89–010 

Calendar No. 647 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 115–360 

SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMORIAL 

ACT 

NOVEMBER 14, 2018.—Ordered to be printed 

Ms. MURKOWSKI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2156] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (H.R. 2156) to provide for the establishment of a 

national memorial and national monument to commemorate those 

killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis Dam on March 12, 1928, 

and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, and 

recommends that the bill as amended, do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial 

Act’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) MEMORIAL.—The term ‘‘Memorial’’ means the Saint Francis Dam Disaster 

National Memorial authorized under section 3(a). 

(2) MONUMENT.—The term ‘‘Monument’’ means the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument established by section 5(a). 

(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of Agriculture. 

(4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State of California. 

SEC. 3. SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMORIAL. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary may establish a memorial at the Saint 

Francis Dam site in the county of Los Angeles, California, for the purpose of honoring the victims of the Saint Francis Dam disaster of March 12, 1928. 

(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Memorial shall be— 

(1) known as the ‘‘Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial’’; and 

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(2) managed by the Forest Service. 

(c) DONATIONS.—The Secretary may accept, hold, administer, invest, and spend 

any gift, devise, or bequest of real or personal property made to the Secretary for 

purposes of developing, designing, constructing, and managing the Memorial. 

SEC. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEMORIAL. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 

the Secretary shall submit to Congress recommendations regarding— 

(1) the planning, design, construction, and long-term management of the Memorial; 

(2) the proposed boundaries of the Memorial; 

(3) a visitor center and educational facilities at the Memorial; and 

(4) ensuring public access to the Memorial. 

(b) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the recommendations required under subsection 

(a), the Secretary shall consult with— 

(1) appropriate Federal agencies; 

(2) State, Tribal, and local governments, including the Santa Clarita City 

Council; and 

(3) the public. 

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MONUMENT. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established as a national monument in the State 

certain National Forest System land administered by the Secretary in the county 

of Los Angeles, California, comprising approximately 353 acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument’’ and dated September 12, 2018, to be known as the ‘‘Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument’’. 

(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Monument is to conserve and enhance for the 

benefit and enjoyment of the public the cultural, archaeological, historical, watershed, educational, and recreational resources and values of the Monument. 

SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY WITH RESPECT TO MONUMENT. 

(a) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary shall develop a management plan for the Monument. 

(2) CONSULTATION.—The management plan shall be developed in consultation 

with— 

(A) appropriate Federal agencies; 

(B) State, Tribal, and local governments; and 

(C) the public. 

(3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing and implementing the management plan, 

the Secretary shall, with respect to methods of protecting and providing access 

to the Monument, consider the recommendations of the Saint Francis Disaster 

National Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, and 

the Community Hiking Club of Santa Clarita. 

(b) MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary shall manage the Monument— 

(1) in a manner that conserves and enhances the cultural and historic resources of the Monument; and 

(2) in accordance with— 

(A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 

(16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.); 

(B) the laws generally applicable to the National Forest System; 

(C) this Act; and 

(D) any other applicable laws. 

(c) USES.— 

(1) USE OF MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—The use of motorized vehicles within the 

Monument may be permitted only— 

(A) on roads designated for use by motorized vehicles in the management 

plan required under subsection (a); 

(B) for administrative purposes; or 

(C) for emergency responses. 

(2) GRAZING.—The Secretary shall permit grazing within the Monument, 

where established before the date of enactment of this Act— 

(A) subject to all applicable laws (including regulations and Executive orders); and 

(B) consistent with the purpose described in section 5(b). 

SEC. 7. CLARIFICATION ON FUNDING. 

(a) USE OF EXISTING FUNDS.—This Act shall be carried out using amounts otherwise made available to the Secretary. 

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(b) NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of H.R. 2156 is to provide for the establishment of 

a national memorial and national monument to commemorate 

those killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis Dam on March 12, 

1928. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

In terms of loss of life, the collapse of the Saint Francis Dam is 

reported to be the second-greatest disaster in California history. 

The Saint Francis Dam burst just minutes before midnight on 

March 12, 1928, filling the San Francisquito Canyon in southern 

California with 12.6 billion gallons of water. It is now estimated 

that 400 to 600 people lost their lives when the dam burst, along 

with the loss of thousands of livestock and twelve hundred homes. 

The dam’s failure just two years after its completion is widely 

considered one of the worst civil engineering failures of the 20th 

century. The multiple government inquests following the Saint 

Francis tragedy generated recommendations for dam construction 

that continue to make the lives of millions of Americans living 

around dams safer. Over the passing decades, the victims of one of 

the worst engineering disasters in American history have been 

largely forgotten. Today, the site of the dam collapse is mostly rubble, and the affected areas are often subject to vandalism. 

H.R. 2156 recognizes the devastation and impact the dam collapse has had on the residents of northern Los Angeles County by 

authorizing a National Memorial to honor and remember the victims of the Saint Francis Dam disaster and establishing a Saint 

Francis Dam Disaster National Monument within the Angeles National Forest. 

