[Senate Report 107-257]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 574
107th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     107-257

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                  RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY ACT

                                _______
                                

               September 9, 2002.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 2571]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 2571) to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a special resources study to evaluate the 
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of the 
Valley Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains 
National Recreation Area, having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon with an amendment and an amendment to the 
title and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
    The amendments are as follows:
    1. Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in 
lieu thereof the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rim of the Valley Corridor Study 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Agriculture (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretaries'') shall 
conduct a joint special resource study of the lands, waters, and 
interests of the area comprising the Rim of the Valley Corridor in 
Southern California, as depicted on the map entitled ``SANTA MONICA 
MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY ZONE--RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR Parklands and 
Open Space'' and dated July 30, 2002.
    (b) Study Topics.--The study shall evaluate the suitability and 
feasibility of establishing the area as a unit of the Santa Monica 
Mountains National Recreational Area.
    (c) Criteria.--In conducting the study authorized by this section, 
the Secretaries shall use the criteria for the study for areas for 
potential inclusion in the National Park System contained in section 
8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
    (d) Consultation.--In conducting the study authorized by this 
section, the Secretaries shall consult with appropriate State, county 
and local government entities.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such funds as may be 
necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.''.

    2. Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to direct the 
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to 
conduct a joint special resources study to evaluate the 
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of the 
Valley Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains 
National Recreation Area, and for other purposes.''

                                PURPOSE

    The purpose of S. 2571, as ordered reported, is to direct 
the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
to conduct a joint special resources study to evaluate the 
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of the 
Valley Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains 
National Recreation Area Southern California.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    S. 2571 directs the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture to study the Rim of the Valley 
Corridor, the escarpment of the San Gabriel Mountains in 
southern California primarily within the Angeles National 
Forest, as a possible addition to the Santa Monica Mountains 
National Recreation Area. The Santa Monica Mountains N.R.A. is 
the largest urban unit of the National Park System, comprising 
more than 150,000 acres near Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.
    The Rim of the Valley Corridor contains parts of an 
endangered habitat area, the Mediterranean chaparral ecosystem. 
Nearby mountains also provide notable recreation opportunities 
and a haven from the noise and commotion of the Los Angeles 
Basin. The State of California has adopted the Rim of the 
Valley Master Plan submitted by the Santa Monica Mountain 
Conservancy, but State and local efforts to protect the area 
have been hampered by a lack of financial resources and 
resource management expertise.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 2571 was introduced by Senator Feinstein on May 23, 
2002. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 
2571 on July 18, 2002. At its business meeting on July 31, 
2002, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 
2571, as amended, favorably reported.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on July 31, 2002, by a voice vote of a quorum 
presented, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2571, if amended 
as described herein.

                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

    During the consideration of S. 2571 the Committee adopted 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute which clarifies that 
the Forest Service and the National Park Service should 
participate jointly in the study of the proposed addition. The 
amendment is explained in detail in the section-by-section 
analysis, below. The Committee also adopted an amendment to the 
title.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

    Section 1 entitles the bill the ``Rim of the Valley 
Corridor study Act.''
    Section 2 directs the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a joint special resource 
study, sets forth requirements and criteria for conducting the 
study and consultation with affected governmental entities.
    Section 3 authorizes the appropriations of such sums as are 
necessary to carry out this Act.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                                Conressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, August 7, 2002.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2571, the Rim of the 
Valley Corridor Study Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan 
Carroll.
            Sincerely.
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

S. 2571--Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act

    S. 2571 would direct the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture to study the suitability and 
feasibility of adding certain federal lands to the Santa Monica 
Mountains National Recreation Area in California. Based on 
information from the Department of the Interior, CBO estimates 
that the proposed study would cost about $500,000 in 2003, 
assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 
2571 would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, 
pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
    S. 2571 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. 
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 2571. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of S. 2571, as ordered reported.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    On, July 30, 2002, the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of 
the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget setting 
forth Executive agency recommendations on S. 2571. These 
reports had not been received at the time the report on S. 2571 
was filed. When the reports become available, the Chairman will 
request that they be printed in the Congressional Record for 
the advice of the Senate. The testimony provided by the 
Department of the Interior at the Subcommittee hearing follows:

