Senator Charles W. Albertson
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 525
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

Senator Daniel G. Clodfelter
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 408
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

Subject: Senate Bill 1046

Dear Senators,

We understand you are Co-Chair of the Environmental Review Commission. SB1046 requires the Commission to study impacts of a new Federal license for the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project, and we are writing you to express our concern about this matter.

Actions by the State of North Carolina, including SB1046, have caused delays in the relicensing process for the Yadkin Lakes. The High Rock Lake Association (HRLA), together with many State and Federal Agencies, is a signatory to the Relicensing Settlement Agreement (RSA) that was submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2007. The RSA was the result of a four year study process in which all interested stakeholders were invited to participate. The HRLA, along with NCDENR, NCWRC, South Carolina agencies, and many other stakeholders spent thousands of hours working thru all identified issues and negotiating a settlement.

The license application now pending before FERC, which incorporates the RSA, provides a broad spectrum of environmental, recreational, and economic improvements and benefits to the citizens of North Carolina. This License was scheduled to be issued in April 2008; but has been delayed by actions of the State. The delay is causing a loss of benefits offered by the proposed new license, and was a contributing factor in low lake levels this summer.

Despite all the objections to the RSA raised by special interests in Stanly County, the HRLA finds nothing of substance has been introduced that should cause any change to our position. The Federal Energy Commission has repeatedly taken a position that issues related to the Badin Works beyond the boundaries of the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project are outside the realm of the FERC License. The other issues were thoroughly vetted throughout the relicensing process that began in 2003.

Since the Environmental Review Commission will now play a part in this process, we ask that the HRLA be included in any hearings, work sessions, or discovery that will be a part of the Commission’s study. The HRLA represents a large percentage of property owners around High Rock, and we want to be sure to have a voice in the final work product of the Commission.

Thank you for your consideration.

Cordially,

Larry O. Jones
President
High Rock Lake Association Inc.