# Press Release from Burr, Dole & Jones today 6/11



## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

U.S. Senator Richard Burr

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole

U.S. Representative Walter Jones

News Release

 For Immediate Release: June 11, 2008 Contact: Katie Hallaway (Dole), 202-224-2999
Chris Walker (Burr) 202-228-1616
Kathleen Joyce (Jones), 202-225-3415



Dole, Burr and Jones Introduce Legislation to
Allow Off-road Vehicle use on Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr and U.S. Rep. Walter Jones today introduced legislation in the Senate and House of Representatives that would reinstate the Interim Management Strategy governing off-road vehicle use on Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS). The reinstatement of the original Interim Management Strategy, issued by the National Park Service (NPS) on June 13, 2007, would set aside current mandates and requirements which were put in place in the wake of a consent decree filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, that prevent off-road vehicle and citizen access to a significant portion of this National Seashore.

“I share the concerns of many North Carolinians about the negative ramifications that severely restricting off-road vehicle use at CHNS will have on the local community and economy,” said Dole. “Beach users and members of the local community deserve to have their voices heard to ensure the development of a long-term plan that protects the natural habitat of the Seashore while maintaining its economic and recreational benefits.”

“As Ranking Member on the National Parks Subcommittee, I always try to make sure that North Carolinians have access to our state’s scenic treasures,” said Burr. “It is unfortunate that people are prevented from accessing Cape Hatteras at times because of the new restrictions. I am certain we can come to a compromise that allows people to have access while at the same time addressing any potential environmental concerns.”

“The consent decree has once again shown that managing the Seashore through the courts – without public input – is always a bad idea,” said Jones. “This bill would restore reasonable public access and would bring the public back into the process on a level playing field by reinstituting the Interim Management Strategy until the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee can produce a final rule.” 

If enacted, the National Park Service’s Interim Management Strategy will go into effect immediately and end upon the National Park Service establishing a long-term off-road vehicle management plan for the use of CHNS by the public. 

Background

In 1972, President Richard Nixon issued an Executive Order that required all federal parks, refuges and public lands that allow off-road vehicles access to develop and implement a detailed management plan to regulate and assess environmental impacts. CHNS never developed a management plan, and as a result, Cape Hatteras has been out of compliance for over three decades. 

In December 2005, the NPS developed a three-phase plan to begin the negotiation process and create regulations that would allow CHNS to meet compliance standards; however, on July 17, 2007 an injunction was filed by the Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society to prevent off-road vehicle use until a management plan is established and approved. A settlement negotiation process ensued, and on April 30, 2008, a federal judge approved a consent decree, proposed by the plaintiffs and agreed to by the parties involved in the case – the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Superintendent of Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The settlement, which went into effect on May 1, 2008, requires that all seashore ramps be closed to ORVs from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. through November 15, 2008, that buffers for nests and chicks are clearly defined and in some cases more restrictive, and that deliberate violations of the buffers will result in an expanded restricted area.


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

I saw this a few minutes ago. Great news! All the more reason to get more letters, phone calls, etc to your elected officials. Pester the crap out of them, and copy everything you send to the Park Service as well!


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Finally some good news for a change. Time to get the emails cranking again.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

gonna put a Sticky on this Kenny.

Deffinetly some good news for a change.

Guess JeepMike's wish did come true.


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## sudshunter (Jan 20, 2008)

what were those words made famous during 9/11 LETS ROLL!!!!!!


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## roadkillal (Feb 23, 2006)

Very good!


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

straight from the presses:

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/06/bill-congress-aims-ease-nc-beachdriving-strictures


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## Fish Hunter (Jul 31, 2002)

Time for me to call them and compliment them all on finally taking a stand. Cause I have surely bitched enough to the staffers about them straddling the fence.


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## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

Right On!!!


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

This shows letters to congressmen and women DO REALLY HELP!! 

Now PLEASE,if those of you that are from other states besides NC would be so kind as to jam your congressman or woman up with letters telling them to pass this measure!!


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## RoryGoggin (Jan 6, 2005)

As I said elsewhere, MY letter to MY Representatives & Senators are on their way!


