As part of his longtime leadership of working with his Lake of the Ozarks communities fighting the potentially serious impacts of a Shoreline Management Plan proposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Lake-area native U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) is backing legislation prohibiting the federal agency from potentially removing existing structures from the lake shoreline.

The proposed Landowner Protection Act of 2011 is expected to be introduced next week in the House of Representatives and would prohibit the removal of residents and structures under a Shoreline Management Plan unless structures are knowingly built in restricted areas.

“This legislation is critical to our shoreline communities. As it stands today, this proposal is unnecessarily vague and in turn has caused serious concerns among Lake-area folks who at the very least deserve some clarity on this issue,” Luetkemeyer said. “FERC should review their plan and examine the unintended consequences that could result, whether they are intentional or not. My goal from day one has been to get this situation resolved to ensure that our property owners are protected.”

In a September 21 letter to FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, Luetkemeyer and members of the Missouri and Illinois delegations raised concerns that Ameren Missouri, which is responsible for the Shoreline Management Plan, would not be given sufficient time to review and complete registration of certain buildings within the project boundary. The project boundary includes 1,200 homes and 2,800 other structures along 1,100 miles of shoreline.  Luetkemeyer said the deadline to complete the review should be extended beyond the current deadline of May 2012 to accommodate both Ameren and property owners at the Lake of the Ozarks.

In early October, FERC acknowledged those concerns and said local communities will be given due consideration when the agency takes another look at the Shoreline Management Plan. The Landowner Protection Act of 2011 is being introduced by U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-4). A similar bill has been proposed in the U.S. Senate.

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