BILL WOULD STUDY RIM OF THE VALLEY PLAN: IDEA IS TO ADD 500,000 ACRES TO EXISTING PARKLAND.Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer A bill to study adding greater portions of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: see National Parks and Monuments (table). passed through Congress on Wednesday and is headed to the White House, where President Bush is expected to sign it. The study would look at a proposal to create a Rim of the Valley Corridor -- adding some 500,000 acres of mountain land above the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. , La Crescenta, Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, , Simi and Conejo valleys to the existing protected parkland. The bill was co-authored by U.S. Reps. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, and Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena. "The passage of this bill is the next step in the continuing efforts to protect the natural resources of this geographically and ecologically distinct region in Southern California," Sherman said in a written statement. "This legislation addresses the needs and interests of both private landowners and communities within the boundaries of the Rim of the Valley Corridor." The Rim of the Valley proposal was added to a larger bill, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008. A White House official said Tuesday that Bush is expected to sign the bill. The bill would essentially create a larger nature preserve that would restrict development in the mountains and protect a wide range of plant life and wild animals WILD ANIMALS. Animals in a state of nature; animals ferae naturae. Vide Animals; Ferae naturae. . Though most local cities and environmental groups have supported the bill, homeowners who live in the affected lands are concerned about the loss of private property rights and recreational opportunities. But environmentalists said they don't believe the bill treads on property rights. "The point of it is to see what lands would be most beneficial to be preserved, should the funds become available," said Dash Stolarz, spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1979 and dedicated to the acquisition of land in the Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills, north and west of Los Angeles, for preservation as open . "It would in no way authorize eminent domain eminent domain, the right of a government to force the owner of private property sell it if it is needed for a public use. The right is based on the doctrine that a sovereign state has dominion over all lands and buildings within its borders, which has its origins in or taking anyone's property. "That's not the point of it." harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com 818-713-3706 |
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