(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The existing parks and open space owned by federal, state, and local agencies within the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor, as defined in Section 33105.5, are important recreational and environmental resources for the people of California, especially residents of the San Fernando, La Cresenta, and San Gabriel Valleys, and it is in the public interest to facilitate the connection of existing parks and open-space resources and to provide for further improvement of underutilized public easements and other existing public open spaces.
(2) There is a need for overall trail and recreational access planning and coordination between the 11 local agencies, two joint powers park agencies, two state agencies, and three federal agencies with jurisdiction over lands in the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor.
(b) The conservancy, using the voluntary cooperation of governmental jurisdictions within the corridor, shall prepare and adopt a coordinated trail development plan and recreational access program for the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor that includes, but is not necessarily limited to, all of the following:
(1) Identification of major hiking and equestrian trails and important secondary and feeder trails that cross jurisdictional lines, and a priority program for improving those trails.
(2) Identification of special purpose trails, where appropriate, for special population groups and special user groups, such as mountain bicycles where the special purpose trails will have no significant environmental impact.
(3) Identification of, and a priority program for implementing, those additional recreation access needs, including new or expanded trails that should be added to the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor, and additional or upgraded facilities, parks, or open spaces that may be necessary.
(4) Identification of underused existing public open spaces and recommendations for providing better public use and enjoyment of these areas.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 33105.5, the conservancy may make minor boundary changes to the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor solely for the purpose of implementing the plan prepared pursuant to this section. Any boundary change shall be in the form of maps and descriptions which shall be included in the plan submitted pursuant to subdivision (d) and shall be filed with the Secretary of State not later than July 31, 1990.
(d) The conservancy shall hold at least one public hearing in each city and the unincorporated area of each county within the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor prior to the submission of the plan and program pursuant to this subdivision. The plan and program prepared under subdivision (b), and any changes to the corridor boundary, shall be coordinated with each affected jurisdiction prior to adoption by the conservancy. The plan and program shall be submitted to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildlife at least 30 days prior to the approval of any acquisition or improvement under the plan or program pursuant to this division, but not later than June 30, 1990.
(e) Upon adoption by a local government of the plan and program prepared under this section, the plan and program shall be part of the plan that the local government implements for purposes of compliance with Section 33009.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1062, Sec. 1.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018