Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, directing the Secretary of the Interior 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 Interior Department study would examine the suitability of expanding the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include 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 millions of Southern Californians, the mountains that rise above our communities are a haven from the noise and commotion of Los Angeles. Our mountains can and should be places where city-dwellers can 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 we have built, but also by what we have 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 Interior Department to complete its study within 1 to 3 years, consulting with State and local government entities, as well as other interested parties, including private property holders. It would then be necessary for Congress to enact subsequent legislation to implement the study's recommendations.
Last year, I was pleased to work with my colleague, Representative Richard Pombo, the Chairman of the Committee on Resources, on this bill, which passed the Senate. I am grateful to Chairman Pombo and to the other Members and staff of the Committee who worked to report the bill favorably to the full House. Unfortunately, in the press of business at the end of the last Congress there was no time to consider the bill on the floor.
I am pleased that this legislation has the bipartisan support of RepresentativesDavid Drier, George Miller and Brad Sherman as principal cosponsors. 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.