99–010

Calendar No. 598

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " SENATE ! 2d Session 107–279

SAN GABRIEL RIVER WATERSHEDS STUDY ACT

SEPTEMBER 13, 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. 1865] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 1865) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior 

to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Lower 

Los Angles River and San Gabriel River watersheds in the State 

of California as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 

purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 

with an amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do 

pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

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 ‘‘San Gabriel River Watersheds Study Act of 2002’’. 

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter in this Act referred 

to as the ‘‘Secretary’’, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Army, shall conduct a comprehensive resource study of the following 

areas: 

(1) The San Gabriel River and its tributaries north of and including the city 

of Santa Fe Springs, and 

(2) The San Gabriel Mountains within the territory of the San Gabriel and 

Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (as defined in section 

32603(c)(1)(C) of the State of California Public Resource Code). 

(b) STUDY CONDUCT AND COMPLETION.—(1) The Secretary shall conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the area’s natural and recreational resources to make recommendations for the future coordinated management, protection and enhancement 

of these resources and an analysis of the cost of each option. In addition, the study 

shall consider a system of greenways, scenic roadways, river and trail corridors linking communities within the area. 

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(2) The study shall be conducted in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91–

383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)). 

(c) CONSULTATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.—In conducting the 

study authorized by this section, the Secretary shall consult with the San Gabriel 

and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and other appropriate 

State, county and local government entities. 

(d) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting the study authorized by this section, the Secretary shall consider regional flood control and drainage needs and publicly owned 

infrastructure, including, but not limited to, wastewater treatment facilities. 

SEC. 3. REPORT. 

Not later than 3 years after funds are made available for this Act, the Secretary 

shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and 

the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a report on the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study.

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 1865, as ordered reported, is to authorize the 

Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Army, to study portions of the 

San Gabriel and lower Los Angeles rivers, and the San Gabriel 

Mountains in southern California, and provide recommendations 

for the future coordinated management, protection, and enhancement of these resources. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

S. 1865 directs a study of portions of the San Gabriel and lower 

Los Angeles rivers and the San Gabriel Mountains, an area that 

covers two counties (Los Angeles and Orange), approximately 16 

cities, and several unincorporated communities. The area includes 

private land, State and municipal parks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facilities, and part of the Angeles National Forest. The headwaters for both the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers are heavily 

forested, relatively pristine areas, although the lower portions of 

the two rivers have been channelized to reduce flooding impacts. 

In 1999 the State of California created the San Gabriel and 

Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, within the 

California Resources Agency. The purpose of the Rivers and Mountains Convervancy is to develop a plan to manage the areas covered 

in S. 1865 to conserve urban open space, preserve existing habitat, 

provide for low-impact recreational and educational uses, restore 

wildlife and habtat, and improve water quality in the Lower Los 

Angeles River and San Gabriel River watersheds. The Rivers and 

Mountain Conservancy has been aided by over $90 million in State 

and local funding for the acquisition and restoration of lands along 

the two rivers. 

The needs of this region, however, surpass the capabilities of the 

State and local governments. Even with the modifications that 

have been made to both of the rivers and their surrounding corridors, they provide important wildlife habitat, including habitat 

for about 50 endangered species, and provide biological links to the 

remaining habitat in the Angeles National Forest. 

The area has a rich cultural heritage, including approximately 9 

properties on the National Register of Historic Places within the 

study area boundaries and 96 properties on the California Register 

of Historic Places. In addition, the river corridors provide important recreational opportunities, with an estimated 8 million recVerDate Sep 04 2002 05:21 Sep 14, 2002 Jkt 099010 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR279.XXX SR279
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reational visits each year. Several successful efforts have been undertaken to provide bikeways and hiking along the rivers’ banks. 

S. 1865 would authorize the National Park Service to undertake 

a comprehensive study of the Lower Los Angeles River and San 

Gabriel River watersheds in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture (Forest Service) and the Secretary of the Army (Army 

Corps of Engineers) and to make recommendations for appropriate 

management of the area. In addition to assessing the suitability 

and feasibility of possible designation as a unit of the National 

Park System, the study would examine other alternatives, including greenways, scenic roadways, and river and trail corridors. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 1865 was introduced by Senator Boxer on December 20, 2001. 

The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 1865 on 

July 18, 2002. At the business meeting on July 31, 2002, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 1865, 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 present, 

recommends that the Senate pass S. 1865, if amended as described 

herein. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

During the consideration of S. 1865, the Committee adopted a 

substitute amendment which made several clarifying and conforming changes. In addition, the amendment requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct the study in consultation with the 

Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Army, to reflect 

the inclusion of lands managed by the Forest Service and the Army 

Corps of Engineers within the study area. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 designates the short title as the ‘‘San Gabriel River 

Watersheds Study Act of 2002’’. 

Section 2 directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 

with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Army, 

to conduct a comprehensive resources study of the Lower Los Angeles River and San Gabriel River watersheds, sets forth requirements for conducting the study, consultation and considerations. 

Section 3 provides that a report on the findings, conclusions, and 

recommendations of the study be submitted to the Committee on 

Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 

Resources of the House of Representatives within 3 fiscal years 

from the date on which funds are made available. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATION

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

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U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, August 12, 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. 1865, the San Gabriel River 

Watersheds Study Act of 2002. 

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

to proved them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. 

Sincerely, 

ROBERT A. SUNSHINE

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director). 

