Rim of the Valley legislation passes U.S. House
A bill to add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area passed the U.S. House Wednesday on a bipartisan basis with 231 votes in support and 183 votes against.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) introduced the legislation in the House in 2017, and Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
That legislation recently passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on a bipartisan basis.
“I am thrilled that the House of Representatives has passed the ‘Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act,’ legislation I have championed for nearly 20 years,” Schiff said.
“Preservation of the open space in our communities is not only good for our environment, wildlife and ecosystems, but it is beneficial for the health and well-being of residents of all ages. The Rim of the Valley corridor is an area of striking and breathtaking natural beauty, and we must do whatever we can to preserve that beauty for the benefit of L.A. residents, the millions each year who visit, and for generations to come,” he added.
The proposed expansion is based on a six-year study of the region completed by the National Park Service in 2015. The legislation would expand the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include much, but not all, of the land included in the study.
The lands included within the expansion would be known as the Rim of the Valley Unit and would stretch from the Simi Hills and Santa Susanas to the Verdugos and on to the San Gabriel mountains.
The bill would enable the National Park Service and the local community to better protect natural resources and habitats, and provide area residents with improved access to nature for recreational and educational purposes.
To view a map of the proposed expansion under the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, click here.
