[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 12, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 11, 2003

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Rim of the 
Valley Corridor Study Act, directing the Secretaries of Interior and 
Agriculture to study the feasibility of expanding the Santa Monica 
Mountains National Recreation Area to include the mountains and canyons 
in Southern California that are part of the Rim of the Valley Corridor, 
as designated by the State of California.
  The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service would jointly 
study the suitability of more than doubling the size of the Santa 
Monica Mountains National Recreation Area by encompassing this 
corridor, which contains areas of rare Mediterranean ecosystems and 
encircles the mountains above the San Fernando, La Crescenta, Santa 
Clarita, Simi, and Conejo Valleys, as well as the famed Arroyo Seco, 
home of Pasadena's Rose Bowl.
  For many residents of Southern California, the mountains above our 
communities are a nearby haven to enjoy nature, a refuge from the noise 
and commotion of Los Angeles. Our mountains can and should be places 
where city-dwellers can easily go to enjoy such activities as hiking, 
camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, observing wildlife, and 
admiring nature's scenic beauty. Given the tremendous growth pressures 
in Southern California, we must act now to preserve our precious open 
space. It is my hope that the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act will 
embody a dream and vision of a Southern California enhanced not only by 
what was built, but also by what was preserved.
  The National Park Service oversees the highly successful Santa Monica 
Mountains National Recreation Area, the world's largest urban park, 
spanning from the mountains to the sea and protected in perpetuity by 
Congress in 1978. Inclusion of the Rim of the Valley Corridor would 
link wildlife habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains to the Angeles 
National Forest.
  The Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act would require the 
Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to complete their study within 
one to three years, consulting with state and local government 
entities. It would then be necessary for Congress to enact subsequent 
legislation to implement the study's recommendations.
  I am pleased that this legislation has bipartisan support, with Reps. 
Howard Berman, David Dreier, George Miller, Brad Sherman, and Hilda 
Solis as principal co-sponsors. I am delighted that the senior Senator 
from California, Senator Feinstein, is also introducing this important 
legislation today.
  The Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act will result in an initiative 
creating a lasting legacy of nearby natural open space for our 
children--and their children--to enjoy.

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