(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

1. (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. (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. (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. (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. (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. (4) Identification of underused existing public open spaces and recommendations for providing better public use and enjoyment of these areas.