HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-07-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - FED LEGISLATION S 1769 (2)Agenda Item: 9
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: July 13, 2021
SUBJECT: FEDERAL LEGISLATION: S. 1769
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
PRESENTER: Masis Hagobian
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council adopt the City Council Legislative Committee recommendation to support S. 1769
(Feinstein) and transmit position statements to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Santa Clarita's federal
legislative delegation, members of applicable congressional committees, other Members of
Congress, administration officials, and interested organizations, as appropriate.
BACKGROUND
Authored by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), S. 1769, also known as the Rim of the
Valley Corridor Preservation Act, proposes to expand the Santa Monica Mountains National
Recreation Area (SMMNRA) to include the proposed Rim of the Valley Unit.
In 2008, Congress passed the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, introduced by
Representative Adam Schiff. This bill directed the National Park Service to conduct a special
resource study of the Rim of the Valley Corridor, which includes the mountains encircling the
Santa Clarita, San Fernando, La Crescenta, Simi, and Conejo Valleys. 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 SMMNRA 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. In this study, the National Park Service recommended to
Congress to more than double the size of SMMNRA to include a very significant portion of the
Rim of the Valley study area.
The current size of SMMNRA is approximately 154,000 acres. The Rim of the Valley Corridor
Preservation Act proposes to add more than 191,000 acres of the proposed Rim of the Valley
Unit to SMMNRA, including lands within the Santa Clarita Valley. In broad terms, the Santa
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Clarita Valley lands included within the legislation are those areas located between State Route
14 and the Angeles National Forest (southern unit) in the Newhall, Canyon Country, Soledad
Canyon, and Agua Dulce areas.
This bill will enable the National Park Service to better protect natural resources and habitats and
provide members of the community with improved access to nature for recreational and
educational purposes.
The Santa Clarita City Council supported House Resolution 1075, the companion bill to S. 1769,
based on the recommendation of the City Council's Legislative Committee, at the March 9,
2021, regular meeting.
Additionally, the recommendation to support S. 1769 is consistent with the City of Santa Clarita
2021 Executive and Legislative Platform. Specifically, Component 1 under the "Federal" section
advises that the City Council, "Support legislation seeking to implement the Rim of the Valley
Corridor Special Resource Study; containing boundary adjustments that include portions of the
Santa Clarita Valley, but does not eliminate or limit current authority of the City of Santa
Clarita."
S. 1769 was heard by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on June 23,
2021. Staff anticipates the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to consider
mark-ups and approval at a later date.
The City Council Legislative Committee met on June 22, 2021, and recommends that the City
Council adopt a "support" position on S. 1769.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Adopt a "neutral" position on S. 1769.
2. Adopt an "oppose" position on S. 1769.
3. Take no action on S. 1769.
4. Refer S. 1769 back to the Legislative Committee.
5. Other action, as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The resources required to implement the recommended action are contained within the City of
Santa Clarita's adopted FY 2021-22 budget.
ATTACHMENTS
S. 1769 - Bill Text
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.AUTHENnc-ATE
— coV11N_NT
iNror. tti anoN
GPO
9.a I
11
117Tx CONGRESS S*1769
1ST SESSION
To adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation
Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MAY 20, 2021
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. PADILLA) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources
A BILL
To adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains
National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the
Valley Corridor, and for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the "Rim of the Valley Cor-
5 ridor Preservation Act".
6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
7 Congress finds that-
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(1) the Santa Monica Mountains National
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Recreation Area was authorized as a unit of the Na-
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tional Park System on November 10, 197S;
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(2) the Santa Monica Mountains and the Rim
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of the Valley Corridor include-
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(A) nationally significant resources, includ-
7
ing-
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(i) outstanding examples of geologic
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history, including the evolution of the
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Transverse Ranges Province;
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(ii) a diversity of well-preserved ma-
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rine and terrestrial paleontological re-
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sources; and
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(iii) high biodiversity, including out-
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standing examples of native grasslands,
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coastal sage scrub, chaparral, dry conif-
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erous forests, and alluvian fan sage scrub;
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and
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(B) nationally significant cultural re-
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sources that represent a wide range of themes
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relating to human use and settlement in the re-
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gion, including-
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(i) high concentrations of archeo-
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logical resources that provide insight into
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1 more than 10,000 years of Tribal history;
2 and
3 (ii) landmarks that represent topics
4 such as architecture, recreation, and space
5 exploration; and
6 (3) expanding the Santa Monica Mountains Na-
7 tional Recreation Area would provide new opportuni-
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ties for the National Park Service to serve a broad
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range of urban communities, including many com-
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munities that are-
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(A) underrepresented in units of the Na-
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tional Park System; and
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(B) underserved by State and local parks.
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SEC. 3. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT; LAND ACQUISITION; AD-
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MINISTRATION.
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(a) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT. —Section 507(c)(1) of
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the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (16
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U.S.C. 460kk(c)(1)) is amended, in the first sentence, by
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striking "'Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation
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Area and
Santa Monica
Mountains
Zone, California,
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Boundary
Map', numbered
80,047—C
and dated August
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2001"
and inserting "'Rim
of the Valley Unit —Santa
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Monica
Mountains National
Recreation Area' and
dated
24 October 2017"
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1 (b) RIM OF THE VALLEY UNIT. —Section 507 of the
2 National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C.
3 460kk) is amended by adding at the end the following:
4 "(u) RIM OF THE VALLEY UNIT.-
5 "(1) DEFINITIONS. —In this subsection:
6
"(A) STATE. —The term `State' means the
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State of California.
