Ed Waldheim 3550 Foothill Blvd Glendale, CA 91214 August 28, 2007 Congressman Adam B. Schiff 87 North Raymond Ave Suite 800 Pasadena, CA 91103 Re: Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act. Dear Congressman Schiff: It has been some time since we have had the opportunity to meet and discuss the various issues facing our community in Glendale, as well as other communities throughout Southern California. CORVA is very concerned with the access to public lands, so much so that our adversaries have taken up tactics that are deceitful and outright lies. For some reason Congress never discovers these lies until it is too late. You as a congressman representing a large constituency of recreationists of all types, who need access to our public lands now more than ever before, should be aware of these issues. For example: The Forest Service is going through a route designation process of which the OHV program provided 10 million dollars to do an inventory. Now the designation process has started and we fear that over 80% of our access trails (for hunters, fisherman, average exploration, and traditional OHV users will be shut out) will be lost for ever. This will happen all over America where the Forest Service is. Senator Boxer has introduced a Wilderness bill, which in essence is going to close 1.5 million acres to any recreation except the physically fit person who can hike great distances, and that is less than 1% of the American public. Congressman Buck McKeon on a tour in the Inyo National Forest out of Bishop found out that he was traveling on roads; visiting historic cabins that the environmentalists assured him do not exist. In other words they were deceitful with him. (You can verify this with the Congressman.) BLM is also going through a National Route Designation Process, of which we have been part for the last 14 years. Your bill, HR 1835, though well intended, does not take into account that the history of the National Park Service has preformed contrary to what you and we expect or believe. Example: Since the East Mojave Preserve was created by Congress under S21, the park service has systematically eliminated all private property owners in and around the park. They have intimidated, harassed, extorted folks to abandon long time ranches in order to consolidate their hard line agenda on the citizens disregarding private property rights. This is exactly what would happen in your bill, it would impact 11,000 private property owners in Ventura County and 158,000 private owners in Los Angeles County. This bill has the potential to create an old west war like you have never seen before. Why? Because the National Park Service simply is not a good neighbor. Financial Consideration. You have assisted the Angeles Forest in getting funding from movie fees put back into the Forest, for which we thank you. Did you know that the Forest Service again has had their recreation budget cut for the Southern Province Forests (Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland) by 20 % again? You have four of the most important forests in the nation handling over 20 million people who live right next to the forest… and you want to restrict access? The National Park Service, which is the poster child for Congress, still does not have enough money for what they need to do. Yet, you would like to add another 491,000 acres to the park service, and with what money? Senator Diane Feinstein has promised 42 more rangers for California Forests, yet when you ask the Forest Supervisors if Congress is going to pay for this, they have no idea. It is assumed that what is going to happen is that the Senator makes demands and promises and then the Forest has to take money from other programs to cover the demands. We feel this is exactly what will happen with this Rim project. Until Congress provides the proper funding to the existing agencies, nothing will change. Actually things will get worse because you will continue to dilute the very agencies you should be providing more funding to. Your proposal will cost upwards to two billion dollars. This is money that congress will most likely not fund. If they did, they should fund the Forest Service properly in the first place to help them do the job that they are empowered to do. This is an area where we need your help. Mineral Deposits: In our national forest, legally there is extraction of mineral deposits that are needed for our local economies. They are here legally and your proposal, though well intended, will have the complete opposite effect. In closing, I appreciate and would like to have more dialogs with you on this and other issues facing us in which Congress has a vital role to play. We hope you will listen to your constituents. This Rim of the Valley Corridor will do exactly the opposite of what you want it to be. It will be an economical bust for your district and the entire region. Your support should be with getting the four national forests properly funded to the job that they need to do. Your focus could also be to make sure Los Angeles County does not continue to encroach the forest with new homes, such as Elsmere Canyon or the Santa Clarita; these subdivisions will contain over 3000 homes that Los Angeles County wants to build on other either side of Hwy 14 and San Fernando Road. It would be more logical to preserve these areas instead of the 300 miles swath across the front country of our forest encompassing over 491,518 acres. Your help with smaller more reasonable projects would be welcomed by local entities. The economic life for every single city along Interstate 210 is vital with access to the forest, which is all visitors’ access, not just a privileged 1%. That is what needs to be focused upon. Again, I look forward to having an opportunity to meet with you at your office when you are in the district. Sincerely yours, Edward H. Waldheim President Cc: Congressman Buck McKeon Congressman Kevin McCarthy Foothill Chambers of Commerce Chuck Cushman BOD