National Park Service Recommends Legislation to Protect San Gabriel Mountains

After almost a decade of research, public hearings and a 316-page report, the National Park Service recommended Wednesday that Congress pass legislation to better protect the San Gabriel Mountains and River, San Gabriel Mountains Forever shared in a statement.

San Gabriel Mountains Forever is a partnership working to protect the San Gabriel Mountains and Watershed.

“We are grateful for the National Park Service recommendation that Congress create a recreation area for the urban areas of the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo rivers to serve many park-poor communities,” said Daniel Rossman of San Gabriel Mountains Forever in the statement. “We also applaud the recognition for stronger collaboration between the National Park Service and the US Forest Service in the vast Angeles National Forest.

The recommendation came out of a 2003 request by Congress that a study be conducted to address the need for greater recreational opportunities and protected open space in the San Gabriel Valley.

Hilda Solis, who was a member of Congress at the time and enjoyed the San Gabriel Mountains and River as a child, lead the effort to request the study.

San Gabriel Mountains Forever noted that 70 percent of Los Angeles County’s open space is in the San Gabriel Mountains.

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