Bills have been filed in the North Carolina General Assembly to recognize the osprey as the “official state raptor” and the loggerhead sea turtle as the “official state saltwater reptile.”
These bills are vitally important to the culture and heritage of coastal communities and deserve our support.
The osprey bill – H.B.
513 – was filed March 28, by Rep. Celeste Cairns, R-Emerald Isle.
Ospreys are diurnal birds of prey that hunt during daylight hours when they use their keen eyesight to focus on locating fish just below the surface of the water. Their menu includes about 80 different species of saltwater and freshwater fish.
Ospreys are known as
“fishermen of the seas.” Ospreys are fun to watch, as they plunge into water
feet first, swooping down at a speed of 30 miles per hour or greater to grasp
fish with their specially equipped talons.
Rep. Cairns views the osprey as the perfect choice as the state raptor, because “the resiliency of the osprey reflects the spirit of the ‘Tar Heel nature’ of the people of the State of North Carolina.”
Joining her as major sponsors of the bill are: Reps. Frank Iler, R-Shallotte; Carson Smith, R-Hampstead; and Phil Shepard, R-Jacksonville. An additional 11 representatives have signed on as co-sponsors.
Sen. Frank Iler
introduced the loggerhead turtle bill – H.B. 536 – March 29.
He asserts that “loggerhead sea turtle is the most common sea turtle found along the coast of North Carolina. They can live up to 50 years, growing to more than three feet in length and weighing more than 250 pounds.”
“Female loggerhead sea turtles dig hundreds of nests on the beaches of North Carolina each year. A female loggerhead sea turtle can lay 100 or more eggs. with hatchlings appearing in about 60 days.”
Jean Beasley, the former
executive director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation
Center in Surf City said: “Giving the loggerhead a position of honor can raise
awareness about threats to the species. In protecting sea turtles, we also make
the world a better place for all creatures and ourselves.”
Sen. Carson Smith is a major sponsor of the loggerhead turtle bill, and nine more representatives are listed as bill co-sponsors.
Both “coastal critter” bills have been referred to the House Committee on State Government. Its chair is Rep. Harry Warren, R-Salisbury. Of the 10 members, only Rep. Bill Ward, R-Elizabeth City, represents coastal North Carolina.
Show you support by contacting these legislators and asking them to vote for the osprey and the loggerhead turtle bills. (Access the committee roster on the General Assembly website. Go to www.ncleg.com.)
Only 19 bills are on the committee’s docket, so the osprey and loggerhead turtle bills shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle. Yet, the legislative clock is ticking. The bills need to be approved on the floor by the House of Representatives by May 4, the “crossover deadline.”
To warrant further consideration, a bill must gain approval from either the House or the Senate by this date.
On the plus side, most legislators are familiar with ospreys and loggerhead turtles, because of previous efforts to get them designated as “official state critters.”
In 2020, an osprey bill soared through the House, passing 111-0, only to be stalled in the Senate, a victim of the COVID-19 shutdown of legislative business that year. In 2021, a loggerhead turtle bill passed unanimously in the House but fizzled out in the Senate.
Reps. Cairns and Iler are
hopeful that in 2023, both the osprey and loggerhead turtle bills will cross
the finish line.
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