In my blog last Friday, I wrote about beach access issues, including Dare County?s efforts to get Democratic co-sponsors for HR 718 to overturn the consent decree under which the National Park Service has managed seashore beaches since April of 2008.
Walter Jones, R-N.C., introduced the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives last January.
As of last week, he had six co-sponsors, all Republicans. Politically, the bill must have Democratic co-sponsors to move forward in a Congress controlled by Democrats.
On Friday, Rep. G.K. Butterfield, who represents the First District in eastern North Carolina, became the first Democratic co-sponsor of the legislation.
Dare County officials, including Warren Judge, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, and Bobby Outten, the county manager, traveled to Washington last week to line up Democratic support for HR 718. They met with at least eight North Carolina Democratic representatives.
Now, the county needs a companion bill in the Senate.
North Carolina Republican Sen. Richard Burr has indicated his willingness to introduce legislation, but he needs the state?s Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan to co-sponsor.
County officials also met with Hagan last week.
Judge said Hagan was positive about supporting legislation to overturn the consent decree.
But will she?
The legislation still faces an uphill battle in Congress. Similar legislation last summer died in committees after the National Park Service said it did not support returning to the Interim Protected Species Management Plan.
The Democratic Party hosted a fund raiser at the Hatteras civic center last year Kay Hagen was there. She seemed geniunely concerned of our grievances over the beach driving issue, I can promise if she does not back this bill, she will not get many vote from this community.
From Preserve Beach Access
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Subject: Senator Richard Burr Reintroduces Legislation
Legislation has been filed in the Senate by Richard Burr to reinstate the Interim Management Strategy for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.
The bill, filed August 3, 2009, is known as S.1557. It reintroduces S.3113 from the previous session of Congress.
S.1557 would set aside the consent decree and reinstate the Interim Management Strategy which withstood a review under NEPA and was subject to the public process. The Interim Strategy restores reasonable access and provides protection for shorebirds and sea turtles.
S.1557 is the Senate version of H.R. 718 which was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives by Congressman Walter Jones.
Encourage your elected officials to co-sponsor and support S.1557 and H.R. 718. Sample letters are available on the Preserve Beach Access website at the following link: http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.preserveb..
Thank you Senator Burr for reintroducing S.1557.
[unquote]