[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2571 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 574
107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2571

                          [Report No. 107-257]

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources 
 study to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing the 
  Rim of the Valley Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains 
                       National Recreation Area.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 23, 2002

Mrs. Feinstein introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

                           September 9, 2002

  Reported by Mr. Bingaman, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                 title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources 
 study to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing the 
  Rim of the Valley Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains 
                       National Recreation Area.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Rim of the Valley Corridor 
Study Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    The Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) The greater Southern California metropolitan 
        region is the second largest urban concentration in the United 
        States, with almost one-tenth of the total population of the 
        country, yet it has one of the lowest ratios of park-and-
        recreation-lands-per-thousand-population of any urban area in 
        the country. Unless action is taken soon, this situation will 
        only become worse as the region continues to be subjected to 
        intense growth.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) The lack of park, recreation, natural open 
        space, and habitat protection in close proximity to the greater 
        Southern California metropolitan region deprives the 
        individuals who reside there of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the health and spiritual welfare 
                benefits of proximity to nature; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the quantifiable benefits of reduced 
                crime, lower social tension, and increased educational 
                opportunities that are associated with the provision of 
                open space in geographic proximity to and accessible to 
                urban populations.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) The Rim of the Valley Corridor encircling the 
        San Fernando and La Crescenta valleys provides important 
        scenic, environmental, recreational, educational, scientific, 
        and economic assets to the greater Southern California 
        metropolitan region. These assets are deserving of increased 
        protection so that they can continue to provide public benefit 
        in the 21st century and beyond.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) The Rim of the Valley Corridor, consisting of 
        parts of the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Susanna Mountains, 
        San Gabriel Mountains, Verdugo Mountains, San Rafael Hills, and 
        adjacent connector areas to the Los Padres and San Bernardino 
        National Forests, contains significant examples of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the world's most endangered habitat 
                area, the Mediterranean chaparral ecosystem; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) significant examples of separate 
                ecotones indigenous to the area.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) A key element of the Rim of the Valley 
        Corridor is the escarpment of the San Gabriel Mountains that is 
        largely contained within the Angeles National Forest. That 
        national forest is primarily managed for watershed, 
        recreational, and habitat values and not for commercial 
        exploitation of forest resources.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Privately owned lands within the Rim of the 
        Valley Corridor are critical to providing additional scenic, 
        environmental, recreational, and open space values. These lands 
        should be brought within public protection through the use of 
        voluntary incentives, respecting at all times the legitimate 
        private property values of existing property owners.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) The State of California has adopted the Rim of 
        the Valley Master Plan, and local governments within the Rim of 
        the Valley Corridor have made significant progress toward 
        protecting the unique natural and recreational resources of the 
        area. However, these efforts have been hampered by a lack of 
        financial resources, technical assistance, and resource 
        management expertise that can be provided by the Federal 
        Government.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. STUDY OF RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR FOR ESTABLISHMENT 
              AS UNIT OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION 
              AREA.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall 
conduct a special resource study of the lands, waters, and interests of 
the area comprising the Rim of the Valley Corridor in Southern 
California, as depicted on the maps on file on June 15, 2001, in the 
office of the Secretary of the State of California pursuant to Division 
23 of the California Public Resources Code (section 33000 et 
seq.).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Study Topics.--The study shall evaluate the national 
significance of the area and the suitability and feasibility of 
establishing it as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National 
Recreation Area of the National Park System.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Criteria.--In conducting the study authorized by this 
section, the Secretary shall use the criteria for the study for areas 
for potential inclusion in the National Park System contained in 
section 8 of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Consultation.--In conducting the study authorized by 
this section, the Secretary shall regularly consult with the Rim of the 
Valley Corridor and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 
Advisory Committee established by section 4.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Rim of the 
Valley Corridor and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 
Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the 
``Committee'').</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Recommendation of Boundaries for Expanded Recreation 
Area.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Committee shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) advise the Secretary of the Interior 
                regarding the conduct of the study under section 3; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) recommend to the Secretary of the 
                Interior boundaries for a Santa Monica Mountains and 
                Rim of the Valley National Recreation Area.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Boundary requirements.--The boundaries 
        recommended by the Committee shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) reflect the boundaries of the Santa 
                Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, as in effect 
                on the date of the enactment of this Act; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) generally include the lands, waters, 
                and interests comprising the Rim of the Valley Corridor 
                as depicted on the maps as on file on June 15, 2001, in 
                the office of the Secretary of the State of California 
                pursuant to Division 23 of the California Public 
                Resources Code (section 33000 et seq.).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Submission.--The Committee shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) submit a recommendation to the 
                Secretary of the Interior under this subsection within 
                365 days after the first meeting of the Committee; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) include in the recommendation maps 
                depicting the boundaries proposed for a Santa Monica 
                Mountains and Rim of the Valley National Recreation 
                Area.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Public participation.--The Committee shall 
        provide opportunities for public participation in and comment 
        on the recommendation of boundaries under this 
        subsection.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Membership.--The Committee consists of 24 members 
appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, as follows:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) 17 representatives of local governments having 
        jurisdiction over areas in the vicinity of the recreation area, 
        of whom one shall be nominated by each of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the mayor of the city of Los 
                Angeles;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the board of supervisors of the county 
                of Los Angeles;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the board of supervisors of the county 
                of Ventura;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the city council of the city of 
                Thousand Oaks;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) the city council of the city of Agoura 
                Hills;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) the city council of the city of 
                Westlake Village;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) the city council of the city of 
                Malibu;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (H) the city council of the city of 
                Calabasas;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (I) the city council of the city of 
                Burbank;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (J) the city council of the city of 
                Glendale;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (K) the city council of the city of La 
                Canada-Flintridge;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (L) the city council of the city of 
                Pasadena;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (M) the city council of the city of Sierra 
                Madre;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (N) the city council of the city of South 
                Pasadena;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (O) the city council of the city of Santa 
                Clarita;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (P) the city council of the city of 
                Moorpark; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (Q) the board of supervisors of Los 
                Angeles County to represent the unincorporated 
                communities within the jurisdiction of the East Rim of 
                the Valley Trail Corridor, after consultation with the 
                Town Council of Altadena and the Crescenta Valley Town 
                Council.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) The Superintendent of the Santa Monica 
        Mountains National Recreation Area, or a designee of such 
        Superintendent.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) The Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest, 
        or a designee of such Supervisor.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rim of the Valley Corridor Study 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Agriculture (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretaries'') shall 
conduct a joint special resource study of the lands, waters, and 
interests of the area comprising the Rim of the Valley Corridor in 
Southern California, as depicted on the map entitled ``SANTA MONICA 
MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY ZONE--RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR Parklands and 
Open Space'' and dated July 30, 2002.
    (b) Study Topics.--The study shall evaluate the suitability and 
feasibility of establishing the area as a unit of the Santa Monica 
Mountains National Recreation Area.
    (c) Criteria.--In conducting the study authorized by this section, 
the Secretaries shall use the criteria for the study for areas for 
potential inclusion in the National Park System contained in section 
8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
    (d) Consultation.--In conducting the study authorized by this 
section, the Secretaries shall consult with appropriate State, county 
and local government entities.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such funds as may be 
necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.''.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to direct the 
        Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to 
        conduct a joint special resources study to evaluate the 
        suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of the 
        Valley Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains 
        National Recreation Area, and for other purposes.''




                                                       Calendar No. 574

107th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2571

                          [Report No. 107-257]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources 
 study to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing the 
  Rim of the Valley Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains 
                       National Recreation Area.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 9, 2002

        Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title