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.