39–010 

Calendar No. 20 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 109–9 

RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY ACT 

FEBRUARY 23, 2005.—Ordered to be printed 

Filed, under authority of the order of the Senate of February 17, 2005 

Mr. DOMENICI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 153] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 153) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to 

conduct a resource study of the Rim of the Valley Corridor in the 

State of California to evaluate alternatives for protecting the resources of the Corridor, and for other purposes, having considered 

the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE

The purpose of S. 153 is to direct the Secretary of the Interior 

and the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a joint resources study 

to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of 

the Valley Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

S. 153 directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 

Agriculture to study an area known as the, ‘‘Rim of the Valley Corridor,’’ the escarpment of the San Gabriel Mountains in southern 

California primarily within the Angeles National Forest, for possible addition to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation 

Area. The Santa Monica Mountains N.R.A. is the largest urban 

unit of the National Park System, comprising more than 150,000 

acres near Los Angeles. 

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The Rim of the Valley Corridor contains parts of an endangered 

habitat area, the Mediterranean chaparral ecosystem. Nearby 

mountains also provide notable recreation opportunities and a 

haven from the noise and commotion of the Los Angeles Basin. The 

State of California has adopted the Rim of the Valley Master Plan 

submitted by the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy, but State 

and local efforts to protect the area have been hampered by a lack 

of financial resources and resource management expertise. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 153 was introduced by Senator Feinstein on January 25, 2005. 

During the 108th Congress, the Committee considered identical 

legislation, S. 347. S. 347 was introduced by Senator Feinstein on 

February 11, 2003. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a 

hearing on S. 347 on March 4, 2003 (S. Hrg. 108–14). At the business meeting on March 12, 2003, the Committee on Energy and 

Natural Resources ordered S. 347, as amended, favorably reported 

(S. Rept. 108–25). S. 347 passed the Senate with an amendment 

and an amendment to the Title by unanimous consent on April 7, 

2004. The House of Representatives did not consider the bill prior 

to the sine die adjournment of the 108th Congress. 

Similar legislation, S. 2571, was also introduced by Senator Feinstein during the 107th Congress. The Subcommittee on National 

Parks held a hearing on S. 2571 on July 18, 2002 (S. Hrg. 207–

829). At its business meeting on July 31, 2002, the Committee on 

Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 2571, as amended, favorably reported (S. Rept. 107–257). 

At its business meeting on February 9, 2005, the Committee ordered S. 153 favorably reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on February 9, 2005, by a unamimous vote of a 

quorum present recommends that the Senate pass S. 153. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 titles the bill the ‘‘Rim of the Valley Corridor Study 

Act.’’

Section 2 directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 

of Agriculture to conduct a joint resource study, sets forth requirements and criteria for conducting the study and consultation with 

affected governmental entities. 

Section 3 authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office. 

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FEBRUARY 14, 2005. 

Hon. PETE V. DOMINICI, 

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 153, the Rim of the Valley 

Corridor Study Act. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Megan Carroll and 

Deborah Reis. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN, 

Director. 

Enclosure. 

S. 153—Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act 

S. 153 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate alternatives for protecting the area known as the Rim of the Valley 

Corridor in California, including the possibility of designating the 

area as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation 

Area. Based on information obtained from the Department of the 

Interior, CBO estimates that the proposed study would cost about 

$500,000 over the next three years, assuming appropriation of the 

necessary amounts. Enacting S. 153 would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

S. 153 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Megan Carroll and 

Deborah Reis. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 

Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 153. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing Government-established standards or significant economic responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 153, as ordered reported. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

During the 108th Congress, the Committee considered identical 

legislation (S. 347). The testimony provided by the National Park 

Service at the Subcommittee hearing on S. 347 follows: 

STATEMENT OF DETEEL PATTERSON TILLER, ACTING ASSO- CIATE DIRECTOR FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES, NATIONAL

PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present 

the Department’s views on S. 347, a bill to direct the SecVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:27 Feb 24, 2005 Jkt 039010 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR009.XXX SR009
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retaries of Interior and Agriculture to conduct a joint special resources study to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of the Valley Corridor, in the 

Los Angeles region, as a unit of Santa Monica Mountains 

National Recreation Area. 

The Department supports this bill with the minor clarification provided in this testimony. We believe that this 

study will provide a good opportunity to explore partnerships with a wide range of state, local, private, and other 

federal entities for the purpose of protecting and interpreting important natural and cultural resources. 

On July 18, 2002, the Department testified on S. 2571, 

a similar bill that would have directed the Secretary of the 

Interior to study the Rim of the Valley for addition to 

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. In our 

testimony, we recommended that the bill be amended to 

make the study a joint study between the Secretaries of 

Interior and Agriculture and we suggested that the provision that established a 17–member advisory commission 

was unnecessary. At the committee markup, S. 2571 was 

amended incorporating the department’s suggestions. S. 

347 is identical to S. 2571 as it was amended in the 107th 

Congress. 

S. 347 directs the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture 

to conduct a joint Special Resource Study of the Rim of the 

Valley Corridor in Southern California. S. 347 further requires that the study evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing the area as a unit of the Santa 

Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The Secretaries are directed to use the criteria for study of areas for 

inclusion in the National Park System and to consult with 

appropriate State, county, and local governments. The 

study is estimated to cost approximately $500,000. 

The National Park Service generally conducts special resource studies to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of 

an area to become a new unit of the National Park System. We understand that the intent of this bill is not to 

establish a new park, but rather to study the Rim of the 

Valley as a potential addition for Santa Monica Mountains 

National Recreation Area. As such, we suggest that ‘Special Resource Study’ be replaced with ‘resource study’ in all 

places where it appears in the bill. We would be happy to 

work with the subcommittee staff to develop any additional clarifying language that may be required. 

The study would assess habitat quality, access to urban 

open space, low-impact recreation and educational uses, 

wildlife and habitat restoration and protection and watershed improvements along the Rim of the Valley corridor 

surrounding the San Fernando and La Crescenta Valleys. 

This corridor consists of portions of the Santa Monica 

Mountains, Santa Susanna Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, Verdugo Mountains, San Rafael Hills and the connector to Los Padres, Angeles, and San Bernardino National Forests, which provide notable recreation opportunities close to the Los Angeles basin. 

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In addition to natural and recreational opportunities, 

the area also includes properties found on the National 

Register of Historic Places. Old stagecoach stops and images of the Wild West still exist. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight 

line travels past many of these rich cultural and natural 

motifs. The area supports a diverse system of plants and 

animals, including 26 distinct plant communities and more 

than 400 vertebrate species. 

As the largest urban park area in the National Park 

System, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation 

Area includes 153,750 acres and provides recreational opportunities for approximately 530,000 visitors annually. 

During the 25 years since the national recreation area was 

authorized by Congress, this unit has become a model of 

collaboration of many local, state, and federal public land 

managers, as well as many private property owners—all 

working together as stewards of the scenic, natural, cultural, and recreational resources. 

Recognizing the limitation of federal resources for acquiring and managing additional lands, the study would 

have to examine a number of alternatives for protecting 

significant areas of open space in the Rim of the Valley 

Corridor, including those that involve minimal cost to the 

federal government. With the study area encompassing 

491,518 acres, the study would emphasize public-private 

partnerships. Given the large size and the diversity of 

stakeholders in the area, the study undertaken by the National Park Service would involve extensive outreach with 

members of the public, private landowners, and local governments. It would likely entail extended comment periods, and extensive analysis. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. I would be 

happy to answer any questions you or any members of the 

subcommittee may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 153, as ordered reported. 

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