Title: Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act
Policy area: Water Resources Development

Summary:
Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial at the Dam site in Los Angeles County, California, to honor the victims of the Saint Francis Dam disaster of March 12, 1928. The Memorial shall be managed by the Forest Service.
USDA shall submit to Congress, by three years after this bill's enactment, recommendations regarding:
The bill establishes the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument on specified National Forest System land administered by USDA in Los Angeles County for the purpose of conserving and enhancing the cultural, archaeological, historical, watershed, educational, and recreational resources and values of the Monument.
USDA shall develop a management plan for the Monument by four years after this bill's enactment. USDA shall manage the Monument: (1) in a manner that conserves and enhances its cultural and historic resources, and (2) in accordance with the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974. The bill limits the use of motorized vehicles but permits grazing within the Monument.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2156 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2156

 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Saint Francis Dam Disaster National 
Memorial Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On March 12, 1928, the Saint Francis Dam located in the 
        northern portion of Los Angeles County, California, breached, 
        resulting in a devastating flood that caused the death of 
        approximately 425 individuals.
            (2) The residents of Santa Clarita Valley, San Francisquito 
        Canyon, Castaic Junction, Santa Clara River Valley, Piru, 
        Fillmore, Bardsdale, Saticoy, and Santa Paula were directly 
        impacted and suffered greatly from the worst flood in the 
        history of the State of California.
            (3) The disaster resulted in a tremendous loss of human 
        life, property, and the livelihood of local residents, and was 
        surpassed in the level of destruction in the 20th century only 
        by the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
            (4) The collapse of the dam may represent America's worst 
        civil engineering failure in the 20th century.
            (5) The site of the disaster is subject to the theft of 
        historic artifacts, graffiti, and other vandalism.
            (6) It is right to pay homage to the citizens who were 
        killed, injured, or dislocated due to the flood, and to educate 
        the public about this important historical event.
            (7) It is appropriate that the site of the Saint Francis 
        Dam and surrounding areas be specially designated and protected 
        to commemorate this tragic event.

SEC. 3. SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MEMORIAL.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary is authorized to establish a 
memorial at the Saint Francis Dam site in the County of Los Angeles, 
California, for the purpose of honoring the victims of the Saint 
Francis Dam disaster of March 12, 1928.
    (b) Requirements.--The Memorial shall be--
            (1) known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National 
        Memorial; and
            (2) managed by the Forest Service.
    (c) Donations.--The Secretary is authorized to accept, hold, 
administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of real or 
personal property made to the Secretary for purposes of developing, 
designing, constructing, and managing the Memorial.

SEC. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEMORIAL.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 
recommendations regarding--
            (1) the planning, design, construction, and long-term 
        management of the Memorial;
            (2) the proposed boundaries of the Memorial;
            (3) a visitor center and educational facilities at the 
        Memorial; and
            (4) ensuring public access to the Memorial.
    (b) Consultation.--In preparing the recommendations required under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with--
            (1) appropriate Federal agencies;
            (2) State, tribal, and local governments, including the 
        Santa Clarita City Council; and
            (3) the public.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF SAINT FRANCIS DAM DISASTER NATIONAL MONUMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established as a national monument in 
the State, certain National Forest System land administered by the 
Secretary in the County of Los Angeles comprising approximately 440 
acres, as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Proposed Saint 
Francis Dam Disaster National Monument'', created on June 14, 2016, to 
be known as the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Monument is to conserve and 
enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of the public the cultural, 
archaeological, historical, watershed, educational, and recreational 
resources and values of the Monument.

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

    (a) Management Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a 
        management plan for the Monument.
            (2) Consultation.--The management plan shall be developed 
        in consultation with--
                    (A) appropriate Federal agencies;
                    (B) State, tribal, and local governments; and
                    (C) the public.
            (3) Considerations.--In developing and implementing the 
        management plan, the Secretary shall, with respect to methods 
        of protecting and providing access to the Monument, consider 
        the recommendations of the Saint Francis Disaster National 
        Memorial Foundation, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical 
        Society, and the Community Hiking Club of Santa Clarita.
    (b) Management.--The Secretary shall manage the Monument--
            (1) in a manner that conserves and enhances the cultural 
        and historic resources of the Monument; and
            (2) in accordance with--
                    (A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
                Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) and the 
                laws generally applicable to the National Forest 
                System;
                    (B) this Act; and
                    (C) any other applicable laws.
    (c) Uses.--
            (1) Use of motorized vehicles.--The use of motorized 
        vehicles within the Monument may be permitted only--
                    (A) on roads designated for use by motorized 
                vehicles in the management plan required under 
                subsection (a);
                    (B) for administrative purposes; or
                    (C) for emergency responses.
            (2) Grazing.--The Secretary shall permit grazing within the 
        Monument, where established before the date of the enactment of 
        this Act--
                    (A) subject to all applicable laws (including 
                regulations and Executive orders); and
                    (B) consistent with the purpose described in 
                section 5(b).

SEC. 7. CLARIFICATION ON FUNDING.

    No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of 
this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts 
otherwise authorized.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Memorial.--The term ``Memorial'' means the Saint 
        Frances Dam Disaster National Memorial authorized under section 
        3(a).
            (2) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Saint 
        Francis Dam Disaster National Monument established under 
        section 5(a).
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
        California.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
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