U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) on Feb. 26 applauded the landmark passage of the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, which would add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The bill passed the House on a bipartisan basis as part of the Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act.

“I am thrilled that the House of Representatives has passed the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, legislation I have championed for nearly 20 years,” Schiff said. “Millions of residents in the Los Angeles Basin depend on open space in our communities for recreation, and the benefits of widely accessible natural land have never been more apparent than during this public health crisis. The Rim of the Valley Corridor is an area of breathtaking natural beauty, and we must preserve this pristine land for the sake of our environment, wildlife and ecosystems, and for the benefit of L.A. residents, the millions each year who visit and for generations to come.”

Last year there were a record number of visits to public lands – a 21% increase on average in national park attendance.

Schiff first introduced the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act in 2017 based on the recommendations of the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, championed by Schiff for years.

The expansion of the SMMNRA boundaries respects private property rights and existing local land use authorities, and it will not put any additional restrictions on property owners. The bill does not allow for land acquisition through eminent domain.

To view a map of the expansion under the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, visit bit.ly/3aVNNrM.