Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JULY 25-31, 2018 UCW 5 The House of Representatives passed the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appro- priations Act of 2019 (H.R. 6147), which included a provision I secured to address the maintenance backlog for unpaved roads in the Uwharrie National Forest. Preserving Uwharrie National Forest and more by REP. RICHARD HUDSON POLITICS one year special $ 15 for UP & CoMING WEEKLY rEadErs oNLY you save 89% off Tv GuIDe MaGaZINe Get A GreAt DeAL from tV GuiDe mAGAzine start Your subscription online, By Mail or Call online: tvguidemagazine.com/newsoffer mail: complete order form below call: 1-800-365-1940 WHeN CaLLING use PRoMo: K6fNsWPZZ Every issue delivers inside scoop on your favorite shows Breaking news keeps you in the know Highlights help guide you to what's worth watching Your favorite stars take you behind the scenes 28 Pages of easy-to-use primetime listings GrEaT rEasoNs To sTarT YoUr sUBsCrIPTIoN We've all heard the old proverb, "e squeaky wheel gets the grease." In a lot of cases, this means the problem talked about most loudly or the issue causing the biggest headache usually gets fixed first. I've found this to be true in Congress, and it's why I've continued to be a loud – and persistent – advo- cate for issues important to our community. Last week, we got a little grease. e House of Representatives passed the Department of the Inte- rior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appro- priations Act of 2019 (H.R. 6147) which included a provision I secured to address the maintenance backlog for unpaved roads in the Uwharrie Na- tional Forest. If you've been to this state treasure or you live in the area, you've seen how difficult it has been to maintain the roads through the Uwharrie For- est. Over the years, the roads have become severely eroded from travel, age and elements – causing tre- mendous problems for visitors and residents alike. In 2014, I successfully got Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to repair part of the roads after they sus- tained tremendous damage, but it continues to be an issue as more gravel has washed away. More than just a headache, it's a real safety issue when first responders can't reach people in emer- gencies. I've been on these roads after storms, and there's no way fire trucks and ambulances can ac- cess these roads in bad conditions. at's unaccept- able and one reason why I've worked hard over the years to advocate on behalf of the Uwharrie National Forest and its upkeep. My provision brings much-needed attention to this issue by having the Forest Service work with the local community to identify priority projects. In ad- dition, the funding bill included additional funding for the U.S. Forest Service's Capital Improvement and Maintenance account – $50 million above last year's levels. is program provides funding to pave national forest roads like the ones in the Uwharrie National Forest. As your voice in Congress, I will continue to work with local, state and federal stakeholders to make sure the Uwharrie National Forest has the best tools, resources and funding to maintain forest roads. While there is still more work to do, I am more con- fident than ever that we will finally be able to get this issue resolved once and for all. When it comes to issues facing our district, I will always be a prominent voice in discussions. It's exactly why my casework team works tirelessly at our three offices across the district to assist you, and it's why I travel the district meeting with folks every spare moment I have. at's also why I'm bringing prominent federal of- ficials to the district to see and hear firsthand what's impacting our lives. In fact, in the next few weeks, I'm planning on having the head of the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture's Rural Development Program travel across the district to talk about resources we need to combat the opioid epidemic and get our ru- ral communities more access to high-speed broad- band internet. Connecting our communities with federal of- ficials in Washington is a critical part of my role as your representative, and I will continue being the squeaky wheel for our district's priorities. REP. RICHARD HUDSON, R-N.C. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.