Enclosure. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

S. 1865—San Gabriel River Watersheds Study Act of 2002

S. 1865 would direct the Department of the Interior to study the 

natural and recreational resources of segments of the San Gabriel 

Mountains and the San Gabriel River and its tributaries. The 

study would evaluate options for future management and protection of the two areas. The bill would required the department to 

report its findings and recommendations within three years of receiving funding for the study. 

Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates 

that it would cost less than $500,000 over the next three years to 

complete the required study and report. Enacting the bill would not 

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

S. 1865 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. 

On July 31, 2002, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 

2534, the San Gabriel River Watershed Study Act of 2002, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources on July 24, 

2002. H.R. 2534 and S. 1865 are very similar, and the estimated 

costs of the two pieces of legislation are identical. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The 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. 1865. 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, is any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 1865, as ordered reported. 

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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. 1865. These reports had 

not been received at the time the report on S. 1865 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 National Park Service 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 S. 1865, a bill to study the 

lower Los Angeles River and San Gabriel watersheds in 

the Los Angeles Basin. On June 13, 2002, the Department 

testified before the Subcommittee of National Parks, 

Recreation and Public Lands, of the House Committee on 

Resources, on an identical bill, H.R. 2534, which had been 

introduced by Congresswoman Hilda Solis. 

The Department does not oppose the bill. However, the 

Department did not request additional funding for this 

study in Fiscal Year 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. 

In addition to S. 1865, Senator Feinstein has introduced 

S. 2571, a bill to evaluate and study the suitability and 

feasibility of establishing the Rim of the Valley Corridor as 

a unit of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation 

Area. 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 

both areas would not only be less confusing to the public 

but also more cost-effective for the government. Since a 

study of the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers is 

estimated to cost approximately $500,000, there could be 

considerable efficiencies gained by combining and narrowing the focus of these two proposed studies. 

While some familiar with the Lower Los Angeles River 

and San Gabriel River watersheds may think of them as 

concrete-lined ditches, the rivers provide an important opVerDate Sep 04 2002 05:21 Sep 14, 2002 Jkt 099010 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR279.XXX SR279
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portunity for low-impact recreation for many urban residents in adjacent communities. Several successful efforts 

have already been undertaken to provide bikeways and 

hiking areas along the river’s banks. Additionally, small 

tracts of green space have been acquired to provide outdoor recreation opportunities in the form of playgrounds 

for children, picnic areas, benches for rest and respite from 

the urban environment and for areas to walk and bicycle. 

Many areas have been replanted with a variety of native 

vegetation to enhance the local environment. 

This study will 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 Los Angeles and San Gabriel 

watersheds as well as the Valley of the Rim 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 and San Bernardino National 

Forests. 

The National Park Service has some familiarity with the 

region and these watersheds. Our National Park Service 

Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program continues to have interaction with communities along the Los 

Angeles River and has provided technical assistance for 

outdoor recreation potential. Additionally, the Santa 

Monica Mountains National Recreation Area protects for 

153,750 acres while providing recreational opportunities 

for approximately 530,000 visitors annually. 

The watershed of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers contains important natural resources, which are disappearing in Los Angeles County. The continuous greenbelt corridors serve as habitat for breeding, feeding, resting or migrating birds and mammals, while allowing migration to take place around and amongst the urban areas. 

The higher reaches of the watershed also contain significant examples of rock outcroppings, as well as native vegetation.

This area has a rich cultural heritage, which is evident 

by the approximately 9 properties within the boundaries of 

the study area on the National List of Historic Places and 

96 properties on the state register of historic places. These 

properties weave a rich tapestry of the cultural history of 

the area and include Mission San Gabriel Archangel, the 

mission founded in 1771 by the Spanish missionaries who 

were moving up the coast of California; Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana, founded in 1797; Merced Theatre, 

the first building built expressly for theatrical purposes in 

Los Angeles, dating back to 1870; Lummis House, constructed by Charles F. Lummis, an author, editor, poet, 

athlete, librarian, historian and archeologist during his life 

from 1859–1928; Los Encinos State Historic Park, used as 

a headquarters by the Franciscan padres before they built 

Mission San Fernando; Angeles Flight Railway, which was 

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an incline railway built in 1901 to carry residents up the 

hill from the downtown shopping district; and Alvarado 

Terrace Historic District, which includes 12 buildings displaying prime examples of architecture and social history 

from 1900–1924. 

The Los Angeles River and San Gabriel River watershed 

is adjacent to the Angeles National Forest and contains 

state, county and local parks within. The recreational experience would be heightened by the establishment of trail 

connections and linkages for the urban populations of Los 

Angeles, as well as for visitors. These connections would 

also allow users to leave the populated areas and connect 

to the prime natural areas in the region. These trails 

would be used for hiking, mountain biking, nature study 

and bird watching. 

A study will outline public-private partnerships, which 

are core to preserving large tracts of open space such as 

are included in this study. The San Gabriel and Lower Los 

Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC) was established as an independent State agency within the Resources Agency of the State of California in 1999. It was 

established to preserve urban space and habitats in order 

to provide for low-impact recreation and educational uses, 

wildlife and habitat restoration and protection and watershed improvements. The RMC has brought diverse groups 

together to work in partnership to protect the precious resources within these two watersheds. 

Any study that is undertaken along the San Gabriel and 

Lower Los Angeles Rivers will involve extensive public 

meetings, 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 this issue.

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. 1865, as ordered reported.

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