Washington, D.C. - Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-Van Nuys) announced today that Congress approved $3.16 million for recreation and environmental work to be undertaken by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy at  Hansen Dam.  This money was included in the Army Corp of Engineers' budget as part of the Omnibus FY2003 appropriations bill, passed by the House of Representatives this evening..

 

“I am thrilled to have secured this money to enhance and improve the Hansen Dam Area," said Berman, "and also to have helped forge a partnership between the Conservancy and the Army Corps that I know will be of great benefit to my constituents.”

 

“The Conservancy has an excellent track record developing urban nature parks and doing environmental restoration work," continued Berman.

 

The Conservancy, in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers and Congressman Berman, will undertake public meetings to define the project(s) that will be developed with this federal money.

Joe Edmiston, Executive Director for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, stated, “We are very excited about the many ways we will be able to use these funds to improve the facilities at Hansen Dam.  We intend to leverage these federal funds with our own resources to not only help preserve the natural areas of Hansen Dam, but to make them accessible and user-friendly for the entire community."

 

“Improving Hansen Dam has been one of my top priorities ever since coming to Congress," said Berman.   "The possibilities for this money are limitless – bound only by the creativity of the Conservancy, the desires of the community, the energy of the Army Corps, and rules and regulations about projects within a federal flood basin..”
 
Colonel Richard G. Thompson, District Commander, Los Angeles District, Corps of Engineers added, “The recreation facilities at Hansen Dam are a model for how cooperation between the federal and local governmental agencies should be accomplished. The Corps of Engineers partnership with local governmental agencies, like the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, allows the federal government to ‘plant the seeds’ for programs that the local governmental agencies can "nourish" to deliver the best value for the community.”

 

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