New Jersey Congressman throws fishermen under the bus

[paulyfish]

New Jersey's marinas, tackle shops, charter boats and recreational fishing related infrastructure repairs will not be funded by the Sandy Bill currently in play if people dont speak up ASAP.

NJ's own Rep Frelinghuysen is proposing an amendment that would cut fishery disaster aid funding from $150M to $5M. The bill can be found at http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/...AmendHR152.pdf.
Below is a template letter for individuals or organizations to sign and fax urging that he supports funding at a minimum of the Senate proposal of $150M.
As a vote will likely occur this week, maybe this Tuesday, I recommend faxing your comments to his office - (202) 225-3186 or cut and paste the below and email him at
http://frelinghuysen.house.gov/index...sectiontree=10
Please follow up with a phone call. His tel is (202) 225-5034

Letter as follows:
Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen
2306 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-3011
(202) 225-5034

We urge you to support New Jersey’s recreational fishing industry by appropriating adequate federal fishery disaster aid to restore New Jersey’s recreational fisheries from the impacts of Hurricane Sandy.
New Jersey’s recreational fisheries and the coastal infrastructure that supports these fisheries are essential to our coastal economy, generating $1.4 billion in annual sales and supporting 8,500 jobs. Recreational fisheries were especially hard hit by Hurricane Sandy due to a record storm surge that devastated hundreds of New Jersey’s docks and marinas and severely damaged other fishery-related infrastructure that provided sources of access to the shore.
As a result, recreational fishing basically stopped in New Jersey for a two month period that routinely is very active due to the fall striped bass fishery. Virtually all of New Jersey’s 200 tackle shops lost their stores of fresh bait due to loss of power and clients. Hundreds of party and charter boats had no place to launch and no clients to take out to fish. Shore fishermen lost their piers, boardwalks and favorite beach access locations. As a result, many of the small businesses involved in the recreational fishery were left reeling and are now struggling to make it through the winter and rebuild before the start of the Spring fisheries. Without adequate fishery disaster aid, that will likely not happen.
Your Sandy appropriations amendment – H.R. 152 – as drafted, would only provide $5 million dollars toward federal fishery disaster aid for all states affected by Hurricane Sandy. This amount is woefully inadequate and fails to reflect the unprecedented non-insured economic damages to the recreational fishery, which according to some estimates exceeds $160 million for New Jersey alone. We urge you to provide at least the amount recommended in the Senate appropriations bill passed in December 2012.
As New Jersey’s Congressional representative, New Jersey’s recreational fishermen are counting on you, and the New Jersey Congressional delegation, to support us in our time of need. Don’t let us down.
Sincerely,
Capt.Paul Eidman
Anglers Conservation Network