Rep. Schiff Applauds President Biden’s Expansion of San Gabriel Mountains & Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments
Washington, D.C.— Today, Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) released the following statement applauding President Biden’s Executive Action to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument near Los Angeles and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument near Sacramento.
“California is home to the most unique public lands in the world. President Biden’s bold action will not only preserve the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument for generations to come, but also underscore our collective commitment to the protection of our public heritage and public lands,” said Rep. Schiff. “Along with Senators Padilla and Feinstein, and Representative Chu, I’ve fought to protect the San Gabriel Mountains. And the expansion of these monuments will provide increased access to green spaces for millions of Californians and boost local economies through sustainable tourism. As we continue to take on the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, steps like these are essential in safeguarding our beautiful public lands for future generations to enjoy.”
Schiff has long championed legislation to protect wildlife and public lands in Southern California and across the United States. In 2008, Congress passed Schiff’s Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act which directed the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study of the Rim of the Valley Corridor. The study sought to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating all or a portion of the Rim of the Valley Corridor as a unit of the existing area and how these areas could be better managed and preserved. The National Park Service began the study in 2010 and transmitted its final report to Congress and the public in February 2016.
Following that study, Schiff first introduced the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act in 2017 with the late California Senator Dianne Feinstein and then-Senator Kamala Harris to add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Schiff reintroduced the bill last year and continues to champion its passage, in addition to supporting other key public lands and wildlife legislation.
Along with the leadership of Rep. Chu and Sens. Feinstein and Padilla, Schiff joined in pushing to expand the boundary of California’s San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by issuing a presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act.
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