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## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1*

A picture or a smile is worth a thousand words


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Frig'n HELL YEA!

That is great news.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

*Mr Jones,*

I noticed that he was The first to post in the front page of his web page.

WTG Sir!


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Posted the info on the Va board as well, hopefully we get lots of info out to all our states reps so they know how we feel!


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Oh yea. Senator Walter JOnes Email will not accept an email without a 3rd district Zip Code. I used Buxton's 27920.

there is also Morehead City's, 28557
Ocracoke 27960
Frisco 27936
Avon 27915
Nags Head 27959
Jacksonville nc 28544, 28546
Havelok 28532
New bern 28560
Youll have to use these to send him an email on his site.


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

I posted the same thing on RDT. This is a great first step. The next step is getting the bill out of each jurisdictional committee. Burr is the Ranking member on the Senate Subcommittee dealing with the bill, so he has some clout, but he has to get some dems from the same committee to sign on. Jones isn't on the committee of jurisdiction in the House, so you need bi-partisan co-sponsors there too.

IF YOU LIVE IN HEATH SHULER'S DISTRICT, GET ON THE PHONE! He is on the Natural Resources Committee in the House. Ask them to co-sponsor the bill. Also, after you email (and follow up with a call to your member), contact other members on the committees of jurisdiction. 

http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/
http://energy.senate.gov/public/

Without cosponsors on the committee or a very powerful voice in the majority, these bills will go right to the bottom of the stack and die. Take the next step!


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## hic-lock (Jun 27, 2001)

Very, very good news! 

Now, if I can get a break from this work load to start writing…


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## cocoflea (Aug 1, 2002)

This is very important it's not just fishermans access it's access for all so tell everyone who enjoys the beach to write/email their congressmen and senators


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

Didja see the spin already from the darkside? It's rich....:--|



> "This attack on the laws that safeguard our parks and seashores could set a dangerous precedent," Jason Rylander, attorney with Defenders of Wildlife, said in a prepared statement.
> 
> "Basing the management of Cape Hatteras on the desires of a handful of special interests would do a disservice not only to the wildlife and natural resources the seashore was created to protect, but also to thousands of visitors who travel to the seashore to enjoy those same resources each year."


....all the more reason to hammer your elected officials to pass this thang.

P.S. Time is running out, don't forget your critical habitat commnents too!!!


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

> "Basing the management of Cape Hatteras on the desires of a handful of special interests would do a disservice not only to the wildlife and natural resources the seashore was created to protect, but also to thousands of visitors who travel to the seashore to enjoy those same resources each year."



Pot calling the kettle black?


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*Here are some addies and info posted by Savfish on another forum..*

This is a post by Savfish that,imo,is something we all need to do in order to ensure this consent decree gets thrown in the trash where it belongs... Thanks for the addies,Phil...

Letter writing recommendation 


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My wife did a little checking and here’s what she learned:

As you know, bill S3113 (US Senate) is in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Bill HR6233 (US House of Representatives) is in the Committee on Natural Resources and the Judiciary Committee. For the committees to consider these bills, Senators Dole and Burr and Congressman Jones have to ask the committee in writing to do so. I’m not sure if this first step has happened or not but let them know that we support them in making this happen. 

If the committee members decide to review the proposed legislation, they have the job of deciding which bills make it out of committee and to come up for a vote in the House and/or Senate. Some bills get stuck in committee forever so it’s important to act. We’ll need support from all over the country. 

It was suggested to write the committees in both the Senate and the House. I was told that it’s better to write a general letter to the whole committee than a letter to an individual. The example given is that a letter to the Arizona committee member from a NC resident will often get passed back to Senators Dole and Burr because they’re NC Senators. Not sure if that’s true or not. Anyway, here’s the address I was given:

For S3113
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
304 Dirksen Bldg
Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

For HR6233
Committee on Natural Resources
1324 Longworth Bldg
Washington DC 20515

Also there’s a website: energy.senate.gov 
I was told it is MUCH MORE POWERFUL TO SEND A PAPER LETTER than an email as they actually count/track them.


