[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 164 (Thursday, November 18, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12844-H12845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DIRECTING SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO MAKE CORRECTIONS TO MAP RELATING 
                  TO COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES SYSTEM

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Resources be discharged from further consideration of the Senate 
bill (S. 574) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make 
corrections to a map relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System, 
and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to 
object, I do so for the purpose of asking the gentleman from New Jersey 
to explain his unanimous consent request.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton).
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, S. 574 is a second correction to the Coastal 
Barrier Resources System. In this case, the proposed change is to a 
unit affecting the Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware.
  This modification will remove approximately 32 acres of this 
privately

[[Page H12845]]

owned land that lies outside of the State park. This property was 
incorrectly incorporated within the unit, and it is appropriate to 
properly adjust the boundaries of DE-03P. Furthermore, this legislation 
adds approximately 245 acres of State park land that was inadvertently 
left out of the otherwise protected area in 1990. Therefore, the net 
effect of these boundary adjustments is to add some 213 acres to the 
Coastal Barrier Resources System.
  Mr. Speaker, the House version of this legislation was the subject of 
a subcommittee hearing. It was carefully considered by the full 
Committee on Resources. It was adopted by the House of Representatives 
with the passage of H.R. 1431.
  In addition, the other body unanimously adopted S. 574 as introduced 
by Senator Biden of Delaware on April 22. During our hearing, the 
administrative witnesses testified that the ``modification of the 
boundary constitutes a valid technical correction that conforms to the 
boundaries of the OPA to the boundaries of the State park, which the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department supports.''
  Mr. Speaker, I urge an aye vote.
  (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to 
revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, further reserving my 
right to object, this bill has been thoroughly reviewed by the 
Committee on Resources. The technical corrections contained in this 
bill are legitimate, non-controversial, and supported by the 
Administration.

  I am especially pleased that this legislation would add an additional 
213 acres of land within Cape Henlopen State Park to the Coastal 
Barrier Resource System. I support this bill and I urge an ``aye'' 
vote.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 574, a bill 
to correct the boundary of the Coastal Barrier Resources System Map in 
Lewes, Delaware.
  Back in 1990, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was drawing the 
boundary for this map, the service inadvertently included the Cape 
Shores Development and the Barcroft Corporation in the system. The Fish 
and Wildlife Service had intended to follow the boundary of Cape 
Henlopen State Park, but followed the wrong line on the map. As a 
result, this has made it difficult for Barcroft and the homeowners in 
Cape Shores to obtain affordable flood insurance.
  This summer, the House passed an identical bill introduced to correct 
this problem as a subtitle to H.R. 1431, a comprehensive bill to 
reauthorize the Coast Barrier Resources Act. Due to time constraints, 
the Senate was not able to pass its own comprehensive reauthorization 
bill.
  Therefore, in order to expedite the legislative process and make sure 
Barcroft Corporation and the residents of Cape Shores can obtain 
affordable flood insurance before winter storms strike Delaware, it is 
essential that we pass this legislation before the session ends.
  I want to thank the Resources Committee Chairman, Don Young; the 
Resources Fisheries Subcommittee Chairman, Jim Saxton; and their staff 
for their tremendous efforts on this bill. The citizens of Delaware 
truly appreciate your assistance not just because it provides relief 
for Barcroft and Cape Shores, but also because it extends the 
protection of the Coastal Barrier Resources System to 245 additional 
acres in Cape Henlopen State Park.
  I commend your work and urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my 
reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                 S. 574

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CORRECTIONS TO MAP.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
     make such corrections to the map described in subsection (b) 
     as are necessary to move on that map the boundary of the 
     otherwise protected area (as defined in section 12 of the 
     Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 3503 note; 
     Public Law 101-591)) to the Cape Henlopen State Park boundary 
     to the extent necessary--
       (1) to exclude from the otherwise protected area the 
     adjacent property leased, as of the date of enactment of this 
     Act, by the Barcroft Company and Cape Shores Associates 
     (which are privately held corporations under the law of the 
     State of Delaware); and
       (2) to include in the otherwise protected area the 
     northwestern corner of Cape Henlopen State Park seaward of 
     the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal.
       (b) Map Described.--The map described in this subsection is 
     the map that is included in a set of maps entitled ``Coastal 
     Barrier Resources System'', dated October 24, 1990, as 
     revised October 15, 1992, and that relates to the unit of the 
     Coastal Barrier Resources System entitled ``Cape Henlopen 
     Unit DE-03P''.

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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