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(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Oviedo) was able to secure $1.4 million in funding for Seminole Rest, part of the Canaveral National Seashore located on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, Seminole Rest consists of Native American shell mound and two historic houses, reflecting periodic occupation for centuries.
Feeney said he was pleased the project was finally completed: "The local community and the National Park Service have been working for the past several years to develop Seminole Rest in a manner which preserves its rich heritage while making this valuable economic and cultural asset available to visitors, residents, and students to enjoy."
This money will help complete Phase 2 of the program. Phase 1 was the planning and development stage. Phase 2 includes construction and final rehabilitation of the houses. Without this critical funding, the original designs would have been wasted as weather conditions have been constantly deteriorating the condition of the houses.
Feeney also got $1 million in federal money for the Army Corps of Engineers General Construction Fund to allow for the extension of the South Jetty of the Ponce de Leon Inlet in Volusia County, Florida.
"I am pleased to report this appropriation which will help create a safer boating environment and allow our citizens better access to the Ocean that many in our district depend on for their livelihoods."
The Inlet, located on the Atlantic Coast south of Daytona Beach, is the only access point to the Atlantic Ocean for recreational and commercial boaters in the region. Unfortunately, due to shifting currents, the Inlet is extremely dangerous and at times this makes navigation difficult, if not impossible. From 1981 to 1995, the instability of the inlet resulted in 496 vessel groundings, 147 capsized vessels and 20 lost lives, not to mention the minor environmental spills and damage to wetlands and marine life.
"I am very pleased that the Congress has granted the money to help secure these two great national treasures here in Florida - the people of Florida are the real winners today," Feeney concluded. |