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"(B) UNIT. —The term `Unit' means the
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Rim of the Valley Unit included within the
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boundaries of the recreation area, as depicted
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on the map described in subsection (c)(1).
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"(C) UTILITY FACILITY. —The term `utility
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facility' means-
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"(i) electric substations, communica-
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tion facilities, towers, poles, and lines;
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"(ii) ground wires;
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"(iii) communications circuits;
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"(iv) other utility structures; and
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"(v) related infrastructure.
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"(D) WATER RESOURCE FACILITY. —The
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term `water resource facility' means-
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"(i) irrigation and pumping facilities;
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"(ii) dams and reservoirs;
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"(iii) flood control facilities;
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1 "(iv) water conservation works, in-
2 eluding debris protection facilities, sedi-
3 ment placement sites, rain gauges, and
4 stream gauges;
5 "(v) water quality, recycled water, and
6 pumping facilities;
7 "(vi) conveyance distribution systems;
8 "(vii) water treatment facilities;
9 "(viii) aqueducts;
10 "(ix) canals;
11 "(x) ditches;
12 "(xi) pipelines;
13 "(xii) wells;
14 "(xiii) hydropower projects;
15 "(xiv) transmission facilities; and
16 "(xv) other ancillary facilities, ground-
17 water recharge facilities, water conserva-
18 tion, water filtration plants, and other
19 water diversion, conservation, groundwater
20 recharge, storage, and carriage structures.
21 "(2) BOUNDARIES. —Not later than 3 years
22 after the date of enactment of this subsection, the
23 Secretary shall update the general management plan
24 for the recreation area developed under subsection
25 (t) to reflect the boundaries designated on the map
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1 referred to in subsection (c)(1) to include the area
2 known as the `Rim of the Valley Unit'.
3 "(3) ADMINISTRATION. —Subject to valid exist-
4 ing rights, the Secretary shall administer the Unit
5 and any land or interest in land acquired by the
6 United States located within the boundaries of the
7 Unit-
8 "(A) as part of the recreation area; and
9 "(B) in accordance with-
10 "(i) this section; and
11 "(ii) applicable laws (including regula-
12 tions).
13 "(4) ACQUISITION OF LAND.-
14 "(A) IN GENERAL. —The Secretary may
15 acquire non -Federal land within the boundaries
16 of the Unit only through exchange, donation, or
17 purchase from a willing seller.
18 "(B) USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN. —Nothing
19 in this subsection authorizes the use of eminent
20 domain to acquire land or interests in land
21 within the boundaries of the Unit.
22 "(5) OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES. —The fact that cer-
23 tain activities or land uses can be seen or heard
24 from within the Unit shall not preclude the activities
25 or land uses outside the boundary of the Unit.
Q
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1 "(6) EFFECT OF SUBSECTION. —Nothing in this
2 subsection or the application of the applicable man-
3 agement plan to the Unit-
4 "(A) modifies any provision of Federal,
5 State, or local law with respect to public access
6
to, or use of, non -Federal land;
7
"(B) creates any liability, or affects any li-
b
ability under any other law, of any private
9
property owner or other owner of non -Federal
10
land with respect to any person injured on pri-
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vate property or other non- Federal land;
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"(C) affects the ownership, management,
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or other rights relating to any non -Federal land
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(including any interest in any non -Federal
15
land);
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"(D) requires any unit of local government
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to participate in any program administered by
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the Secretary;
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"(E) alters, modifies, or diminishes any
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right, responsibility, power, authority, jurisdic-
21
tion, or entitlement of the State, any political
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subdivision of the State, or any State or local
23
agency under existing Federal, State, or local
24
law (including regulations);
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"(F) requires the creation of protective pe-
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rimeters or buffer zones around the Unit;
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"(G) requires or promotes the use of, or
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encourages trespass on, land, facilities, or
5
rights -of -way owned by non -Federal entities, in-
6
cluding water resource facilities and public utili-
7
ties, without the written consent of the owner
8
of the land;
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"(H) affects the operation, maintenance,
10
modification, construction, or expansion of any
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water resource facility or utility facility located
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within or adjacent to the Unit;
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"(I) terminates the fee title to land, or the
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customary operation, maintenance, repair, and
15
replacement activities on or under the land,
16
granted to public agencies that are authorized
17 under Federal or State law;
18 "(J) interferes with, obstructs, hinders, or
19 delays the exercise of any right to, or access to
20 any water resource facility or other facility or
21 property necessary or useful to access any
22 water right to operate any public water or util-
23 ity system; or
24 "(K) requires initiation or reinitiation of
25 consultation with the Director of the United
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States Fish and Wildlife Service under, or the
application of provisions of, the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), or division A of sub-
title III of title 54, United States Code, relating
to any action or activity affecting water, water
rights, water management, or water resource
facilities within the Unit.
"(7) UTILITY FACILITIES; WATER RESOURCE
FACILITIES. A utility facility or water resource fa-
cility shall conduct activities in a manner that rea-
sonably avoids or reduces the impact of the activities
on the resources of the Unit.".
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