Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Study Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1487) 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, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1487

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 ``Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Study Act''. SEC. 2. RESOURCE STUDY OF THE LOS ANGELES COASTAL AREA, CALIFORNIA.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:

(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior.

(2) Study area.--The term ``study area'' means the coastline and adjacent areas to the Santa Monica Bay from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance 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.

(b) Special Resource Study.--

(1) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a special resource study of the study area.

(2) Contents.--In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--

(A) evaluate the national significance of the study area;

(B) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System;

(C) consider other alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the study area by the Federal Government, State or local government entities, or private and nonprofit organizations;

(D) consult with interested Federal agencies, State or local governmental entities, private and nonprofit organizations, or any other interested individuals; and

(E) identify cost estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with the alternatives.

(3) Applicable law.--The study required under paragraph (1) shall be conducted in accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States Code.

(4) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are first made available for the study under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that describes--

(A) the results of the study; and

(B) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1487, introduced by my colleague Ted Lieu from California, would direct the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating a new national recreation area along the Santa Monica Bay coastline or incorporating the area into the existing Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Expanding the National Park Service to include this area would significantly enhance recreational and public lands access in one of our Nation's most congested, polluted, and park-poor regions, Los Angeles County.

Although our public lands belong to all Americans, many simply don't have the opportunity or the resources to visit these incredible places. H.R. 1487 would help us take an important step toward ensuring that public lands access exists for all Americans, and I thank my colleague Congressman Lieu for championing this proposal.

Mr. TED LIEU of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Huffman for his leadership and for supporting this legislation, and I thank Congressman McClintock for supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1487, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Study Act.

In the 1970s, Congress established the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to preserve natural and historic sites and to provide recreational, educational, scientific, and public health benefits to our greater Los Angeles community.

Today, it spans more than 150,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, including parts of the Santa Monica Bay Watershed in my congressional district. Much of the Santa Monica Bay Watershed, however, remains outside of the national recreation area. This includes several miles of beaches and acres of wetlands that stand to benefit greatly from Federal resources.

My bill would commission the National Park Service to conduct a 3- year special resource study to determine whether to expand the boundary of the existing Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area or create a new national recreation area altogether.

The study would cover the entire Santa Monica Bay coastline, from Venice Beach to Torrance Beach, as well as the Ballona Wetlands, Ballona Creek, Baldwin Hills, and the San Pedro coastline.

While conducting the study, the National Park Service will consult with State and local government groups, community groups, nonprofits, and residents.

The study would become a basis for future congressional action to modify the national recreation area borders. Expanding the national recreation area would allow the watershed to benefit from available Federal, scientific, and infrastructure resources, enabling better conservation and recreational use. It would also help Federal agencies enter into cooperative agreements to manage the land and carry out improvement projects aimed at connecting trails, building wildlife corridors, and more.

Importantly, all of this would be accomplished without affecting private property rights or creating unfunded mandates on State or local governments.

The Los Angeles coastal region stands to benefit tremendously from increased Federal resources to preserve open space for conservation and recreation, and I am proud to have the support of many of my colleagues in the Los Angeles delegation. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1487.

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Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote with no caveats, and I thank the gentleman, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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