[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 23, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E909-E910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 1953, THE ``RANCHO CORRAL DE TIERRA GGNRA BOUNDARY 
                        ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2001''

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 23, 2001

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, with the introduction of H.R. 1953, the 
``Rancho Corral de Tierra Golden Gate National Recreation Area Boundary 
Adjustment Act of 2001'' today we have an incredible opportunity to add 
over 5,000 acres of pristine natural land to the Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area (GGNRA), one of our nation's most visited national 
parks. Furthermore, we have a unique opportunity to do this through a 
public-private partnership.
  The Rancho Corral de Tierra addition to the GGNRA includes one of the 
largest undeveloped parcels on the San Mateo coast south of San 
Francisco, and it contains rugged land that is unparalleled in other 
areas of the park. These lands consist of some of the last undeveloped 
acreage adjacent to existing parkland in the Bay Area. Permanent 
protection of these open spaces will protect and preserve unique 
coastal habitats of threatened, rare and endangered plant and animal 
species, curb future disruptive development along the coast, and 
provide important scenic and recreation opportunities for Bay Area 
residents and visitors to our area.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in seizing this unique, 
exciting and significant opportunity for a public-private-partnership 
to preserve open space by supporting the adoption of H.R. 1953. Similar 
legislation is being introduced today in the Senate by Senator Dianne 
Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer. The ``Rancho Corral de Tierra 
Golden Gate National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Act of 2001'' 
has the support of the entire Bay Area Congressional Delegation. 
Joining me as co-sponsors of this legislation are my distinguished 
colleagues Anna Eshoo, Nancy Pelosi, George Miller, Lynn Woolsey, Ellen 
Tauscher, Pete Stark, Mike Thompson, Barbara Lee, Mike Honda, and Zoe 
Lofgren.
  H.R. 1953 will add three new areas to the GGNRA. These lands are 
critically situated between existing parkland and would connect 
national parklands with State parkland and San Mateo County parklands. 
Adding these lands to park areas in the City of Pacifica would help 
round out the uneven boundary along the Pacific coast and create a 
logical and appropriate entrance to the GGNRA for visitors from the 
south. The lands will also provide important regional trail links 
between the existing parklands, and would link the congressionally-
mandated Bay Area Ridge Trail with the California Coastal Trail. The 
lands would also provide a wildlife corridor for the diverse array of 
wildlife that inhabit Montara Mountain.
  Mr. Speaker, the largest parcel of land included in this bill is 
comprised of 4,262 acres, and it is known as the Rancho Corral de 
Tierra. This parcel shares three miles of boundary with the GGNRA as 
well as with a California state park and a San Mateo County park. Its 
relatively untouched upper elevations preserve habitat for several 
threatened and endangered plant and animal species. This property also 
contains four important coastal watersheds, which provide riparian 
corridors for steel head trout, coho salmon and other aquatic species.
  When the owner of Rancho Corral de Tierra recently put this property 
on the market the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) negotiated to 
purchase the property. POST acquired the site for $29.75 million to 
save the site from development, to preserve this important natural 
area, and to donate, through private contributions, a substantial 
amount for the federal acquisition of Rancho Corral de Tierra.
  Mr. Speaker, POST is a local land conservancy trust in the San 
Francisco Bay Area. It has a remarkable track record in working with 
and assisting the federal government with the protection of other 
important open space in the Bay Area. In 1994, POST negotiated 
acquisition of the Phleger Estate in Woodside and its inclusion in the 
GGNRA. This provided local residents some 1,300 acres of pristine 
second-growth redwood forest, and the area has become a primary hiking 
destination in the mid-Peninsula area. I introduced the legislation 
which added this important parcel to the GGNRA, and I worked closely 
with my neighbor and colleague, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, who took the 
lead in securing the federal funding of one-half of the purchase price. 
In this case, POST also provided one half of the purchase price through 
private donations. POST also assisted the federal government with the 
protection and acquisition of Bair Island, an important wildlife refuge 
in San Francisco Bay, which is now managed by the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service. Congresswoman Eshoo played a key role in the Bair 
Island acquisition.
  H.R. 1953 will also authorizes the National Park Service to include 
within its boundaries an additional 525 acres of land in the Devil's 
Slide section of Coastal Highway 1, which is the scenic highway that 
winds its way along the entire California coast. The Devil's Slide 
properties are also adjacent to the Rancho Corral de Tierra property. 
It is my understanding that the California Department of Transportation 
(Caltrans) will acquire these lands when it builds the Devil's Slide 
tunnel. This legislation includes the five properties which border the 
highway alignment that will be abandoned when the tunnel is completed. 
Since these properties will have no access once the Devil's Slide road 
is abandoned, Caltrans will purchase these properties from their 
current owners. It is my understanding that Caltrans will donate these 
properties to a state park agency for open space use. Caltrans will 
also relinquish the abandoned Highway 1 alignment to San Mateo County, 
which will transfer these properties to a park agency after the tunnel 
is completed.
  I want to make something particularly clear, Mr. Speaker. It is not 
the intention of this legislation to give the federal government any 
responsibility for the acquisition of land or the construction or 
completion of the Devil's Slide tunnel. This legislation has nothing to 
do with the matter of the highway and tunnel construction. This 
legislation will simply make it possible for Caltrans to donate these 
properties to the National Park Service when the Devil's Slide tunnel 
is completed and when the National Park Service has determined the 
acquisition of these lands is appropriate.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1953 also includes within the GGNRA boundary the 
Caltrans-owned

