Hon. George Murphy, a U.S. Senator from the State of California--- James A. Moe, California director of public works. Charles Samson, California State Disaster Office.. James G. Stearns, Resources Agency, Department of Conservation, State A. P. Stokes, road commissioner, Ventura County; accompanied by John Edwin P. Benedict, assistant chief deputy road commissioner, Los Angeles Raymond T. Seeley, chairman, Riverside County Board of Supervisors.. Ruben S. Ayala, chairman, board of supervisors, San Bernardino County, Elston L. Kidwell, chairman, board of supervisors, and Robert H. Born, Fred J. Russell, Deputy Director, accompanied by Charles Kendall, General Counsel, and Gordon Gillis, congressional liaison... Jack Frost, Director, Emergency Loans, Farmers Home Administration; accompanied by Howard Campbell, Assistant General Counsel, Depart- ment of Agriculture.... M. M. Nelson, Deputy Chief, Forest Service; accompanied by Sidney Weitzman, Director, Division of Flood Prevention and River Basin Programs (Surveys Division), Forest Service; and Reynolds Florance, Director, Division of Legislative Reporting and Liaison. Martin F. Maloney, Deputy Director for Engineering, Bureau of Public Roads, Federal Highway Administration; accompanied by Richard S. Salzman, Assistant Chief Counsel, Federal Highway Administration_- Howard Rogerson, Deputy Associate Administrator, Financial Assistance; accompanied by Clarence Cowles, Director, Disaster Loans.. ADDITIONAL DATA SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD Chronology of Governor's proclamation for storm damage from 1969 Cranston, Hon. Alan, a U.S. Senator from the State of California, letter Highways and forest roads storm damage in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, report- - - Memorandum-Damage to State park facilities-Storms of January-March 1969__ ADDITIONAL DATA SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD-Continued Page Overall public-private damage estimates, report_ 36 Pettis, Hon. Jerry L., a U.S. Representative from the State of California, statement.. 81 Reagan, Hon. Ronald, Governor, State of California: Letters to Report on flood damage, January 17-March 5, 1969, Riverside County, 76 Turner, Frank C., Director, Bureau of Public Roads, letter to Governor 117 CALIFORNIA DISASTER RELIEF ACT OF 1969 TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1969 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON ROADS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 4200, New Senate Office Building, Senator B. Everett Jordan (Chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senators Jordan (presiding) and Randolph. Also present: Richard B. Royce, chief clerk and staff director; Barry Meyer, counsel; and Bailey Guard, assistant chief clerk (minority). Senator JORDAN. The subcommittee will please come to order. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today we begin hearings on S. 993, the California disaster relief bill. This bill is designed to assist the people and the State of California to recover from the destruction which followed the very heavy rains of this winter. We shall hear from a number of State and county officials who will give us a better understanding of the problems which have arisen as a result of the flooding which has occurred. We also shall hear from the Federal agencies which have responsibility for rendering assistance in times of emergency and will listen to their recommendations with regard to what should be done. It is quite possible that the committee, in view of the impending flooding which may result from the thawing of the very heavy snows in the Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast, will want to consider expanding the scope of these hearings to discuss improving the Federal disaster assistance programs. That would eliminate the necessity for holding hearings on each disaster individually and avoid delaying relief until long after the disaster has occurred, as is the situation in this instance. Before we hear our first witness I would like to include in the record a copy of S. 993 along with views from several agencies. (The exhibits are as follows:) 91ST CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 993 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 7, 1969 Mr. MURPHY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Public Works A BILL To provide assistance to the State of California for the reconstruction of areas damaged by recent storms, floods, landslides, and high waters. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That Congress hereby recognizes (1) that the State of 4 California has experienced extensive property loss and dam 5 age as a result of storms, floods, landslides, and high waters 6 during December 1968 and January and February 1969, 7 (2) that much of the affected area is federally owned and 8 administered, and (3) that the livelihood of the people in 9 the area is dependent upon prompt restoration and recon10 struction of transportation facilities and public works proj 2 1 2 ects, and therefore Congress declares the need for special measures designed to aid and accelerate this State in its 3 efforts to provide for the reconstruction and rehabilitation 4 of these devastated areas. 5 6 7 SEC. 2. There is authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, an amount not exceeding $15,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1969, and not to exceed $15,000,000 for 9 the fiscal year ending June 30, 1970, for allocation to the 10 State of California by the President, for the temporary and 11 12 13 permanent repair and reconstruction of highway facilities not on any of the Federal-aid systems and for which no emergency funds are available under any existing provision 14 of Federal law. 15 16 17 18 19 20 SEC. 3. (a) Notwithstanding provisions of existing con tracts, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, separately, and as part of the regular road and trail construction program, shall reimburse timber sale con tractors or otherwise arrange to bear road and trail con struction and restoration costs either directly or in coopera 21 tion with timber purchasers to the extent of costs deter 22 23 24 ន mined by the respective Secretary as incurred or to be in curred for restoring roads in any stage of construction au thorized by a contract for the purchase of timber from lands under his jurisdiction to substantially the same condition as |