5th District Congressman Robert Hurt has introduced legislation he hopes will protect the rights of private landowners at Smith Mountain Lake.
He has dubbed the proposal the SHORE Act, short for Supporting Home Owner Rights Enforcement. The legislation would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider property ownership rights when issuing and enforcing licenses for hydroelectric projects like Smith Mountain Lake.
Earlier this year, residents of Gangplank Point objected when FERC ordered their homeowners association to remove boat docks from the condominium community. FERC said the docks didn't conform with the lake's shoreline management plan. In October the federal agency relented.
In a news release Wednesday afternoon, Hurt said, “Federal government regulations have rapidly expanded in reach in the past decade, and this is but one example of that expansion.” In a telephone interview, Hurt said he is optimistic about the legislation’s prospects and says he hopes to have bipartisan support, when it's taken up next year.
