[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 107 (Tuesday, July 5, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4255-H4257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMORIAL ACT
Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5244) to provide for the establishment of a national
memorial and national monument to commemorate those killed by the
collapse of the Saint Francis Dam on March 12, 1928, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5244
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 ``Saint Francis Dam Disaster
National Memorial Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On March 12, 1928, the Saint Francis Dam located in the
northern portion of Los Angeles County, California, breached,
resulting in a devastating flood that caused the death of
approximately 425 individuals.
(2) The residents of Santa Clarita Valley, San Francisquito
Canyon, Castaic Junction, Santa Clara River Valley, Piru,
Fillmore, Bardsdale, Saticoy, and Santa Paula were directly
impacted and suffered greatly from the worst flood in the
history of the State of California.
(3) The disaster resulted in a tremendous loss of human
life, property, and the livelihood of local residents, and
was surpassed in the level of destruction in the 20th century
only by the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
(4) The collapse of the dam may represent America's worst
civil engineering failure in the 20th century.
(5) The site of the disaster is subject to the theft of
historic artifacts, graffiti, and other vandalism.
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(6) It is right to pay homage to the citizens who were
killed, injured, or dislocated due to the flood, and to
educate the public about this important historical event.
(7) It is appropriate that the site of the Saint Francis
Dam and surrounding areas be specially designated and
protected to commemorate this tragic event.
SEC. 3. SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMORIAL.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary is authorized to
establish a memorial at the Saint Francis Dam site in the
County of Los Angeles, California, for the purpose of
honoring the victims of the Saint Francis Dam disaster of
March 12, 1928.
(b) Requirements.--The Memorial shall be--
(1) known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National
Memorial; and
(2) managed by the Forest Service.
(c) Donations.--The Secretary is authorized to accept,
hold, administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, or
bequest of real or personal property made to the Secretary
for purposes of developing, designing, constructing, and
managing the Memorial.
SEC. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEMORIAL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress recommendations regarding--
(1) the planning, design, construction, and long-term
management of the Memorial;
(2) the proposed boundaries of the Memorial;
(3) a visitor center and educational facilities at the
Memorial; and
(4) ensuring public access to the Memorial.
(b) Consultation.--In preparing the recommendations
required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult
with--
(1) appropriate Federal agencies;
(2) State, tribal, and local governments, including the
Santa Clarita City Council; and
(3) the public.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL
MONUMENT.
(a) Establishment.--There is established as a national
monument in the State, certain National Forest System land
administered by the Secretary in the County of Los Angeles
comprising approximately 440 acres, as generally depicted on
the map entitled ``Proposed Saint Francis Dam Disaster
National Monument'', created on June 14, 2016, to be known as
the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Monument is to conserve
and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of the public the
cultural, archaeological, historical, watershed, educational,
and recreational resources and values of the Monument.
SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY WITH RESPECT TO MONUMENT.
(a) Management Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a
management plan for the Monument.
(2) Consultation.--The management plan shall be developed
in consultation with--
(A) appropriate Federal agencies;
(B) State, tribal, and local governments; and
(C) the public.
(3) Considerations.--In developing and implementing the
management plan, the Secretary shall, with respect to methods
of protecting and providing access to the Monument, consider
the recommendations of the Saint Francis Disaster National
Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical
Society, and the Community Hiking Club of Santa Clarita.
(b) Management.--The Secretary shall manage the Monument--
(1) in a manner that conserves and enhances the cultural
and historic resources of the Monument; and
(2) in accordance with--
(A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning
Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) and the laws generally
applicable to the National Forest System;
(B) this Act; and
(C) any other applicable laws.
(c) Uses.--
(1) Use of motorized vehicles.--The use of motorized
vehicles within the Monument may be permitted only--
(A) on roads designated for use by motorized vehicles in
the management plan required under subsection (a);
(B) for administrative purposes; or
(C) for emergency responses.
(2) Grazing.--The Secretary shall permit grazing within the
Monument, where established before the date of the enactment
of this Act--
(A) subject to all applicable laws (including regulations
and Executive orders); and
(B) consistent with the purpose described in section 5(b).
SEC. 7. CLARIFICATION ON FUNDING.
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the
requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried
out using amounts otherwise authorized.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Memorial.--The term ``Memorial'' means the Saint
Frances Dam Disaster National Memorial authorized under
section 3(a).
(2) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Saint
Francis Dam Disaster National Monument established under
section 5(a).
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of
California.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming.
General Leave
Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Wyoming?
There was no objection.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Knight), the author of this bill.
Mr. KNIGHT. I thank the Speaker for letting us talk about such an
important issue.
Mr. Speaker, this issue has been bantered about in my district for
many years, and we are finally getting recourse whereby we are going to
have a memorial for the second largest disaster in California's
history.
It is interesting that this happened about 20 miles from my house,
and many people will drive by and not know that the Saint Francis Dam
is there. Yet the Saint Francis Dam was there in 1928, and it killed
approximately 437 people, becoming the second largest disaster in
California's history. Entire families were wiped out in the early hours
of March 12, 1928, as nearly 12 billion gallons of water flowed down
the San Francisquito Canyon, located in my district, all the way to the
Pacific Ocean, which is 54 miles away.
The dam was a project by the great William Mulholland, who was best
known for creating the L.A. aqueduct system. However, this project of
his ended in disaster, and it is one of the biggest civil engineering
disasters in our Nation.
Subsequently, the failure of the Saint Francis Dam changed the
methods that were used to create new dams and to set new safety
standards across the Nation, including the construction of the Hoover
Dam. The dam site has remained unprotected and hidden for 88 years and
needs to be protected. As well, there needs to be a memorial
established for the victims and their families.
My bill, H.R. 5244, seeks to memorialize these people who perished at
the site of the Saint Francis Dam, and it creates a 440-acre national
monument to preserve the site for educational purposes and to attract
visitors.
{time} 2045
The remains of the dam are of local and national historical
significance and should be protected for the future of all Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the support of this bill.
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
In one of the worst civil engineering failures of the 20th century,
the breach of the Saint Francis Dam on March 12, 1928, tragically took
the lives of over 400 Americans. To honor the memory of those who lost
their lives on that fateful day, H.R. 5244 establishes a national
memorial at the disaster site in California's Santa Clarita Valley.
This memorial will provide a permanent place of remembrance and
healing.
In addition to the memorial, H.R. 5244 also establishes the Saint
Francis Dam National Monument on 440 acres of public land that is
currently managed by the Forest Service. The national monument
designation authorizes the U.S. Forest Service, in consultation with a
range of stakeholders, to develop educational programs to improve the
health of these regional wetlands.
I want to thank Congressman Knight and the Santa Clarita Valley
Historical Society for bringing the legacy of the Saint Francis Dam
disaster to the attention of the Congress. As we all have heard, those
who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. So we need to
ensure that we remember the lessons of history that are part of the
Saint Francis story.
I also want to thank Mr. Knight for his work with the Forest Service
to address some of the concerns before the bill was marked up in
committee.
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This is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to support its
adoption.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr.
Knight) for his work and leadership on this legislation.
I urge my colleagues to join me to honor the more than 400
individuals who lost their lives nearly 90 years ago by supporting this
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5244, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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