IB 

Union Calendar No. 147 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2156 

[Report No. 115–210] 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2017 

Mr. KNIGHT (for himself and Ms. BROWNLEY of California) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

JULY 11, 2017 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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A BILL 

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. 


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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Disaster National Memorial Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

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

9 located in the northern portion of Los Angeles Coun10 ty, California, breached, resulting in a devastating 

11 flood that caused the death of approximately 425 in12 dividuals. 

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

14 Francisquito Canyon, Castaic Junction, Santa Clara 

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

16 Santa Paula were directly impacted and suffered 

17 greatly from the worst flood in the history of the 

18 State of California. 

19 (3) The disaster resulted in a tremendous loss 

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

21 residents, and was surpassed in the level of destruc22 tion in the 20th century only by the great San Fran23 cisco earthquake of 1906. 


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1 (4) The collapse of the dam may represent 

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

3 century. 

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

5 theft of historic artifacts, graffiti, and other van6 dalism. 

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

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

9 flood, and to educate the public about this important 

10 historical event. 

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

12 Francis Dam and surrounding areas be specially 

13 designated and protected to commemorate this trag14 ic event. 

15 SEC. 3. SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMO16 RIAL. 

17 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary is authorized 

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

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

20 honoring the victims of the Saint Francis Dam disaster 

21 of March 12, 1928. 

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

23 (1) known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster 

24 National Memorial; and 

25 (2) managed by the Forest Service. 


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1 (c) DONATIONS.—The Secretary is authorized to ac2 cept, hold, administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, 

3 or bequest of real or personal property made to the Sec4 retary for purposes of developing, designing, constructing, 

5 and managing the Memorial. 

6 SEC. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEMORIAL. 

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

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub9 mit to Congress recommendations regarding— 

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

11 long-term management of the Memorial; 

12 (2) the proposed boundaries of the Memorial; 

13 (3) a visitor center and educational facilities at 

14 the Memorial; and 

15 (4) ensuring public access to the Memorial. 

16 (b) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the recommenda17 tions required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

18 consult with— 

19 (1) appropriate Federal agencies; 

20 (2) State, tribal, and local governments, includ21 ing the Santa Clarita City Council; and 

22 (3) the public. 


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1 SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER 

2 NATIONAL MONUMENT. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established as a na4 tional monument in the State, certain National Forest 

5 System land administered by the Secretary in the County 

6 of Los Angeles comprising approximately 440 acres, as 

7 generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed Saint 

8 Francis Dam Disaster National Monument’’, created on 

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

10 Disaster National Monument. 

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

12 conserve and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of the 

13 public the cultural, archaeological, historical, watershed, 

14 educational, and recreational resources and values of the 

15 Monument. 

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

17 MONUMENT. 

18 (a) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

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

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

21 shall develop a management plan for the Monument. 

22 (2) CONSULTATION.—The management plan 

23 shall be developed in consultation with— 

24 (A) appropriate Federal agencies; 

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

26 and 


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1 (C) the public. 

2 (3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing and im3 plementing the management plan, the Secretary 

4 shall, with respect to methods of protecting and pro5 viding access to the Monument, consider the rec6 ommendations of the Saint Francis Disaster Na7 tional Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Val8 ley Historical Society, and the Community Hiking 

9 Club of Santa Clarita. 

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

11 Monument— 

12 (1) in a manner that conserves and enhances 

13 the cultural and historic resources of the Monument; 

14 and 

15 (2) in accordance with— 

16 (A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 

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

18 1600 et seq.) and the laws generally applicable 

19 to the National Forest System; 

20 (B) this Act; and 

21 (C) any other applicable laws. 

22 (c) USES.— 

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

24 motorized vehicles within the Monument may be per25 mitted only— 


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1 (A) on roads designated for use by motor2 ized vehicles in the management plan required 

3 under subsection (a); 

4 (B) for administrative purposes; or 

5 (C) for emergency responses. 

6 (2) GRAZING.—The Secretary shall permit 

7 grazing within the Monument, where established be8 fore the date of the enactment of this Act— 

9 (A) subject to all applicable laws (including 

10 regulations and Executive orders); and 

11 (B) consistent with the purpose described 

12 in section 5(b). 

13 SEC. 7. CLARIFICATION ON FUNDING. 

14 No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 

15 requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be car16 ried out using amounts otherwise authorized. 

17 SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 

18 In this Act: 

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

20 the Saint Frances Dam Disaster National Memorial 

21 authorized under section 3(a). 

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

23 means the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National 

24 Monument established under section 5(a). 


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

2 of California. 

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

4 the Secretary of Agriculture. 


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Union Calendar No. 147 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2156 

[Report No. 115–210] 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of a national meDam on March 12, 1928, and for other purposes. those killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis morial and national monument to commemorate 

JULY 11, 2017 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


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