[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11195]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 ON THE OCCASION OF THE ANNEXATION OF ELSMERE CANYON IN SANTA CLARITA, 
                                   CA

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 11, 2012

  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Santa 
Clarita and its residents on the recent annexation of Elsmere Canyon. 
This annexation completes a 25-year journey to protect a beautiful 
canyon that provides outstanding recreation opportunities to residents 
of the Santa Clarita Valley and visitors from surrounding areas.
  Elsmere Canyon serves as an important wildlife corridor and is an 
integral part of the City's greenbelt. The Canyon is a popular 
destination for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, and greatly enriches 
the recreational opportunities available in our area.
  I am proud to have fought for, and won inclusion of, a legislative 
provision that was written into law which will forever protect Elsmere 
Canyon from being developed as a massive landfill. In February of 1995, 
I introduced H.R. 924, legislation that would prohibit the Secretary of 
Agriculture from transferring any part of the Angeles National Forest 
from federal ownership to be used as a landfill. This language was 
included in the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, 
which was signed into law that year.
  I would like to recognize the efforts of the Santa Clarita City 
Council, Supervisor Antonovich, and the Santa Monica Mountains 
Conservancy for working together to purchase the land in 2010, which 
helped to pave the way for annexation into the City this spring. It is 
my sincere hope that Elsmere Canyon serves as a reminder that when 
residents, elected officials, and community organizations come 
together, we can create great opportunities for the residents that live 
in our beautiful valley.

                          ____________________