Chron Outdoors Columnist Defends Open Beaches Act
In April, I commented on legislation being considered in Austin that could eventually set the precedent to gut the Texas Open Beaches Act.
Since then, the House bill was killed on a point of order, but the Senate bill keeps creeping along.
This week, Chronicle outdoors columnist Joe Doggett cranked up the pressure on legislators who are stealthily trying to gut the Open Beaches Act:
That sprawling natural pass that cuts lower West Galveston Island and Follett's Island (Freeport side) is one of the great natural fishing venues on the Texas coast; however, a bill in the Calendars Committee of the 79th Texas Legislature would threaten public access to a portion of that area.
Senate Bill 740, authored by State Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, and sponsored by State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, would allow the construction of a bulkhead along 4,500 feet of beach at the Treasure Island subdivision on the pass' Follett's Island side.
The companion HB 1603 was killed by a point of order on the House floor last week.
Protecting property sounds reasonable enough, but beachfront homes are built at risk, and the bill would establish a legal precedent exempting them from the provisions of the Texas Open Beaches Act.
It would move the public beach boundary from the vegetation line in the primary dunes to the Gulf side of the shore-protection structures placed to protect the subdivision. As a big issue, due to storm erosion in the area, the effective barrier must be situated below the tide line. In short, the entire beach backed by this bill becomes private, and public access is prohibited.
With respects to property owners facing encroachment by the Gulf, this bill is not in the best interests of the citizens of Texas — especially those who depend on open beaches as a vital source of recreation.
Thanks to Banjo for catching this one.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 05/21/05 23:55 | Texas | Technorati
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