Meeting with Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, MO; and Congressmen Robert Hurt and Morgan Griffith of VA.

Post date: Oct 27, 2011 5:02:20 PM

... This post is courtesy of Cheri Strenz from Claytor Lake ... Click on the attachment to hear Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler introduce The Land Owners Protection Act of 2011 to the US House on 24 October 2011.

Just a note to keep you in up to date regarding the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) issues.

The meeting yesterday in Washington was GREAT!!!! Bill Brush, from Smith Mountain Lake, did a wonderful job of putting the group together. Bob Strenz, Dave Dobyns, Laura Bullard & I attended from Claytor Lake. There were about 50 people who attended, most from Smith Mountain Lake, with 4 or 5 from Oklahoma. We all had an opportunity to talk to each other & compare notes on the respective Shoreline Management Plans. The consensus was that FERC is over-reaching & overstepping it's bounds by approving SMP's that superseding State & local laws.

During the day we were joined by Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (Missouri), Congressman Robert Hurt, & Congressman Morgan Griffith (Virginia). Each of them spent 30-35 minutes with us speaking about their positions on FERC's involvement in the "land management business". All three stated that an agency of the Federal government (FERC) or their licensees should NOT be in position to supersede state & local laws. They each had an extensive Q & A with us & were clear in their answers that they thought it was "ridiculous" that FERC should be involved in the size of our docks (this was not just directed at Claytor)!!!

Congresswoman Hartzler, along with several other Congressmen, including Congressman Hurt has presented a bill (H.R. 3244) that proposes to stop FERC from ordering the removal of existing non-conforming structures (except those built in "bad faith") from the project boundaries. Senators McCaskill & Blunt (Missouri) have proposed a similar bill in the Senate. There seems to be bi-partisan support in both houses for this effort. The next step is to craft legislation that will remove land management from FERC's hands.

This legislation was initiated by FERC's demand that the power company that operates the project at Lake of the Ozarks (a 55,000 acre, 1,150 mile shoreline, 75 year old lake in Central Missouri) that all non-conforming structures-4000 total, including homes, gazebos, and docks-be identified and "removed in a timely manner". Many of these homes, gazebos & docks, have been in existence for decades, & like here at Claytor Lake, have been passed down for generations.

I know many of you have not read the restrictions in Appalachian Power's SMP, but one of the most troubling of these is the non-conveyance of structures within the project boundaries with the transfer of property. They require the new property owner to apply for new permits. FERC has stated that it is their goal to bring all structures into compliance (they do not recognize "grandfathering").

Since the new regulations are SO much more restrictive, this puts us here at Claytor Lake in the same position as our distant friends at Lake of the Ozarks. WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN!!!!

If you would forward this information to neighbors & friends who have an interest in Claytor Lake, it will help.

Thank you for your interest in these issues.

Cheri Strenz