[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 140 (Tuesday, September 20, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING MR. CLAUDE DOUTHIT FOR HIS LIFETIME DEDICATION TO THE NORTH 
                         SHORE ROAD SETTLEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HEATH SHULER

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 20, 2011

  Mr. SHULER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Claude Douthit for 
a life dedicated to helping others in Western North Carolina.
  Mr. Claude Douthit, a native of Swain County in Western North 
Carolina, has dedicated hard work and countless hours into the North 
Shore Settlement. When the federal government purchased 44,000 acres of 
North Carolina mountain land and built Fontana Dam on the Little 
Tennessee River to generate hydroelectric power for the war effort, Mr. 
Douthit, a Tennessee Valley Authority employee, initially favored the 
building of the road.
  The rising waters of Fontana Lake flooded several small communities, 
forcing more than 200 families out of their homes expecting the 
government to follow through on its wartime pledge to build a road they 
could use to reach abandoned home sites and family cemeteries.
  Instead, the government delayed, and thirty years later, only 6.2 
miles of pavement and a short tunnel had been built at the eastern tip 
of Fontana Lake. Convinced that the road would never be finished, Mr. 
Douthit began working for an alternate solution, a cash settlement for 
Swain County. In 2000 Mr. Douthit and his wife Jean Douthit helped to 
organize a group called Citizens for the Economic Future of Swain 
County, gathering support from a broad coalition of conservationists, 
parks enthusiasts, environmentalists, public officials, and private 
organizations.
  Mr. Douthit was determined to get a settlement for the county and 
through his hard work and that of the Citizens for the Economic Future 
of Swain County, an agreement was finally reached in 2010, with the 
government agreeing to pay $52 million to the county. This settlement 
agreement will guarantee that Swain County has the resources it needs 
to thrive and grow for decades to come.
  It is an honor to represent selfless, hardworking citizens like Mr. 
Claude Douthit. His devotion to his community is a great source of 
pride to me and to Western North Carolina. I ask my colleagues to join 
me today in recognizing Mr. Claude Douthit for his lasting impact on 
Swain County.

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