Jones bill to overturn Park Service ORV plan will get a floor vote in U.S. House

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last February by Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., will get a floor vote tomorrow.

The bill seeks to overturn both the National Park Service’s final rule for off-road vehicles on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and a court-approved consent decree that settled a lawsuit filed against the Park Service by environmental groups.

The Preserving Access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act would return management of seashore resources to the Interim Protected Species Management Strategy and Environmental Assessment, issued by the Park Service on June 13, 2007.

It was introduced as HR 819 and voted favorably out of the House Committee on Natural Resources on May 15.  The vote was 24-17 with all Republicans in favor of the markup, and all Democrats opposed.

HR 819 has been packaged with other bills and will come to the House floor as HR 2954.

According to Jones’ office, the vote is expected between noon and 1 p.m., just before the House recesses for the weekend. You can watch it live online at http://www.house.gov/.

HR 2954 is expected to pass the Republican-controlled House.

A companion bill, introduced by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., along with Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., has an uphill battle in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

The bill was debated and amended last year by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and was favorably reported out of that committee on a unanimous voice vote last June.

It has not yet been brought to the Senate floor for a vote.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Click here to read HR 2954.
Click here to read the amended version of S 486.