Preserving the Rim of the Valley

The Rim of the Valley Corridor spans 645,268 acres and includes parts of the Santa Monica, Santa Susanna, San Gabriel and Verdugo Mountains, San Rafael Hills, and adjacent connector areas to the Los Padres and San Bernardino National Forests.

Congress is currently considering H.R. 1835, the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act. It would investigate ways to preserve the Rim of the Valley Corridor, a series of interconnected ecologically significant lands in southern California. ASLA is asking California members and other chapter members across the country to contact the legislators who are members of the House Natural Resource Committee, the committee currently considering H.R. 1835.

Metropolitan southern California has one of the lowest ratios of parks and recreational spaces in the country relative to its population. Without your help, more open spaces will be lost as the region continues to rapidly grow. H.R. 1835 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study for preserving the Rim of the Valley Corridor. The study would examine the feasibility of establishing these areas as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to create a single contiguous Rim of the Valley Trail. Designation of a national recreation area would provide the resources, technical expertise, and direction necessary to ensure a proper balance between the preservation of wildlife, plant and historical landscapes, recreational use and the needs of those living in and around the area. Please take action now and let your member of Congress know that you support preserving the future of this unique open spaces and scenic natural resources.