Despite two telephone conversations and the benefit of my written Congressional testimony, Ben Evans still misconstrues the facts and confuses an OPA (Otherwise Protected Area) technical revision bill with a COBRA zone re-designation. In fact, the words “Otherwise Protected Area” or “OPA” appear nowhere in this article.
An OPA is “an undeveloped coastal barrier within the boundaries of an area established under Federal, State or local law, or held by a qualified organization, primarily for wildlife refuge, sanctuary, recreational, or natural resource conservation purposes.”
An Otherwise Protected Area must meet one of 7 qualifications: e.g., establishment by Presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act; held under deed restriction or conservation easement; or by the Federal, state or local government for conservation; or by an organization under IRS Code 170(h)(3) for wildlife refuge, sanctuary, recreational, or natural resource conservation purposes; or where the owner has established legal intent to place the land in conservation.
My home and property met none of these qualifications. It is in a 6.4 acre neighborhood of private homes and property that was misidentified as Grayton Beach State Park by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service when they created the FL-95P OPA map of Grayton Beach State Park.
This USFWS map also misidentified over 1000 acres of Grayton Beach State Park as private property, leaving it without the Federal protection Congress intended when it ordered USFWS to designate OPAs in 1990.
My bill corrected both inaccuracies.
Misdesignation of private property as OPA land throws American citizens into a nightmare limbo of private property without ownership or stewardship. These taxpayers are erroneously subjected to prohibitions on improvement or restoration of their homes from a catastrophe of *any cause*, and denied access to Federal funds, including bank loans and mortgages, pending a Congressional technical revision. And, as I explained to Mr. Evans, my property is located in Zone X on the FIRM maps, “the areas determined to be outside the 500-year flood-plain”, and therefore is fully eligible for federal flood insurance. The OPA misdesignation also caused cancellation of my coverage due to its prohibition on Federal funds.
In 1990 USFWS designated 274 OPA units nationwide. 37 have been revised by technical correction bills to exclude private property, whether within park boundaries or adjacent, and/or include overlooked conservation land. All were revised to make OPA boundaries coincide with the actual protected area boundaries they were meant to follow.
When Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, Chief, Division of Federal Program Activities, USFWS, DOI, testified before the House Resources Committee, on November 20, 2003 he stated,”The Service often agrees that changes to OPAs are appropriate because almost every one of the OPAs is mapped inaccurately.”
My bill was the 38th OPA technical revision. I thank God that Congress was willing to correct USFWS’ error, and looks to its own legislative intent — and not the Associated Press — for the facts.
Really Cynthia? You thank God? Well start thanking ME because I\’m the one who\’s going to be footing your big fat flood bill when the government can\’t!
I don\’t ask you to foot the bill if I suffer a loss…why should you ask me to pay yours? Huh? (and please, no garbage about I pay flood insurance and blah blah blah…you pay only a VERY VERY tiny fraction of what it actually costs to insure your \”middle class home\”).
I am so tired of the government wasting my money on people who can\’t see that building on the coast is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID…you want to risk it? YOU PAY FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps you should ask to have your map redone as well to a V zone and pay the proper premium for your COBRA/coastal home. Please, an X zone….no wonder you are thanking God, for the minimal premium you are paying.
Cynthia, Darn right you thank God. Nowhere in your ramblings does it indicate anything about NOT having taxpayers foot the bill (no pun intended)just so you can continue your lifestyle where you please. All you are doing is redirecting the attention away from the reality of the situation. You SHOULD be saying that the ones who play, pay!!!! Get over yourself!
Politicians are the reason things are so screwed up in the first place. They selfishly care only about themselves under the guise of taking care of their constituants.
The Republicans dont like the federal governement getting involved, especially if its a few dollars in food stamps for poor people. But when the Republican legislators get their chance, they get the govt involved to change the zones around to benefit rich land owners. What a Republican hypocracy! I wont stand for it!
