Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act. This legislation expands the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to provide surrounding communities much-needed additional access to nature while maintaining private property rights and existing local land use authorities. This bill adds an additional 191,000 acres, known as the Rim of the Valley Unit, to better protect natural resources and habitats, and provide members of the local community with improved recreational and educational opportunities. This proposed expansion comes at the recommendation of the National Park Service after a six-year special resource study of the area. The study was directed by Congress in the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, passed in 2008. The National Park Service's recommendation takes into account over 2,000 comments received from the public, elected officials, local organizations, and other stakeholders. This legislation will significantly expand outdoor recreational opportunities for residents of Los Angeles County, one of the most densely populated and park-poor areas in California. In fact, 47% of Californians--that's six percent of the U.S. population--live within two hours of the proposed expansion area. Enlarging the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area will provide these communities with increased access to public lands and a boost to the local economy.…”