I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4871 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study 
of portions of the Los Angeles coastal area in the State of California 
to evaluate alternatives for protecting the resources of the coastal area, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 23, 2016 
Mr. TED LIEU of California (for himself, Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California, 
Ms. BASS, Mr. SCHIFF, and Ms. HAHN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special 
resource study of portions of the Los Angeles coastal 
area in the State of California to evaluate alternatives 
for protecting the resources of the coastal area, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Santa Monica Moun-
tains National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment 
Study Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. RESOURCE STUDY OF THE LOS ANGELES COASTAL 
AREA, CALIFORNIA. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall conduct a special resource study of the lands, 
waters, and interests of the study area to evaluate a range 
of alternatives for protecting resources of the study area, 
including— 
(1) expanding the Santa Monica Mountains 
Recreation Area and redesignating the area as the 
‘‘Santa Monica Mountains and Coastal Recreation 
Area’’; or 
(2) creating a new coastal recreation area des-
ignated as ‘‘Los Angeles Coastal Recreation Area’’. 
(b) STUDY TOPICS.—In conducting the study, the 
Secretary shall evaluate alternatives that accomplish, to 
the extent practicable, the following objectives: 
(1) Preserving and restoring beaches, coastal 
uplands, and waterways. 
(2) Connecting, coordinating, and preserving 
State, county, and local government parks and other 
publicly owned lands to enhance the potential for 
public recreation use. 
(3) Developing and protecting historic sites, sig-
nificant landscapes, districts, sites, structures, and 
recreation areas in connection therewith, including 
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parks, picnic areas, scenic overlooks, hiking trails, 
bicycle trails and equestrian trails. 
(4) Creating open spaces for parks and rec-
reational use along the coastline adjoining the 
Ballona Wetlands, in the City of Santa Monica, ad-
jacent to and along State and county beaches of Los 
Angeles along the north Santa Monica Bay down 
through Dockweiler State Beach up and around the 
Ballona Creek and Wetlands, Baldwin Hills, and 
along the coastline in the San Pedro section of the 
City of Los Angeles, excluding the Port of Los An-
geles north of Crescent Avenue. 
(5) Protecting wildlife populations in the des-
ignated area by preserving and restoring the Ballona 
Creek and Wetlands. 
(6) Establishing connections along the trail sys-
tems in the designated areas with the aim of cre-
ating or maintaining single contiguous trails along 
the Santa Monica Bay coastline and through 
Ballona Creek into the Baldwin Hills and encom-
passing major feeder trails connecting adjoining 
communities and regional transit to the trail system. 
(7) Preserving recreational opportunities and 
facilitating access to open space for a variety of rec-
reational users. 
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(8) Protecting rare, threatened, or endangered 
plant and animal species, and rare or unusual plant 
communities and habitats. 
(c) PRIVATE PROPERTY.—The study shall include an 
analysis of— 
(1) the impact that establishment of all or a 
portion of the Ballona Creek and Wetlands, Baldwin 
Hills, and the San Pedro coastline as a unit of the 
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 
is likely to have on— 
(A) land within or bordering the area that 
is privately owned at the time the study is con-
ducted; and 
(B) leaseholders of publicly owned, devel-
oped lands; and 
(2) the concerns of private landowners within 
the existing boundaries of the Santa Monica Moun-
tains National Recreation Area. 
(d) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall conduct 
the study in consultation with the appropriate Federal, 
State, county and local government departments and enti-
ties, elected officials, community groups and nonprofits, 
including those that serve the following areas: 
(1) North Santa Monica Bay Coastline: City of 
Santa Monica, County of Los Angeles, City of Los 
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Angeles communities of Pacific Palisades, Brent-
wood, and Venice. 
(2) Ballona Creek, Wetlands, and central Santa 
Monica Bay: City of Culver City, County of Los An-
geles Marina Del Rey community, City of Los Ange-
les communities of Palms, Playa Vista, Del Rey, 
Palms, and Westchester. 
(3) Baldwin Hills and Ballona Creek head-
waters: County of Los Angeles communities of Bald-
win Hills, Windsor Hills and Ladera Heights, and 
City of Los Angeles communities of View Park, and 
Faircrest Heights. 
(4) Santa Monica Bay Coastline South: City of 
El Segundo, City of Manhattan Beach, City of 
Hermosa Beach, City of Redondo Beach, and City 
of Torrance. 
(5) Port of Los Angeles: City of Los Angeles, 
community of City of Los Angeles, community of 
San Pedro. 
(e) STUDY CRITERIA.—In addition to the special con-
siderations specified in this section, the Secretary shall 
conduct the study in accordance with section 100507 of 
title 54, United States Code. 
(f) TRANSMISSION
OF STUDY.—Not later than 3 
years after funds are first made available for the study, 
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the Secretary shall transmit a report containing the re-
sults of the study to the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this Act: 
(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(2) STUDY.—The term ‘‘study’’ means the 
study required by subsection (a) 
(3) STUDY
AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 
means the coastline and adjacent areas to the Santa 
Monica Bay from the City of Santa Monica from 
Will Rodgers Beach to Rat Beach, including the 
areas in and around Ballona Creek and the Baldwin 
Hills and the San Pedro section of the City of Los 
Angeles, excluding the Port of Los Angeles north of 
Crescent Avenue. 
Æ 
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