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Despite two telephone conversations and the benefit of my written Congressional testimony, Ben Evans still misconstrues the facts and confuses an OPA (Otherwise Protected Area) technical revision bill with a COBRA zone re-designation. In fact, the words “Otherwise Protected Area” or “OPA” appear nowhere in this article.
An OPA is “an undeveloped coastal barrier within the boundaries of an area established under Federal, State or local law, or held by a qualified organization, primarily for wildlife refuge, sanctuary, recreational, or natural resource conservation purposes.”
An Otherwise Protected Area must meet one of 7 qualifications: e.g., establishment by Presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act; held under deed restriction or conservation easement; or by the Federal, state or local government for conservation; or by an organization under IRS Code 170(h)(3) for wildlife refuge, sanctuary, recreational, or natural resource conservation purposes; or where the owner has established legal intent to place the land in conservation.
My home and property met none of these qualifications. It is in a 6.4 acre neighborhood of private homes and property that was misidentified as Grayton Beach State Park by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service when they created the FL-95P OPA map of Grayton Beach State Park.
This USFWS map also misidentified over 1000 acres of Grayton Beach State Park as private property, leaving it without the Federal protection Congress intended when it ordered USFWS to designate OPAs in 1990.
My bill corrected both inaccuracies.
Misdesignation of private property as OPA land throws American citizens into a nightmare limbo of private property without ownership or stewardship. These taxpayers are erroneously subjected to prohibitions on improvement or restoration of their homes from a catastrophe of *any cause*, and denied access to Federal funds, including bank loans and mortgages, pending a Congressional technical revision. And, as I explained to Mr. Evans, my property is located in Zone X on the FIRM maps, “the areas determined to be outside the 500-year flood-plain”, and therefore is fully eligible for federal flood insurance. The OPA misdesignation also caused cancellation of my coverage due to its prohibition on Federal funds.
In 1990 USFWS designated 274 OPA units nationwide. 37 have been revised by technical correction bills to exclude private property, whether within park boundaries or adjacent, and/or include overlooked conservation land. All were revised to make OPA boundaries coincide with the actual protected area boundaries they were meant to follow.
When Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, Chief, Division of Federal Program Activities, USFWS, DOI, testified before the House Resources Committee, on November 20, 2003 he stated,”The Service often agrees that changes to OPAs are appropriate because almost every one of the OPAs is mapped inaccurately.”
My bill was the 38th OPA technical revision. I thank God that Congress was willing to correct USFWS’ error, and looks to its own legislative intent — and not the Associated Press — for the facts.
Cynthia T. Alexander
Grayton Beach, FL
Really Cynthia? You thank God? Well start thanking ME because I\’m the one who\’s going to be footing your big fat flood bill when the government can\’t!
I don\’t ask you to foot the bill if I suffer a loss…why should you ask me to pay yours? Huh? (and please, no garbage about I pay flood insurance and blah blah blah…you pay only a VERY VERY tiny fraction of what it actually costs to insure your \”middle class home\”).
I am so tired of the government wasting my money on people who can\’t see that building on the coast is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID…you want to risk it? YOU PAY FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps you should ask to have your map redone as well to a V zone and pay the proper premium for your COBRA/coastal home. Please, an X zone….no wonder you are thanking God, for the minimal premium you are paying.
Cynthia, Darn right you thank God. Nowhere in your ramblings does it indicate anything about NOT having taxpayers foot the bill (no pun intended)just so you can continue your lifestyle where you please. All you are doing is redirecting the attention away from the reality of the situation. You SHOULD be saying that the ones who play, pay!!!! Get over yourself!
Politicians are the reason things are so screwed up in the first place. They selfishly care only about themselves under the guise of taking care of their constituants.
The Republicans dont like the federal governement getting involved, especially if its a few dollars in food stamps for poor people. But when the Republican legislators get their chance, they get the govt involved to change the zones around to benefit rich land owners. What a Republican hypocracy! I wont stand for it!