IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2156 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 12, 2017 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

AN ACT 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Saint Francis Dam 

3 Disaster National Memorial Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) On March 12, 1928, the Saint Francis Dam 

7 located in the northern portion of Los Angeles Coun8 ty, California, breached, resulting in a devastating 

9 flood that caused the death of approximately 425 in10 dividuals. 

11 (2) The residents of Santa Clarita Valley, San 

12 Francisquito Canyon, Castaic Junction, Santa Clara 

13 River Valley, Piru, Fillmore, Bardsdale, Saticoy, and 

14 Santa Paula were directly impacted and suffered 

15 greatly from the worst flood in the history of the 

16 State of California. 

17 (3) The disaster resulted in a tremendous loss 

18 of human life, property, and the livelihood of local 

19 residents, and was surpassed in the level of destruc20 tion in the 20th century only by the great San Fran21 cisco earthquake of 1906. 

22 (4) The collapse of the dam may represent 

23 America’s worst civil engineering failure in the 20th 

24 century. 


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1 (5) The site of the disaster is subject to the 

2 theft of historic artifacts, graffiti, and other van3 dalism. 

4 (6) It is right to pay homage to the citizens 

5 who were killed, injured, or dislocated due to the 

6 flood, and to educate the public about this important 

7 historical event. 

8 (7) It is appropriate that the site of the Saint 

9 Francis Dam and surrounding areas be specially 

10 designated and protected to commemorate this trag11 ic event. 

12 SEC. 3. SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMO13 RIAL. 

14 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary is authorized 

15 to establish a memorial at the Saint Francis Dam site in 

16 the County of Los Angeles, California, for the purpose of 

17 honoring the victims of the Saint Francis Dam disaster 

18 of March 12, 1928. 

19 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Memorial shall be— 

20 (1) known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster 

21 National Memorial; and 

22 (2) managed by the Forest Service. 

23 (c) DONATIONS.—The Secretary is authorized to ac24 cept, hold, administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, 

25 or bequest of real or personal property made to the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 Jul 13, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2156.RFS H2156

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1 retary for purposes of developing, designing, constructing, 

2 and managing the Memorial. 

3 SEC. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEMORIAL. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub6 mit to Congress recommendations regarding— 

7 (1) the planning, design, construction, and 

8 long-term management of the Memorial; 

9 (2) the proposed boundaries of the Memorial; 

10 (3) a visitor center and educational facilities at 

11 the Memorial; and 

12 (4) ensuring public access to the Memorial. 

13 (b) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the recommenda14 tions required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

15 consult with— 

16 (1) appropriate Federal agencies; 

17 (2) State, tribal, and local governments, includ18 ing the Santa Clarita City Council; and 

19 (3) the public. 

20 SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER 

21 NATIONAL MONUMENT. 

22 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established as a na23 tional monument in the State, certain National Forest 

24 System land administered by the Secretary in the County 

25 of Los Angeles comprising approximately 440 acres, as 


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1 generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed Saint 

2 Francis Dam Disaster National Monument’’, created on 

3 June 14, 2016, to be known as the Saint Francis Dam 

4 Disaster National Monument. 

5 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Monument is to 

6 conserve and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of the 

7 public the cultural, archaeological, historical, watershed, 

8 educational, and recreational resources and values of the 

9 Monument. 

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

11 MONUMENT. 

12 (a) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years after 

14 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

15 shall develop a management plan for the Monument. 

16 (2) CONSULTATION.—The management plan 

17 shall be developed in consultation with— 

18 (A) appropriate Federal agencies; 

19 (B) State, tribal, and local governments; 

20 and 

21 (C) the public. 

22 (3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing and im23 plementing the management plan, the Secretary 

24 shall, with respect to methods of protecting and pro25 viding access to the Monument, consider the recVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 Jul 13, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2156.RFS H2156

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1 ommendations of the Saint Francis Disaster Na2 tional Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Val3 ley Historical Society, and the Community Hiking 

4 Club of Santa Clarita. 

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

6 Monument— 

7 (1) in a manner that conserves and enhances 

8 the cultural and historic resources of the Monument; 

9 and 

10 (2) in accordance with— 

11 (A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 

12 Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 

13 1600 et seq.) and the laws generally applicable 

14 to the National Forest System; 

15 (B) this Act; and 

16 (C) any other applicable laws. 

17 (c) USES.— 

18 (1) USE OF MOTORIZED VEHICLES.—The use of 

19 motorized vehicles within the Monument may be per20 mitted only— 

21 (A) on roads designated for use by motor22 ized vehicles in the management plan required 

23 under subsection (a); 

24 (B) for administrative purposes; or 

25 (C) for emergency responses. 


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1 (2) GRAZING.—The Secretary shall permit 

2 grazing within the Monument, where established be3 fore the date of the enactment of this Act— 

4 (A) subject to all applicable laws (including 

5 regulations and Executive orders); and 

6 (B) consistent with the purpose described 

7 in section 5(b). 

8 SEC. 7. CLARIFICATION ON FUNDING. 

9 No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 

10 requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be car11 ried out using amounts otherwise authorized. 

12 SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 

13 In this Act: 

14 (1) MEMORIAL.—The term ‘‘Memorial’’ means 

15 the Saint Frances Dam Disaster National Memorial 

16 authorized under section 3(a). 

17 (2) MONUMENT.—The term ‘‘Monument’’ 

18 means the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National 

19 Monument established under section 5(a). 

20 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

21 of California. 


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1 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 11, 2017. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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