WASHINGTON, DC – House Resources Committee today approved the Schiff-Feinstein Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act. This bill, which has already passed the Senate, would evaluate the feasibility of expanding the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley – the mountains above the San Fernando, La Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Simi, and Conejo valleys, as well as the Arroyo Seco Corridor.
“I first introduced this bill in 2001, and I am pleased to see the bill moving toward the House Floor today,” Congressman Schiff said. “In light of the tremendous population growth in our region over the last twenty-five years, it is vital that we study ways to expand and preserve our precious open space and parks for future generations.”
Schiff introduced H.R.704 in the House, and Sen. Feinstein introduced companion legislation, S. 347, in the Senate. In October 2003, Congressman Schiff testified at a House National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Subcommittee hearing in support of H.R. 704, as did La Cañada-Flintridge Mayor Pro-Tem Anthony J. Portantino, representing the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The U.S. Park Service also submitted written testimony in support of the House bill. Since it already passed the Senate in April 2003, the Senate version of the bill was considered in Committee today.
Several environmental organizations also support the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, including the Altadena Foothills Conservancy, the California Wilderness Coalition, Scenic America and the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, as well as the cities of Glendale, La Cañada-Flintridge, Pasadena and South Pasadena. In the House of Representatives, the legislation enjoys bipartisan support from California Representatives Howard L. Berman (CA-28), David Dreier (CA-26), Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (CA-25), George Miller (CA-7), Brad Sherman (CA-27) and Hilda L. Solis (CA-32).
Designated by Congress in 1978 as the world's largest urban park, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area spans the area from the Ventura Freeway westward to the Pacific Ocean, an area rich in rare Mediterranean ecosystems. Inclusion of the Rim of the Valley corridor would link wildlife habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains to the Angeles National Forest. Under the legislation, the Interior Department would consult with state, county and local governments, and report their recommendations to Congress within three years. A subsequent Act of Congress would then be required to designate any new addition to the U.S. Park System.
Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents California’s 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.