Bills offer outdoors changes

A few recent bills passed by state lawmakers and a federal one in the works hold promise for Tar Heel outdoors enthusiasts.

* In a sweeping run of bipartisan common sense, House Bill 2785 was introduced to allow the state to acquire from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the Cape Fear River.

You might remember the story we ran on June 19 titled "A rapid cure for Cape Fear." The subject was, essentially, how the construction of rock arch rapids (a type of fish ladder) would permit anadromous fish (those that live in salt water and spawn in fresh water) access to the best spawning sites behind Lock and Dam No. 3 near Fayetteville.

The bill, which passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly, allows for the state to take possession of the three locks and dams after the U.S. Corps of Engineers refurbishes them and builds the rock arc rapids necessary for the fish, which are striped bass, shad, and river herring, among others.

The state also would take possession of the land around the locks and dams, opening up the potential for much greater recreational boating access on a river otherwise underused by fish and fishermen.

* Boaters with bigger hulls might be able to cruise to the coast with a little less trepidation if House Bill 2167 becomes law. The bill passed both chambers by wide margins, but has faced a veto threat from Gov. Mike Easley.

Currently, permits are required for boat-trailer combinations more than 8 1/2 feet wide, and they cannot be towed on Sundays or holidays or at night. Take a look at the Friday and Sunday traffic on Interstate 40, U.S. 70 or U.S. 64. A lot of those boats used at the coast live inland during the week.

The ratified bill would require boat/trailer combos wider than 8 1/2 feet to have special lights if towed at night. Boats 10 or more feet wide would require permits and could not be hauled at night. Sunday and holiday towing would be legal.

* Surf anglers and others who enjoyed the freedom of beach access and beach driving at Cape Hatteras National Seashore will be eyeing U.S. Senate Bill S-3113, sponsored by Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr, and House Bill HR-6233 sponsored by Rep. Walter Jones, which would reinstate the Interim Management Strategy regarding off-road vehicle use that the National Park Service issued in June 2007. The federal legislation would undo a settlement that went into effect in May after legal action by the Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society.

If you have Google Earth, go to www.nps.gov/caha and click your way through the ORV links to see how restrictive the current situation is.

The original estimate was that 12 percent of the seashore would be closed for shore bird and turtle habitat. I hope there's a more equitable solution for birds, reptiles and people in the future.