Senate Approves Feinstein-Boxer Legislation to Expand and Improve National Parks Across California

Senate Approves Feinstein-Boxer Legislation to Expand
and Improve National Parks Across California
November 20, 2002
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Washington DC - The U.S. Senate last night approved legislation sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to fund a wide variety of national parks projects, including the expansion of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and funding for schools at Yosemite for children of Park Service employees.

"This legislation represents a truly bipartisan effort to provide vital services for our national parks and to protect pristine open spaces throughout California," Senator Feinstein said. "I would also like to thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives, especially Hilda Solis, Tom Lantos, George Miller and George Radanovich, for their work. Preserving and protecting our national parks must remain a high priority, and we can only succeed when the local communities and the federal government come together, as we were able to do with this legislation."

Extends the boundaries of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) by approximately 5,000 acres, and extends the Manzanar and GGNRA Advisory Commissions for an additional ten years.

Gives the Park Service congressional authority to operate the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS), a bus service that takes visitors into Yosemite. It was operating under a federally funded demonstration project until May, when the authorization expired. Since then, they have been using local funds to continue services.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide up to $400,000 in supplemental funds for three small schools in Yosemite Park (Wawona, El Portal and Mariposa elementary schools). These schools carry a combined deficit of over $240,000, and in recent years they have had to cut down on educational services and faculty just to keep the schools running.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a resource study of the Lower Los Angeles River and the San Gabriel Watershed.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study whether Highway 49 should be considered a National Heritage Corridor.

And extends the boundary of the John Muir National Historic Site, to allow for the acquisition and clear title of the 0.2 acre (9500 sq. ft.) parcel of land by the National Park Service.