In addition to the establishment of the Memorial and Monument, 

H.R. 2156 includes recommendations for the planning, design, construction, and long-term management of the Memorial, as well as 

proposed boundaries, a visitor’s center and educational facilities, 

and enhanced public access. H.R. 2156 also clarifies appropriate 

uses of motorized vehicles on the Monument area, as well as permitted grazing. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 2156 was introduced in the House of Representatives by 

Representative Knight on April 26, 2017. The Natural Resources 

Committee reported H.R. 2156 on July 11, 2017 (H. Rept. 115–210). 

H.R. 2156 passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on 

July 11, 2017. 

Companion legislation, S. 1926, was introduced by Senators Harris and Feinstein on October 5, 2017. 

The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on H.R. 

2156 and S. 1926 on August 15, 2018. 

In the 114th Congress, Representative Knight introduced similar 

legislation, H.R. 5244, in the House of Representatives. H.R. 5244 

was reported by the Natural Resources Committee (H. Rept. 114– 

650) on July 1, 2016, and passed the House of Representatives by 

voice vote on July 5, 2016. 

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The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 

business session on October 2, 2018, and ordered H.R. 2156 favorably reported, as amended. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on October 2, 2018, by a majority voice vote 

of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 2156, 

if amended as described herein. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

During its consideration of H.R. 2156, the Committee adopted an 

amendment in the nature of a substitute. The substitute amendment deleted the findings in section 2 and moved the definitions 

from section 8 to the new section 2. The substitute amendment also 

updated the map. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 contains the short title. 

Section 2. Definitions 

Section 2 contains key definitions. 

Section 3. Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial 

Subsection (a) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) 

to establish a Memorial at the Saint Francis Dam site in Los Angeles County, California, in honor of the victims of the March 12, 

1928 disaster. 

Subsection (b) requires the Memorial to be known as the ‘‘Saint 

Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial’’ and managed by the 

U.S. Forest Service. 

Subsection (c) authorizes the Secretary to accept, hold, administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of real or personal property made to the Secretary for purposes of developing, 

designing, constructing, and managing the Memorial. 

Section 4. Recommendations for Memorial 

Subsection (a) requires the Secretary, within three years of enactment, to submit to Congress recommendations regarding the 

Memorial’s planning, design, construction, and long-term management; the proposed boundaries; a visitor center and educational facilities; and ensuring public access. 

Subsection (b) requires the Secretary to consult with appropriate 

Federal agencies; State, Tribal, and local governments, including 

the Santa Clarita City Council; and the public in preparing the recommendations required under subsection (a). 

Section 5. Establishment of Saint Francis Dam Disaster National 

Monument 

Subsection (a) establishes a national monument on approximately 353 acres of National Forest System land administered by 

the Secretary in Los Angeles County, California, as generally depicted on the September 12, 2018 map entitled ‘‘Proposed Saint 

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Francis Dam Disaster National Monument.’’ The national monument is to be known as the ‘‘Saint Francis Dam Disaster National 

Monument.’’ 

Subsection (b) states that the purpose of the Monument is to conserve and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of the public the 

Monument’s cultural, archaeological, historical, watershed, educational, and recreational resources and values. 

Section 6. Duties of the Secretary with respect to Monument 

Subsection (a) requires the Secretary to develop a management 

plan within four years of the Act’s enactment. The management 

plan must be developed in consultation with appropriate Federal 

agencies; State, Tribal, and local governments; and the public. In 

developing and implementing the management plan, the Secretary 

is directed to consider the recommendations of the Saint Francis 

Disaster National Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Valley 

Historical Society, and the Community Hiking Club of Santa 

Clarita regarding methods to protect and provide access to the 

Monument. 

Subsection (b) directs the Secretary to manage the Monument in 

a manner that conserves and enhances its cultural and historic resources in accordance with applicable law. 

Subsection (c) provides for the use of motorized vehicles within 

the Monument only on roads designated for use by motorized vehicles in the management plan, for administrative purposes, or for 

emergency purposes. The Secretary is further directed to permit 

grazing within the Monument, where such use has been established before the Act’s enactment, subject to all applicable laws (including regulations and Executive Orders) and consistent with the 

Monument’s purpose. 

Section 7. Clarification on funding 

Section 7 directs the Secretary to use existing funds to carry out 

this Act and specifies that no additional funds are authorized to be 

appropriated. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

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

H.R. 2156 would establish a national monument on roughly 350 

acres of land administered by the Forest Service. The act also 

would require the agency to submit recommendations to the Congress for a memorial commemorating the victims of the Saint 

Francis Dam failure and to complete a management plan for the 

monument. CBO expects that the construction of the memorial and 

any other structures and improvements would be funded by donations. 

