The community of La Canada Flintridge is blessed to be nestled between the Verdugo and the San Gabriel mountains. The nearby foothills provide not only a setting of scenic beauty but also recreational opportunities for hikers, outdoor enthusiasts and families out on a tranquil stroll in nature.

La Canada Flintridge's civic leaders, recognizing that parks and nearby natural areas contribute to the exceptional quality of life in the community, have worked to preserve open space and create recreational opportunities. Cherry Canyon Park and Rockridge Park and Conservation Area are but two of the more recent successes, and illustrate the wonderful accomplishments made possible by private-public and local-state partnerships. With the goal of enlisting the assistance and jurisdiction of the National Park Service in these local partnership efforts, I have introduced the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act in the House of Representatives.

H.R. 2715 would call for a study by the National Park Service of the feasibility and suitability of expanding the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor consisting of areas of rare Mediterranean ecosystem, and encompassing the mountains and foothills above La Canada Flintridge. Since Congress set aside the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in 1978, federal, state and local authorities have worked in remarkable cooperation to build and manage what is the world's largest urban park. Now, nearly a quarter-century later and in the face of tremendous projected population growth, Congress, by passing the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, again has the opportunity to help safeguard and supplement the existing state and local parks, open space and recreational opportunities in Southern California.

This legislative initiative is respectful of the rights of private property owners. Within the existing National Recreation Area, about half of which is privately owned, the Park Service may acquire property from voluntary sellers or donors only, is prohibited from exercising the power of eminent domain and may not regulate land use. Private ownership need not be incompatible with open space preservation efforts, and there are many good examples of private-public partnerships in Southern California that have served to maintain the beauty of open space and preserve the rights of property owners. Indeed, private property values and community quality of life can be tremendously enhanced when natural areas are preserved.

The legislation enjoys strong bipartisan support, and the House version is cosponsored by every Republican and Democratic Member of Congress whose district includes portions of the Rim of the Valley Corridor, including Representatives Howard Berman, David Dreier, Elton Gallegly, Howard "Buck"McKeon, Brad Sherman and Hilda Solis. I am proud to report that Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the companion bill in the Senate, and that the Senate bill was recently heard in the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks. Locally, the Cities of La Canada Flintridge, Glendale, Pasadena, South Pasadena and the Altadena Foothills Conservancy have taken official stands in support of the legislation.

At a time when communities are seeking to preserve green space and provide recreational opportunities, La Canada Flintridge has shown the way by providing a lasting legacy of nearby natural space for children and adults to enjoy. It is my hope that the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act will embody a vision of a Southern California enhanced not only by what was built, but also by what was preserved.

Congressman Adam Schiff is a member of the International Relations and Judiciary Committees. He can be reached at (626) 304-2727 or through his website at www.house.gov/schiff.