99–010

Calendar No. 574

107TH CONGRESS REPORT

2d Session " ! SENATE 107–257

RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY ACT

SEPTEMBER 9, 2002.—Ordered to be printed

Mr. BINGAMAN, from the Committee on Energy and Natural

Resources, submitted the following

R E P O R T

[To accompany S. 2571]

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was

referred the bill (S. 2571) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to

conduct a special 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, having

considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment

and an amendment to the title and recommends that the bill, as

amended, do pass.

The amendments are as follows:

1. Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu

thereof the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act’’.

SEC. 2. RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture

(in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretaries’’) shall conduct a joint special resource

study of the lands, waters, and interests of the area comprising the Rim of the Valley Corridor in Southern California, as depicted on the map entitled ‘‘SANTA

MONICA MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY ZONE—RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR Parklands and Open Space’’ and dated July 30, 2002.

(b) STUDY TOPICS.—The study shall evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing the area as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational

Area.

(c) CRITERIA.—In conducting the study authorized by this section, the Secretaries

shall use the criteria for the study for areas for potential inclusion in the National

Park System contained in section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)).

(d) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the study authorized by this section, the Secretaries shall consult with appropriate State, county and local government entities.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such funds as may be necessary to carry

out the purposes of this Act.’’.
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2. Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to direct the Secretary

of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a joint

special 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, and for other purposes.’’

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 2571, as ordered reported, is to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct

a joint special 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 Southern California.

BACKGROUND AND NEED

S. 2571 directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of

Agriculture to study the Rim of the Valley Corridor, the escarpment of the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California primarily within the Angeles National Forest, as a 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 and the Pacific Ocean.

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. 2571 was introduced by Senator Feinstein on May 23, 2002.

The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 2571 on

July 18, 2002. At its business meeting on July 31, 2002, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 2571, as

amended, favorably reported.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on July 31, 2002, by a voice vote of a quorum presented, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2571, if amended as

described herein.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

During the consideration of S. 2571 the Committee adopted an

amendment in the nature of a substitute which clarifies that the

Forest Service and the National Park Service should participate

jointly in the study of the proposed addition. The amendment is explained in detail in the section-by-section analysis, below. The

Committee also adopted an amendment to the title.
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SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 entitles 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 special resource study, sets forth

requirements and criteria for conducting the study and consultation with affected governmental entities.

Section 3 authorizes the appropriations 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:

U.S. CONGRESS,

CONRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE,

Washington, DC, August 7, 2002.

Hon. JEFF BINGAMAN,

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. 2571, 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 contact is Megan Carroll.

Sincerely.

BARRY B. ANDERSON

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).

Enclosure.

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

S. 2571—Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act

S. 2571 would direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to study the suitability and feasibility of adding certain federal lands to the Santa Monica Mountains National

Recreation Area in California. Based on information from the Department of the Interior, CBO estimates that the proposed study

would cost about $500,000 in 2003, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 2571 would not affect direct spending

or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.

S. 2571 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 contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. 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. 2571. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of impos-
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ing 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. 2571, as ordered reported.

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

On, July 30, 2002, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of the

Interior and the Office of Management and Budget setting forth

Executive agency recommendations on S. 2571. These reports had

not been received at the time the report on S. 2571 was filed. When

the reports become available, the Chairman will request that they

be printed in the Congressional Record for the advice of the Senate.

The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at the

Subcommittee hearing follows:

STATEMENT OF DURAND JONES, DEPUTY DIRECTOR,

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present

the Department’s views on this bill to study the Rim of the

Valley in the Los Angeles region. S. 2571 directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a Special Resource Study

to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing

the Rim of the Valley Corridor as a unit of Santa Monica

Mountains National Recreation Area.

The Department does not oppose this bill. However, because the study area includes a significant amount of U.S.

Forest Service lands, we believe that the bill should be

amended to authorize a joint study with the Department

of Agriculture. The Department did not request additional

funding for this study in Fiscal Years 2003. We believe

that any funding requested should be directed towards

completing previously authorized studies. Presently, there

are 34 studies pending, of which we expect to transmit 4

to Congress by the end of 2002. To meet the President’s

Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog,

we must continue to focus our resources on caring for existing areas in the National Park System. Thus, we have

concerns about adding new funding requirements for new

park units, national trails, wild and scenic rivers or heritage areas at the same time that we are trying to reduce

the deferred maintenance backlog. As such, the Department will identify all acquisition, one time and operational

costs of the proposed site. At this time, those costs are unknown.

Senator Boxer also has introduced S. 1865, a bill to

evaluate and study the suitability and feasibility of nearby

lower Los Angeles River and San Gabriel River Watersheds. These bills affect nearly adjacent territories in the

Los Angeles Basin and affect nearly identical large constituencies. As any study would include a public involvement component, combining the planning effort to evaluate
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both areas would not only be less confusing to the public

but also more cost-effect for the government. Since a study

of the Rim of the Valley is estimated to cost approximately

$500,000 there could be considerable efficiencies gained by

combining and narrowing the focus of these two proposed

studies.

A combined 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 rivers and watersheds

as well as the Rim of the Valley corridor surrounding the

San Fernando and La Crescenta Valleys. This latter 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.

Properties on the National Register of Historic Places

are found within this area. Old stagecoach stops and images of the Wild West still exist. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is located within the Simi Hills. 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 over 400 vertebrate species.

The National Park Service has some familiarity with

this region and watersheds. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area provides protection for 153,750

acres while providing recreational opportunities for approximately 530,000 visitors annually.

A study would outline public-private partnerships, which

are core to preserving large tracts of open space such as

are included in this study and which have been successful

in the protection of Santa Monica Mountains National

Recreation Area since it was authorized 25 years ago.

The Department feels that the provision in S. 2571 that

establishes a 17-member advisory commission is unnecessary. Any Special Resource Study undertaken by the National Park Service will entail extensive public outreach

with members of the public and local governments, extended comment periods, and more complex analyses because issues and options in a large, urban area with such

a diverse and extensive group of stakeholders at all levels

of government would be considered.

This concludes my testimony. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this issue and I would be willing to answer any questions you may have on the issue.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAWS

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. 2571, as ordered reported.

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