Washington, DC- A congressional committee will discuss legislation introduced by Congressman Ron Paul to prevent some Matagorda county property owners from suffering a serious loss in value of their land. The hearing will take place before the Fisheries subcommittee of the House Committee on Resources.

Paul introduced HR 154 to correct an error in the application of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), which limits development of certain coastal properties. Due to a mapping error, the Matagorda Dunes area was mistakenly placed under CBRA restrictions. As a result, local property owners found themselves facing severe land-use restrictions imposed by both federal and state law. The financial and personal impact on Matagorda Dunes residents could be enormous unless the problem is addressed.

“I’m heartened that this issue has received attention from Chairmen Gilchrest and Pombo of the Resources committee,” Paul stated. “Land-use issues are very important in Texas, and too often decision are made by faraway federal bureaucrats who don’t understand local problems. My hope is that we can fix the Matagorda Dunes problem by the end the this session in Congress.”

Paul has been working with federal and local officials to craft legislation. Matagorda County Judge Greg Westmoreland has been instrumental in the process, and he is expected to join Congressman Paul in testifying before the committee. Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees CBRA, will also testify.

The hearing is scheduled for Thursday September 25 ^th at 10:00 AM in Washington.

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