Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act

The term Corridor means the land, water, and interests of the area in the State known as the Rim of the Valley Corridor.

The term Corridor includes the mountains surrounding the San Fernando, La Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Simi, and Conejo valleys in the State.

The term Recreation Area means the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in the State.

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

The term State means the State of California.

The Secretary shall conduct a resource study of the Corridor to evaluate various alternatives for protecting the resources of the Corridor, including designating all or a portion of the Corridor as a unit of the Recreation Area.

In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

(1) seek to achieve the objectives of—

(A) protecting wildlife populations in the Recreation Area by preserving habitat linkages and wildlife movement corridors between large blocks of habitat in adjoining regional open space;

(B) establishing connections along the State-designated Rim of the Valley Trail System for the purposes of—

(i) creating a single contiguous Rim of the Valley Trail; and

(ii) encompassing major feeder trails connecting adjoining communities and regional transit to the Rim of the Valley Trail System;

(C) preserving recreational opportunities;

(D) facilitating access to open space for a variety of recreational users;

(E) protecting—

(i) rare, threatened, or endangered plant and animal species; and

(ii) rare or unusual plant communities and habitats;

(F) protecting historically significant landscapes, districts, sites, and structures; and

(G) respecting the needs of communities in, or in the vicinity of, the Corridor;

(2) analyze the potential impact of each alternative on staffing and other potential costs to Federal, State, and local agencies and other organizations; and

(3) analyze the potential impact that designating all or a portion of the Corridor as a unit of the Recreation Area would have on land in or bordering the area that is privately owned as of the date on which the study is conducted.

In conducting the study, the Secretary shall consult with appropriate Federal, State, county, and local government entities.

Section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of the study required by subsection (a).

Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are first made available for the study, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a report that describes the results of the study conducted under section 3.

The report submitted under subsection 4(a) shall include the concerns of private landowners within the boundaries of the Recreation Area.