  Statement of Durand Jones, Deputy Director, National Park Service, 
                       Department of the Interior

    Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the 
Department's views on this bill to study the Rim of the Valley 
in the Los Angeles region. S. 2571 directs the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a Special Resource Study to evaluate the 
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of the 
Valley Corridor as a unit of Santa Monica Mountains National 
Recreation Area.
    The Department does not oppose this bill. However, because 
the study area includes a significant amount of U.S. Forest 
Service lands, we believe that the bill should be amended to 
authorize a joint study with the Department of Agriculture. The 
Department did not request additional funding for this study in 
Fiscal Years 2003. We believe that any funding requested should 
be directed towards completing previously authorized studies. 
Presently, there are 34 studies pending, of which we expect to 
transmit 4 to Congress by the end of 2002. To meet the 
President's Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance 
backlog, we must continue to focus our resources on caring for 
existing areas in the National Park System. Thus, we have 
concerns about adding new funding requirements for new park 
units, national trails, wild and scenic rivers or heritage 
areas at the same time that we are trying to reduce the 
deferred maintenance backlog. As such, the Department will 
identify all acquisition, one time and operational costs of the 
proposed site. At this time, those costs are unknown.
    Senator Boxer also has introduced S. 1865, a bill to 
evaluate and study the suitability and feasibility of nearby 
lower Los Angeles River and San Gabriel River Watersheds. These 
bills affect nearly adjacent territories in the Los Angeles 
Basin and affect nearly identical large constituencies. As any 
study would include a public involvement component, combining 
the planning effort to evaluate both areas would not only be 
less confusing to the public but also more cost-effect for the 
government. Since a study of the Rim of the Valley is estimated 
to cost approximately $500,000 there could be considerable 
efficiencies gained by combining and narrowing the focus of 
these two proposed studies.
    A combined study would assess habitat quality, access to 
urban open space, low impact recreation and educational uses, 
wildlife and habitat restoration and protection and watershed 
improvements along the rivers and watersheds as well as the Rim 
of the Valley corridor surrounding the San Fernando and La 
Crescenta Valleys. This latter corridor consists of portions of 
the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Susanna Mountains, San 
Gabriel Mountains, Verdugo Mountains, San Rafael Hills and the 
connector to Los Padres, Angeles, and San Bernardino National 
Forests.
    Properties on the National Register of Historic Places are 
found within this area. Old stagecoach stops and images of the 
Wild West still exist. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library 
is located within the Simi Hills. Amtrak's Coast Starlight line 
travels past many of these rich cultural and natural motifs. 
The area supports a diverse system of plants and animals, 
including 26 distinct plant communities and over 400 vertebrate 
species.
    The National Park Service has some familiarity with this 
region and watersheds. Santa Monica Mountains National 
Recreation Area provides protection for 153,750 acres while 
providing recreational opportunities for approximately 530,000 
visitors annually.
    A study would outline public-private partnerships, which 
are core to preserving large tracts of open space such as are 
included in this study and which have been successful in the 
protection of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 
since it was authorized 25 years ago.
    The Department feels that the provision in S. 2571 that 
establishes a 17-member advisory commission is unnecessary. Any 
Special Resource Study undertaken by the National Park Service 
will entail extensive public outreach with members of the 
public and local governments, extended comment periods, and 
more complex analyses because issues and options in a large, 
urban area with such a diverse and extensive group of 
stakeholders at all levels of government would be considered.
    This concludes my testimony. Thank you for the opportunity 
to discuss this issue and I would be willing to answer any 
questions you may have on the issue.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAWS

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 2571, as 
ordered reported.

                                  
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