[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4716 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4716

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and 
   feasibility of designating Ballona Bluff, located in Los Angeles, 
   California, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2004

  Ms. Waters introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and 
   feasibility of designating Ballona Bluff, located in Los Angeles, 
   California, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ballona Bluff Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STUDY REGARDING BALLONA BLUFF IN LOS 
              ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Ballona Bluff is the last undeveloped bluff top of the 
        Ballona Escarpment, a natural formation that stretches 
        approximately 3.5 miles from Santa Monica Bay to the Centinela 
        Pass.
            (2) Ballona Bluff is the last undeveloped upland habitat of 
        the Ballona wetlands system.
            (3) Ballona Bluff provides foraging, nesting, and resting 
        habitat for many species of birds and other wildlife.
            (4) Human occupation of Ballona Bluff began at least 6500 
        years ago.
            (5) Ballona Bluff contained a site determined to be 
        eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic 
        Places.
            (6) Human remains and grave-associated artifacts have been 
        discovered on Ballona Bluff.
            (7) Ballona Bluff possesses commanding views of the Los 
        Angeles Basin from Santa Monica Bay to the San Gabriel 
        Mountains.
            (8) The public has enjoyed the passive recreational use of 
        Ballona Bluff for half a century. These recreational activities 
        have included hiking, jogging, and viewing wildlife.
    (b) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
            (1) Ballona bluff.--The term ``Ballona Bluff'' means the 
        approximately 44 acres of land known by that name and also 
        known as ``West Bluffs'' and located west of Lincoln Boulevard 
        between Marina del Rey and Los Angeles International Airport in 
        Los Angeles, California.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.
    (c) Study.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with the State of 
California--
            (1) carry out a study regarding the suitability and 
        feasibility of designating Ballona Bluff as a unit of the 
        National Park System; and
            (2) consider management alternatives for Ballona Bluff.
    (d) Study Process and Completion.--Except as provided by subsection 
(e) of this section, section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-
5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of the study required 
by this section.
    (e) Submission of Study Results.--Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report 
describing the results of the study.
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