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

yes, as I understand it, paper letters do weigh more(pun intended). I believe the thought process is...."well, someone took the time write, address, and stamp an envelop.." So, if you've sent an email, print that puppy out and send it snail mail too!


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

Dr. Bubba,

Snail mail is extra slow. All snail mail is sent to a testing facility in Kansas... a security measure after the post 911 anthrax scare on Capitol Hill. It is not effective when you are facing a time crunch, and with election season coming up, there isn't much time to get this bill moving. If it doesn't have action by October, then you will have to start over in Feb. 2009.

October seems like a long ways off, but trust me, it isn't. Send a email AND FOLLOW UP WITH A PHONE CALL. Ask for the staffer who deals with Natural Resources/National Parks issues.

Emailing form letters and snail mail isn't going to cut it. The first step has been taken in a long long process. Are we willing to take the next step?


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

good point, French. I forgot about the Kansas thing. This is time sensitive, and maybe as a two line bill it might even get attention before august recess.???

I read on Rob's board that faxes work well too. Someone's gotta load the fax paper on the other end....

also, the importance of getting bipartisan support on this is key to it getting out of committee and to floor votes. Whatever state you live in, this effort could use your help!

vote early and often...


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

French said:


> Dr. Bubba,
> 
> Snail mail is extra slow. All snail mail is sent to a testing facility in Kansas... a security measure after the post 911 anthrax scare on Capitol Hill. It is not effective when you are facing a time crunch, and with election season coming up, there isn't much time to get this bill moving. If it doesn't have action by October, then you will have to start over in Feb. 2009.
> 
> ...



This is a statement from an OBPA member on my forum about this:

It is always a good idea to let your elected representatives know what you want and that you keep track of and appreciate their efforts to support you. 

One page-hand written letters ARE the best way to communicate to Senators and Congressman, and they ARE read and usually answered. BUT, in this day and age of anthrax scares a letter takes weeks to a month to be delivered. Go ahead and write that letter, BUT FAX A COPY DIRECTLY TO THE LEGISLATOR's DC OFFICE. 

You can look up the FAX number, the address and phone #, and all about those Senators and Congressmen, as well as the Committee memberships and contact points, at this website just by entering your ZIP Code : 

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/


Use the FAX route and your letter message goes directly to the recipient in minutes. 

Emails are just counted for or against something, and are usually only seen by some junior clerk. 

Writing to a Committee Chairman or Member about a Bill in his Committee is good, but more important yet is to write to YOUR two Senators and YOUR Congressman and ask them to CO-SPONSOR and SUPPORT the two bills, HR6233 in the House, and S3113 in the Senate. 

Lining up Majority Party Co-Sponsors NOW for these Bills is important because the originators are all from the Minority Party, and without Bi-Partisan Support it is real easy for the (Majority) Committee Chair or the (Majority) leadership to bury the Bill in Committee, or if it gets reported out, to kill it on the Floor. 

Get going TODAY !


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

faxes work too. As a government relations person (and a former advocacy educator) I always encourage a simple email stating your name, address, and contact info and asking to support/vote for/ and in this case cosponsor a bill. Say in the letter you will call to follow up. Then when you call, ask for the staffer who deals with NPS issues. If you get the staffers ear, that is 100 times more important than talking to the actuall representative.

I can tell you a trick for getting the staffers email on the House side. Call, ask for the name of the staffer who deals with NPS. Ask for the spelling too, then ask to be transfered. 90% of the time you get voice mail, but if you get the right spelling of the name, you have their email. For instance, if the staffers name is "Jonathan French" the email will be 
[email protected]

Direct email with the staffer is a big plus over the web form, because the web form takes time to be sorted. The staff email goes right to the person that needs to see it. Stay on them like white on rice. If they get 25-30 calls a day from different folks, they will act. The North Carolina folks like Dole and Jones have done about all they can do at this point besides pressure friends and party folks to jump on.

Again, calling is hard to do... but it is more effective, takes less time, and lets the folks know on the Hill that real people have concerns rather than a small organization spamming them to death with form letters.


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