Using information from the Forest Service regarding the amount 

of staff time required to carry out the activities required under the 

act, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2156 would cost less 

than $130,000 (the estimated cost of one year’s salary and benefits 

for a mid- to senior-level employee of the Forest Service in Los Angeles County) over the 2019–2023 period; such spending would be 

subject to the availability of appropriated funds. CBO expects that 

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any recurring costs associated with managing any improvements at 

the memorial would be incurred after 2023. 

Enacting H.R. 2156 could affect direct spending by increasing donations, which are treated as reductions in direct spending, and the 

subsequent spending of those funds to construct a memorial; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that 

the net effect on direct spending would be negligible. Enacting the 

legislation would not affect revenues. 

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2156 would not increase net 

direct spending or on budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2029. 

H.R. 2156 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

On July 6, 2017, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 2156, 

the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act, as ordered 

reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on June 

27, 2017. The two versions of the legislation are similar, and CBO’s 

estimates of their budgetary effects are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani Shankaran. 

The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, 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 

H.R. 2156. The Act 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 H.R. 2156 as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

H.R. 2156, as ordered reported, does not contain any congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 

benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at the 

August 15, 2018, hearing on S. 1926 and H.R. 2156 follows: 

STATEMENT OF P. DANIEL SMITH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, EXERCISING THE AUTHORITY OF THE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL

PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Chairman Daines, Ranking Member King, and members 

of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to 

present the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 

1926 and H.R. 2156, bills to establish a national memorial 

and national monument to commemorate those killed by 

the collapse of the Saint Francis Dam on March 12, 1928, 

and for other purposes. 

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The Department of the Interior defers to the Department of Agriculture for a position on S. 1926 and H.R. 

2156 since the purpose of the legislation is to establish a 

national monument and a national memorial in the Angeles National Forest, administered by the U.S. Forest Service in Los Angeles County. Both the national monument 

and the national memorial would be located at a site that 

is not under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, and this bill does not provide for any management or 

funding by the National Park Service. 

The Saint Francis Dam was one of several large infrastructure projects constructed in the early 20th century to 

help control water flow to southern California. On March 

12, 1928, the dam breached, and the resulting flood took 

more than 400 lives. The collapse of this dam is considered 

one of the worst civil engineering failures in the 20th century. S. 1926 and H.R. 2156 authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the memorial to honor the disaster 

victims. The bills also authorize the creation of a 440-acre 

Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument that will 

encompass the site of the Saint Francis Dam National Memorial. 

The National Park Service has management responsibility for a large number national memorials and national 

monuments, and the public often associates both types of 

designated sites with the National Park Service. In this 

case, however, the national monument and the national 

memorial would be located deep within the Angeles National Forest and would fall within the responsibility of the 

Forest Service. 

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

pleased to answer any questions you or other members of 

the Subcommittee may have. 

The testimony provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at 

the August 15, 2018, hearing on S. 1926 and H.R. 2156 follows: 

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD CONCERNING S. 1926—SAINT

FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMORIAL ACT

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank 

you for the opportunity to present the views of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding S. 1926, the 

Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act. 

S. 1926 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Saint Francis Dam Disaster Memorial at the Saint 

Francis Dam site in Los Angeles County, California, for 

the purpose of honoring the victims of the Saint Francis 

Dam disaster of March 12, 1928. The Act would establish 

a National Monument on 353 acres of the Angeles National Forest, as depicted on the map titled ‘‘Saint Francis 

Dam Disaster National Monument—Proposed’’, dated August 2, 2017. The Memorial would be created for the purposes of conserving and enhancing the cultural, archaeological, historical, watershed, educational and recreational resources of the dam disaster site. 

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The legislation authorizes the Secretary to accept, hold, 

administer, invest, and spend any gift, and devise or bequest of real or personal property made to the Secretary 

for purposes of developing, designing, constructing, and 

managing the Memorial. 

The legislation directs the Secretary to develop recommendations to Congress within three years of enactment regarding the planning, boundaries, design, construction and long-term management of the Memorial, including recommendations regarding a visitor center and educational facilities. The Secretary would develop the recommendations after consulting with appropriate Federal 

agencies; State, tribal and local governments and the public. 

USDA would like to work with the bill sponsor and Subcommittee to reduce administrative costs and burdens to 

the Forest and Region. These costs would include planning, creating and maintaining a new Memorial, including 

a visitor center and educational facilities. USDA is supportive of the authority to accept donations for the Memorial under section 3(c) but is concerned that it will not be 

able to rely solely on donations to plan, design, implement, 

construct and maintain a new Memorial if supported by 

external donations. 

USDA recommends to the bill sponsor and the subcommittee that the legislative map ‘‘Saint Francis Dam 

Disaster National Monument—Proposed’’ be revised so 

that the Monument boundary lines take into consideration 

existing land uses, management needs, and Forest Plan 

designations. USDA would suggest limiting activity to 

meet incoming donations. 

Thank you for the opportunity to present our position on 

S. 1926, the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act. 

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 H.R. 2156 as ordered reported. 

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