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U.S. House Lifts Beach Driving Restrictions

A bill that would re-open parts of Cape Hatteras to vehicles has passed the U.S. House.

Gurnal Scott: The legislation includes North Carolina congressman Walter Jones' bill lifting restrictions on access. The Federal Lands and Water Projects Bill overturns National Park Service rules keeping off-road vehicle traffic from a large part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Congressman Jones says this bill will have a positive effect on one of the state's top tourist areas.

Rep. Walter Jones: It would re-open 26 miles of beach that are now permanently closed to vehicle access and give seashore mangers flexibility to implement more balanced measures that maximize both recreational access and species protection.

The Southern Environmental Law Center says Jones' is focused too much on tourism. Senior attorney Julie Youngman says protecting the habitat has always been her organization's top priority.

Julie Youngman: That's part of what the management plan does is set aside portions of the seashore to be vehicle-free areas. And that's for the benefit of pedestrians and for nesting and breeding wildlife.

The bill now moves over to the Senate. Youngman says she is aware that both Senator Richard Burr and Senator Kay Hagan are in support of lifting the Hatteras vehicle restrictions.

Gurnal Scott joined North Carolina Public Radio in March 2012 after several stops in radio and television. After graduating from the College of Charleston in his South Carolina hometown, he began his career in radio there. He started as a sports reporter at News/Talk Radio WTMA and won five Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 1997, Gurnal moved on to television as general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for WCSC-TV in Charleston. He anchored the market's top-rated weekend newscasts until leaving Charleston for Memphis, TN in 2002. Gurnal worked at WPTY-TV for two years before returning to his roots in radio. He joined the staff of Memphis' NewsRadio 600 WREC in 2004 eventually rising to News Director. In 2006, Raleigh news radio station WPTF came calling and he became the station's chief correspondent. Gurnal’s reporting has been honored by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the North Carolina Associated Press, and the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas.
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