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Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, America's tallest beacon, has suffered a severe setback in the efforts by the National Park Service to save the historic beacon from the approaching sea.
The United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations has stripped all funding for the move of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse from its budget. This was done by Ohio Congressman Ralph Regula, after Congressman Walter Jones asked him to put money in the budget to build a protective groin to save the lighthouse rather than approve money to move it. Since groins are prohibited by law on National Seashore property, and are also illegal under North Carolina State law, Congressmen Regula would not endorse funds for an illegal groin. Since Jones is from North Carolina, and did not want to spend money to move the lighthouse, Regula took all money for the lighthouse out of the budget.
Previously, Congressman Jones had supported the move of the lighthouse, but changed his mind at the urging of local constituents who were opposed to the move.
Things were a little different on the other side of Congress. There, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the funds to move the lighthouse and the full Senate is expected to confirm the committee's recommendation. This means that the matter will go before a joint Congressional Committee to be decided. Congressman Regula heads this committee.
What's really amazing here is that a small group of local people, with a lot of financial backing, have been able to come this far in their efforts to stop the move of the lighthouse, when everyone else thinks it should be moved.
Consider this . . .
Governor Hunt of North Carolina supports the move of Cape Hatteras Light to save it.
Senator Lauch Faircloth of North Carolina, where the lighthouse is, supports the move.
The National Academy of Sciences supports the move.
The Ad Hoc Committee of North Carolina State University, which is the team of architectural and environmental experts who prepared the most recent study, declared the lighthouse sound and ready to withstand the rigors of a move, have unanimously stated the lighthouse must be moved if it is to be saved.
Every lighthouse association in the United States supports the move.
Every environmental group contacted supports the move.
Nearly every newspaper in North Carolina has written editorials in support of the move of the lighthouse.
Since it was built with taxpayer money, the lighthouse belongs to the people of the United States of America and not to a few locals who want to keep it where it is for their own financial interests.
The committee will make its vote sometime in the next couple of weeks. We urge, you, our readers to write to Congressman Regula at 2309 Rayburn Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, and tell him you want Cape Hatteras Lighthouse moved to save it. This is most likely the last and final chance to save this lighthouse. We have been told by political experts that Congress is unlikely to bring this matter up again. Your voice can make a difference.
Only you can save this national maritime treasure for future generations.
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Write, fax or call
Congressman Ralph Regula
2309 Rayburn House Office Bldg
Washington, DC 29515
Phone: 202-225-3876 Fax: 202-225-3059
Tell him you support the moving of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to save it. Ask him to please appropriate the money to save this historic lighthouse from what will otherwise surely be destruction. Compare the loss of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to the possible loss of the Statue of Liberty or the Washington Monument. You can make the difference.
While it is vitally important to contact Congressman Regula, it is also important that you write your own member of the House of Representatives in Washington. The more people you write to, the better chance we have of saving Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
This story appeared in the
August 1998 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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