Report recommends expanding Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
A panoramic view of Glendale, La Crescenta and the San Gabriel Mountains from the Verdugo Mountains on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013.
A report released Tuesday by the National Park Service recommends a “significant” expansion of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley.
In its final report, the Park Service recommended expanding the boundary of the existing recreation area to include more than 170,000 acres, bringing it to 323,000 acres and more than doubling its size.
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The study to consider expanding the area was authorized following the passage of legislation sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) in 2008. The final report, which is available to the public and has been delivered to Congress, is the “next step in preserving the Rim of the Valley Corridor,” according to a release from Schiff’s office.
“Now that we have the completed study in hand, we will move forward with the work of crafting legislation to make the park expansion a reality,” Schiff said in the statement. “I look forward to continuing to consult with the community and stakeholders as we pursue our shared goal of preserving the natural resources in our area for generations to come.”
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Mark Kellam, mark.kellam@latimes.com
Twitter: @LAMarkKellam
