I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5244 

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 

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. 

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: 


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

2 located in the northern portion of Los Angeles Coun3 ty, California, breached, resulting in a devastating 

4 flood that caused the death of approximately 425 in5 dividuals. 

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

7 Francisquito Canyon, Castaic Junction, Santa Clara 

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

9 Santa Paula were directly impacted and suffered 

10 greatly from the worst flood in the history of the 

11 State of California. 

12 (3) The disaster resulted in a tremendous loss 

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

14 residents, and was surpassed in the level of destruc15 tion in the 20th century only by the great San Fran16 cisco earthquake of 1906. 

17 (4) The collapse of the dam may represent 

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

19 century. 

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

21 theft of historic artifacts, graffiti, and other van22 dalism. 

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

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


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1 flood, and to educate the public about this important 

2 historical event. 

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

4 Francis Dam and surrounding areas be specially 

5 designated and protected to commemorate this trag6 ic event. 

7 SEC. 3. SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMO8 RIAL. 

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary is authorized 

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

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

12 honoring the victims of the Saint Francis Dam disaster 

13 of March 12, 1928. 

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

15 (1) known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster 

16 National Memorial; and 

17 (2) managed by the Forest Service. 

18 (c) DONATIONS.—The Secretary is authorized to ac19 cept, hold, administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, 

20 or bequest of real or personal property made to the Sec21 retary for purposes of developing, designing, constructing, 

22 and managing the Memorial. 


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1 SEC. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEMORIAL. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 

3 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub4 mit to Congress recommendations regarding— 

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

6 long-term management of the Memorial; 

7 (2) the proposed boundaries of the Memorial; 

8 (3) a visitor center and educational facilities at 

9 the Memorial; and 

10 (4) ensuring public access to the Memorial. 

11 (b) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the recommenda12 tions required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

13 consult with— 

14 (1) appropriate Federal agencies; 

15 (2) State, tribal, and local governments, includ16 ing the Santa Clarita City Council; and 

17 (3) the public. 

18 SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER 

19 NATIONAL MONUMENT. 

20 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established as a na21 tional monument in the State, certain National Forest 

22 System land administered by the Secretary in the County 

23 of Los Angeles comprising approximately 440 acres, as 

24 generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Proposed Saint 

25 Francis Dam National Monument’’, and dated June 18, 


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1 2015, to be known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster 

2 National Monument. 

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

4 conserve and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of the 

5 public the cultural, archaeological, historical, watershed, 

6 educational, and recreational resources and values of the 

7 Monument. 

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

9 MONUMENT. 

10 (a) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 

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

13 shall develop— 

14 (A) a management plan for the Monument; 

15 and 

16 (B) a watershed health assessment for the 

17 Monument to identify opportunities for water18 shed restoration. 

19 (2) CONSULTATION.—The management plan 

20 shall be developed in consultation with— 

21 (A) appropriate Federal agencies; 

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

23 and 

24 (C) the public. 


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1 (3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing and im2 plementing the management plan, the Secretary 

3 shall, with respect to methods of protecting and pro4 viding access to the Monument, consider the rec5 ommendations of the Saint Francis Disaster Na6 tional Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Val7 ley Historical Society, and the Community Hiking 

8 Club of Santa Clarita. 

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

10 Monument— 

11 (1) in a manner that conserves and enhances 

12 the cultural and historic resources of the Monument; 

13 and 

14 (2) in accordance with— 

15 (A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 

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

17 1600 et seq.) and the laws generally applicable 

18 to the 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 

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. 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’’ 

19 means the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National 

20 Monument 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. 

Æ 


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