Today I received a letter from Representative Todd Platts of the 19th District, after I submitted a petition found here
http://www.gopetition.com/online/18790.html The more people that submit this petition the better. Our congress men/women need to know our position on this issue. If you have never driven on the OBX beaches it is a great time and definitely worth saving the ability to do so.
Chris
**Update**
Below is the response from Representative Robert P. Casey, pertaining to the online petition that I submitted to him.
Dear Mr. Kraft:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding S. 3113, a bill to address off-road vehicle and public access rights at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) in North Carolina. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about the issues that matter most to them.
Senator Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina introduced S. 3113 on June 11, 2008. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and National Resources, of which I am not a member. This legislation would reinstate a so-called "Interim Management Strategy" for CHNS which, among other things, would establish regulations for off-road vehicle and public access along the Seashore.
Current law requires all federal parks that allow off-road vehicle access to develop and implement a management plan governing their use. CHNS never developed such a plan, and, as a result, has been out of compliance for decades. In July 2007, groups concerned about this situation successfully sought an injunction in U.S. District Court, causing certain lands along the Seashore to be closed to public access pending a final Court ruling. On April 30, 2008, these groups reached a settlement, known as a consent decree, that appears to balance the interests of those who wish to use off-road vehicles at CHNS, and those who are concerned about the impact these vehicles may have on local plant life and wildlife populations. While the consent decree has since allowed for these lands to be reopened, S. 3113 would reject this compromise, reinstate the interim management strategy and provide for a final regulation governing off-road vehicle use to be determined through the standard Department of Interior rulemaking process.
You may be interested to know that the Energy Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 3113 on July 30, 2008. Should the Committee decide to approve this legislation and send it to the full Senate for consideration, please be assured that I will keep your views in mind.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.
If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my website,
http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issue that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator
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