California or local school districts in providing educational services for students attending the three schools.
“Title II--Golden Gate National Recreation Area Addition: The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) encompasses approximately 74,000 acres in several units in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties in northern California. The park's boundaries have been expanded several times since its establishment in 1972 to provide for the inclusion of additional lands. The most recent addition occurred in 2000, when 1,500 acres were added to the park.
“S. 136 would expand the GGNRA boundaries to include approximately 4,762 acres in San Mateo County, known generally as the `Rancho Corral de Tierra' property. Although negotiations to acquire these properties were occurring at the time of the 2000 additions, they were not completed in time for inclusion in that legislation.
“The lands to be added to the GGNRA by S. 136 include Montara Mountain and other coastal ridges. Rising 2,000 feet from the nearby coast, the mountain ridges contain the headwaters and most of the watershed for four coastal stream systems, and provide an important riparian habitat for threatened species such as the California red-legged frog and San Francisco garter snake. Montara Mountain is home to two plant species that are found nowhere else in the world: the Montara manzanita and blue lupine. The area also provides important open space and scenic values, with views over the entire San Francisco Bay area.”
Sponsor: Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent (July 27, 2005)
Cost to the taxpayers: “CBO estimates that implementing S. 136 would cost $24 million over the 2006-2010 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts.”
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MORE INFORMATION
Section 1 provides a table of contents.
Section 101(a) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide funds to the two named school districts for fiscal years 2006 through 2009 for educational services to dependents of park and concession employees. The Secretary's authority to make payments to the schools terminates if the State of California or local education agencies fail to provide funding to the schools that is no less than the amount provided in FY 2005.
Subsection (b) allows payments only for educational services that may be funded under this title and prohibits the funds from being used for construction, construction contracts or major improvements.
Subsection (c) limits payments to the school district to the lesser of $400,000 in any fiscal year or the amount necessary to provide the educational services that are normally available to students in the State of California.
Subsection (d) allows the Secretary to use funds available to the National Park Service from appropriations, donations or fees, except that fee revenues collected under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program or any other law authorizing the collection or expenditure of entrance or use fees at units of the National Park System may not be used.
Section 102 provides the authority for the Secretary to locate park facilities outside of Yosemite National Park to support a transportation system.
Section 201 entitles this title the `Rancho Corral de Tierra Golden Gate National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Act.'
Section 202 amends section 2(a) of Public Law 92-589 to include several parcels of land comprising approximately 4,500 acres known as the `Rancho Corral de Tierra Additions' to be included within the park boundary. This section also states that the Secretary may only acquire the described parcels of land from a willing seller.
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No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.