This Also From Tim Today: Lighthouse Scandal! Your help needed again to save the Curritick Lighthouse
The scandalous activity surrounding the ownership of North Carolina’s Currituck Lighthouse continues to get more and more bizarre with the passing of each day.
The Outer Banks Conservationists (OBC) who have managed the lighthouse for years and spent millions of dollars in restoration applied for ownership of the lighthouse under the National Lighthouse Preservation Act. So did the local county government.
The OBC was awarded ownership under that decision.
The County appealed.
The matter was turned over to Assistant Secretary of the Interior Craig Manson who has on several occasions promised a decision in the required time allowed by law. At first he wanted OBC and the county to try to work out a compromise. The county government refused.
In the meantime Congressman Walter Jones tried to stop the due process of law by introducing (buried deep in other legislation) a bill to transfer ownership of the lighthouse to the county government who he supports. With your help, we were able to stop that.
Then Mr. Manson wanted the county and OBC to reapply for joint ownership. OBC refused, saying as long as they won the process under law they should be given ownership. Plus, if they were going to apply for joint ownership, they would have done so with the state government, which supports them, and not the county government, which does not support them.
Finally, Mr. Manson said he had reached his decision and would announce it, but only after he had a private meeting with Congressman Walter Jones.
Now, the Council on Environmental Quality, a White House Agency, has entered the picture. Just who asked them to enter the picture is unknown. Supposedly they want to negotiate a compromise.
The 45-day time limit for the appeal by the county government expired in mid June.
While all this is going on Mr. Manson says he may decide to put the lighthouse up for sale to the highest bidder.
The facts are clear. The Congress of the United States passed the National Historic Preservation Act to allow for a fair process for non-profits to have equal footing with other government agencies when applying for ownership of a lighthouse. OBC won that process fair and square.
Yet one Congressman and a few county government officials soliciting the support of non-elected federal employees are attempting to circumvent the law passed by the Congress of the United States of America. Apparently they figure that non-profit preservation groups and the lighthouse community will not have the willpower or enough money and will eventually give up the fight.
If one Congressman and the Department of the Interior do not follow the law, how can they expect citizens to follow the law?
Up until now, the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act has worked. In fact, Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton attended some of the Transfer of Ownership ceremonies and did a whirl wind TV tour touting how well the program works. Where is she now? Why isn’t she on TV now demanding that the law that worked so well for other lighthouses is now being jeopardized because of politics? The answer was just given --- politics. And politics should not play a role in circumventing the law.
Quite frankly, we believe it’s time that the Federal Office of Ethics investigates this whole matter. Congress should also open up hearings on this scandal. The Attorney General of the United States should also find out why some government officials are attempting to circumvent a Federal Law for their own political gain.
WE MUST STOP THE ATTEMPTED THEFT OF CURRITUCK LIGHTHOUSE!
We must not allow the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act to be circumvented.
We must not allow the Currituck Beach Lighthouse to be sold to the highest bidder.
If the law is not followed, every lighthouse in the nation that is in the process of being excessed will be in jeopardy and the law passed by Congress will be worthless.
We must bombard the following two people with phone calls and emails today – before the holiday weekend and tell them as concerned citizens and lighthouse preservationists
Currituck Lighthouse must be awarded to the Outer Banks Conservationists. And that you believe any other decision at this point would not be in the best interest of the historic Currituck Lighthouse and would jeopardize the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, which could cause other lighthouses to fall into the wrong hands.
Assistant Secretary Craig Manson
Ph # 202-208-5347
Fax # 202-208-4684
E-Mail – Craig_Manson@ios.doi.gov
Jim Connaughton
Chair Person
Council for Environmental Quality
Ph # 202-456-6224
Fax # 202-456-6546
No published E-mail
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AMERICAN LIGHTHOUSE FOUNDATION
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www.lighthousefoundation.org -------------------------------
Judy