Schiff Introduces the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) reintroduced the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, landmark legislation that would add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
“The Rim of the Valley is an area of breathtaking natural beauty that connects our urban city centers, suburbs in the Los Angeles basin, and the spectacular wilderness that surrounds us. Our bill would help protect these lands for generations to come," said Schiff. "As more of this area is developed and open space diminishes, the wildlife it supports is increasingly at risk. Congress must preserve the Rim of the Valley and all that it offers, and we must act quickly on a bipartisan basis, or this precious opportunity will be lost forever."
The House passed Schiff’s legislation last Congress, but the bill was not taken up in the Senate.
The Rim of the Valley stretches from the Simi Hills and Santa Susanas to the Verdugos and the San Gabriel Mountains. The bill will enable the National Park Service and the local community to better protect natural resources and habitats and provide members of the community with improved access to nature for recreational and educational purposes.
In 2008, Congressman Schiff passed the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act. This bill 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. Throughout the process, both NPS and Congressman Schiff solicited and considered thousands of comments from the public. Following that study, Schiff first introduced the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act in 2017 with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and then-Sen. Kamala Harris.
The expansion of the boundaries respects private property rights and existing local land use authorities, and it will not put any additional restrictions on property owners.
The Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act is co-sponsored by Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif), Julia Brownley (D-Calif), Ted Lieu (D-Calif), Nanette Barragán D-Calif), and Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif).
View the full text of the legislation here.
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