IB 

Union Calendar No. 502 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5244 

[Report No. 114–650] 

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 

MAY 16, 2016 

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

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

JULY 1, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 16, 2016] 


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•HR 5244 RH

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 Dis5 aster 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 State 

18 of California. 

19 (3) The disaster resulted in a tremendous loss of 

20 human life, property, and the livelihood of local resi21 dents, and was surpassed in the level of destruction 

22 in the 20th century only by the great San Francisco 

23 earthquake of 1906. 


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1 (4) The collapse of the dam may represent Amer2 ica’s worst civil engineering failure in the 20th cen3 tury. 

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

5 of historic artifacts, graffiti, and other vandalism. 

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

7 were killed, injured, or dislocated due to the flood, 

8 and to educate the public about this important histor9 ical event. 

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

11 Francis Dam and surrounding areas be specially des12 ignated and protected to commemorate this tragic 

13 event. 

14 SEC. 3. SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMO15 RIAL. 

16 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary is authorized to 

17 establish a memorial at the Saint Francis Dam site in the 

18 County of Los Angeles, California, for the purpose of hon19 oring the victims of the Saint Francis Dam disaster of 

20 March 12, 1928. 

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

22 (1) known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster 

23 National Memorial; and 

24 (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 submit 

9 to Congress recommendations regarding— 

10 (1) the planning, design, construction, and long11 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 con18 sult 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 Sys5 tem land administered by the Secretary in the County of 

6 Los Angeles comprising approximately 440 acres, as gen7 erally 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 Dis10 aster 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 imple3 menting the management plan, the Secretary shall, 

4 with respect to methods of protecting and providing 

5 access to the Monument, consider the recommenda6 tions of the Saint Francis Disaster National Memo7 rial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical 

8 Society, and the Community Hiking Club of Santa 

9 Clarita. 

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

11 Monument— 

12 (1) in a manner that conserves and enhances the 

13 cultural and historic resources of the Monument; and 

14 (2) in accordance with— 

15 (A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 

16 Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 

17 et seq.) and the laws generally applicable to the 

18 National Forest System; 

19 (B) this Act; and 

20 (C) any other applicable laws. 

21 (c) USES.— 

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

23 motorized vehicles within the Monument may be per24 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 graz7 ing within the Monument, where established before the 

8 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 in 

12 section 5(b). 

13 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

14 In this Act: 

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

16 the Saint Frances Dam Disaster National Memorial 

17 authorized under section 3(a). 

18 (2) MONUMENT.—The term ‘‘Monument’’ means 

19 the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument 

20 established under section 5(a). 

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

22 of California. 

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

24 the Secretary of Agriculture. 


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Union Calendar No. 502 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5244 

[Report No. 114–650] 

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 1, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS