[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 186 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           AMERICA'S HISTORICAL AND NATURAL LEGACY STUDY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 4, 2007

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3998, 
``America's Historical and Natural Legacy Study Act.'' At the outset, I 
want to thank Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva for bringing this 
bill to the floor and for their work in crafting a broad package of 
studies that will help us to preserve our natural and historical 
heritage.
  In particular, I am pleased that the Chairmen included a study of the 
Rim of the Valley Corridor in southern California. This bill is an 
important milestone in my 7-year effort to direct the Department of the 
Interior to study alternatives for protecting the mountains and canyons 
in southern California that are part of the Rim of the Valley Corridor, 
as designated by the State of California.
  This environmentally sensitive area is located in one of the most 
densely populated areas in the United States. The greater southern 
California metropolitan region has the Nation's second-largest urban 
concentration; about 1 in every 10 Americans lives in this region. At 
the same time, this area has one of the lowest ratios of park-and-
recreation-lands per thousand-population of any area in the country. So 
this rapidly growing urban region is extremely underserved in terms of 
open space needs. Unless action is taken soon, this situation will only 
worsen as the region continues to grow.
  The Rim of the Valley Corridor is an ecologically significant, 
contiguous region that consists 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 
Bernadino National Forests. This corridor system is an example of the 
world's most endangered habitat area, the Mediterranean chaparral 
ecosystem.
  Parts of the Rim of the Valley Corridor are already managed within 
the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the Angeles 
National Forest. Yet, with increasing development and population 
pressures, the future of the Corridor is threatened. It is in danger of 
becoming reduced to isolated pockets of open space, irreversibly 
destroying its connectivity. The contiguous nature of these open spaces 
is potentially critical to help preserve the integrity of its 
ecosystems.
  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 only be provided by the Federal 
Government.
  Since Congress set aside the Santa Monica Mountains National 
Recreation Areas in 1978, federal, state and local authorities have 
worked in remarkable cooperation to manage what is the world's largest 
urban park. Now, nearly three decades later and in the face of 
tremendous projected population growth and development pressures, 
Congress, by passing this bill, again will have the opportunity to 
study ways to help safeguard and supplement the existing state and 
local parks, open space and recreational opportunities in southern 
California.
  I hope that the Congress will seize the opportunity to order the 
Department of Interior to study of alternatives for protecting some of 
the most beautiful land in southern California for future generations 
of Americans to enjoy. The Rim of the Valley is a special place and we 
owe it to our children to develop a long-range plan that will balance 
preservation, recreation, and the needs and rights of those living in 
and around the area to be studied.
  Again, Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva, thank you for your 
support for the Rim of the Valley Corridor study and for all of your 
work to preserve America's natural splendor.

                          ____________________