Subcommittee Plans Land-Swap Hearing
Two controversial proposed land swaps within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area will be the focus of a May 1 congressional subcommittee hearing in Washington.
The House Committee on Government Operations’ subcommittee on the environment, energy and natural resources will review potential exchanges involving federally owned land in Cheseboro Canyon and Elsmere Canyon, a senior committee staffer said Tuesday.
The purpose of the hearing, which is expected to be the first in a series, will be to assess whether proper procedures exist within the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to properly consider proposed intra-state land swaps nationwide.
“We’re trying to look at the standards are used to make intra-state exchanges,” the aide said.
He noted that the General Accounting Office, Congress’ research arm, “has consistently pointed out that there is a deficiency in the kind of written procedure and practice” on previous land-swap deals. However, he added that the selection of the proposed Los Angeles-area land exchanges does not mean that the subcommittee has found problems with them.
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