[[Page E910]]

Martini Creek-Devil's Slide Bypass right-of-way, which was originally 
purchased by Caltrans for the purpose of building a highway across 
Montara Mountain. When San Mateo County voters overwhelmingly decided 
in a local referendum in favor of the Devil's Slide tunnel rather than 
the Martini Creek Bypass in 1996, this right-of-way became obsolete. 
This property, which covers approximately 300 acres, bisects the 
proposed additions to the GGNRA and will provide important recreation 
access to the surrounding parklands. It is my understanding that once 
the GGNRA boundary is adjusted to include this right-of-way, Caltrans 
will be able to donate this property to the National Park Service.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1953 will also reauthorize the Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore Advisory Commission 
for 20 years. The GGNRA and Point Reyes Advisory Commission was 
established by Congress in 1972 to provide for the free exchange of 
ideas between the National Park Service and the public and to 
facilitate the solicitation of advice from members of the public on 
problems pertinent to the National Park Service Parks or sites in 
Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties. The Advisory Commission 
holds open and accessible public meetings monthly at which the public 
has an opportunity to comment on park-related issues.
  The Advisory Commission is an invaluable resource for park 
management. It provides an important forum for the gathering and 
receipt of public input, public opinion and public comment and allows 
the park to maintain constructive and informal contacts with both the 
private sector and other federal, state and local public agencies. The 
Advisory Commission aids in strengthening the spirit of cooperation 
between the National Park Service and the public, encourages private 
cooperation with other public agencies, and assists in developing and 
ensuring that the park's general management plan is implemented.
  As part of its regular monthly hearing process, the Advisory 
Commission will hold public hearings next month on this legislation in 
Half Moon Bay, California. Advisory Commission members will be hearing 
public comment on the boundary study for the ``Rancho Corral de Tierra 
GGNRA Boundary Adjustment Act of 2001'' which was produced by Peninsula 
Open Space Trust in consultation with the National Park Service. All 
Advisory Commission meetings are open to the public and an official 
transcript of each meeting is on record and available to the public. 
The activities and contributions of the Advisory Commission are 
critical to the efficient operation and management of the two adjoining 
national park units of Point Reyes National Seashore and the Golden 
Gate National Recreation Area.
  Mr. Speaker, preserving our country's unique natural areas must be 
one of our highest national priorities, and it is one of my highest 
priorities as a Member of Congress. We must preserve and protect these 
areas for our children and grandchildren today or they will be lost 
forever. Adding these new lands in San Mateo County to the GGNRA will 
allow us to protect these fragile areas from development or other 
inappropriate use which would destroy the scenic beauty and natural 
character of this key part of the Bay Area. I urge my colleagues to 
take advantage of this unique opportunity to preserve these important 
lands for addition to our national parks. I ask my colleagues to 
support passage of H.R. 1953, the ``Rancho Corral de Tierra Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Act of 2001''.

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