Mattie Lawson Presents Resolution to the Dare County Republican Party | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's note: This press release is from mattie Lawson, who stated, "I presented the attached resolution to the Dare County Republican Party this evening. It was approved for submittal to all our North Carolina elected representatives. Our freedoms being stripped away from us by our own government. Thankfully, there are some alert and brave enough to address it. A piece I don’t have is why this is coming up now instead of July 2010. Maybe it is because of the budget discussions. I will let you know when I learn more."

   Press Release:

Resolution to Join a Coalition Dedicated to Pausing Funding for Presidential Executive Order 13547 establishing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes

    This Executive Order adopts the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force and directs Federal agencies to take the appropriate steps to implement it
    On July 19th, 2010 President Obama signed an Executive Order to adopt the final recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. These policies will establish a top-down, Washington, D.C.-based approval process that will hinder rather than promote ocean activities and cost American jobs.

    As stated on the White House webpage http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/OPTF_FinalRecs.pdf, President Obama established the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force (Task Force) on June 12, 2009. The Task Force is composed of 24 senior-level officials from executive departments, agencies, and offices across the Federal government and led by the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The President charged the Task Force with developing recommendations to enhance our ability to maintain healthy, resilient, and sustainable ocean, coasts and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

    Whereas, as currently set forth, the National Ocean Policy has the potential to unnecessarily harm terrestrial and marine economic values by affecting sectors such as agriculture, commercial and recreational fishing, construction, manufacturing, marine commerce, mining, oil and gas and renewable energy, recreational boating, and waterborne transportation, among others. These sectors support tens of millions of jobs and contribute trillions of dollars annually to the local, state and U.S. economy.

    Whereas, uncertainty continues to abound as to the meaning of the policy, how it will be implemented, the role of states and stakeholder user groups, and its potential impact on the economy, budget, existing statutes and processes, and the authority of local, state and tribal officials. As the Administration has stated, the policy "may create a level of uncertainty and anxiety among those who rely on these resources and may generate questions about how they align with existing processes, authorities, and budget challenges." Chaos may ensue giving rise to the need for martial law or other emergency powers to contain.

    Whereas, in addition, the risk of unintended economic and societal consequences remains high in part due to the unprecedented geographic scale under which the policy is to be established. Concerns are further heightened because the policy has already been cited as justification in a federal decision restricting access to certain areas for commercial activity. Such concerns bring attention to United Nations Agenda 21 issues where international law takes unconstitutional precedence over the U.S. Constitution.

    Whereas, furthermore, justification for many aspects of the policy, including but not limited to the zoning component known as "Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning," has not been adequately established by true observable scientific data and information based on realities on the ground.

    Whereas, finally, during this time of constrained resources, it is also concerning to many in the regulated community that federal agencies have been "instructed to prioritize" the National Ocean Policy in their FY 2013 budgets, and asked how their "existing resources [can] be repurposed" in furtherance of this new initiative. Rather than expend federal funds to support new bureaucracies, procedures, and regulations that could lead to further uncertainty, restrictions, and delays, scarce taxpayer dollars should be allocated to existing entities and programs whose activities have already been authorized by Congress and are necessary for businesses and the economy to properly function.

    Whereas, international law does not legally take precedence over the U.S. Constitution; as well as the Constitutions of the individual states and where it is allowed to be implemented the authority is the U.S. Congress, not the U.S. President.

    Therefore, given these concerns, Congress is requested to pause in implementation of the National Ocean Policy, including through appropriation mechanisms. We ask that the Appropriations Committee include language in all FY 2013 appropriation bills prohibiting the use of funds to implement this National Ocean Policy. This pause would provide more time for oversight and examination of potential impacts, and help ensure an ocean policy that appropriately reflects the role that our oceans, coastal areas, and marine ecosystems play in our nation's economy, national security, culture, health, and well-being. An ocean policy that is designed to stimulate job creation and economic growth, while conserving the natural resources and marine habitat of our oceans and coastal regions, that is in line with the supreme law of the land, the U.S. Constitution, could be of great benefit to citizens at the local, state and national level.