019–010

Calendar No. 40

108TH CONGRESS REPORT " SENATE ! 1st Session 108–25 

RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY ACT

MARCH 19, 2003.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. DOMENICI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 347] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred to the bill (S. 347) 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, 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. 

The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a 

joint 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, to evaluate a range of alternative for 

protecting resources, including the suitability and feasibility of establishing the area 

as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The Secretaries 

shall consult with appropriate State, county and local government entities in conducting the study. 

SEC. 3 AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

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

out this Act.

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 

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resource 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 OF THE MEASURE

The purpose of S. 347 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. 347 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. 

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. 347 was introduced by Senator Feinstein on February 11, 

2003. Similar legislation, S. 2571, was introduced by Senator Feinstein during the 107th Congress. 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. 

The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 347 

on March 4, 2003. At the business meeting on March 12, 2003, the 

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 347, as 

amended, favorably reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on March 12, 2003, by a unamimous vote of a quorum 

present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 347, if amended as 

described herein. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

During the consideration of S. 347, the Committee adopted an 

amendment in the nature of a substitute which eliminates the congressional findings and clarifies that the National Park Service is 

to conduct a ‘‘resource study’’ instead of the ‘‘special resource 

study’’ authorized in the bill. A special resource study is typically 

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reserved for actions that may lead to designation of a new unit of 

the National Park System. A resource study is performed for other 

types of actions such as expanding an existing park unit. The Committee also adopted an amendment to the title. 

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 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, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, March 13, 2003. 

Hon. PETE V. DOMENICI, 

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. 347, 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, 

DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN

Director. 

Enclosure. 

S. 347—Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act 

S. 347 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 2004, assuming appropriation of the 

necessary amounts. Enacting S. 347 would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

S. 347 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 

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of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 347. 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. 347, as ordered reported. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

On February 26, 2003, 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. 347. These reports had 

not been received at the time the report on S. 347 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 DE TEEL PATTERSON TILLER, ACTING ASSOCIATE 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 Secretaries 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 SecreVerDate Jan 31 2003 09:52 Mar 21, 2003 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR025.XXX SR025
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taries 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. 

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 govVerDate Jan 31 2003 09:52 Mar 21, 2003 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR025.XXX SR025
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ernments. 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. 347, as ordered reported.

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