East SFV Today

Washington, D.C. — On May 17, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources marked up the Senate version of Representative Adam Schiff’s Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act and successfully passed it out of committee.

“I have been fighting to expand and protect the Rim of the Valley for over two decades, and will continue to lead the push for passage of the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act to ensure we can protect this area for generations to come,” said Rep. Schiff. “I appreciate Senator Feinstein’s leadership on pushing this bill forward in the Senate. Our legislation is now closer to getting across the finish line. I urge my colleagues – Republicans and Democrats — in both the House and the Senate – to pass our bill.”

“Despite being the largest county in the state by population, Los Angeles County is one of the most park-poor counties in the state. Our bill would help fix that by connecting more people to trails and open spaces in the mountains surrounding the Los Angeles Basin. I want to thank Chairman Manchin for including these bills and helping us move them to the floor where I hope they will receive a vote soon,” said Sen. Feinstein. 

In 2008, Rep. Schiff passed the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act. This bill directed the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study of the Rim of the Valley Corridor. 

The study sought to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating all or a portion of the Rim of the Valley Corridor as a unit of the existing area and how these areas could be better managed and preserved. The National Park Service began the study in 2010 and transmitted its final report to Congress and the public in February 2016. 

Following that study, Rep. Schiff first introduced the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act in 2017 with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and then-Sen. Kamala Harris. Earlier this year, he re-introduced the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act in the House. The Rim of the Valley stretches from the Simi Hills and Santa Susanas to the Verdugos and the San Gabriel Mountains. The bill will enable the National Park Service and the local community to better protect natural resources and habitats and provide members of the community with improved access to nature for recreational and educational purposes.

Original source can be found here.