The population along Georgia's coast is expected to double by 2020. How will we take care of our precious salt marshes?
/PRNewswire/ -- The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), the largest environmental advocacy organization dedicated solely to protecting the Southeast, today announced a list of ten special places in the South that face immediate, potentially irreparable threats in 2009. These endangered areas were chosen among hundreds that are impacted by SELC's law and policy work throughout the six states of Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
"The South is not only the fastest growing region in the United States but in many respects, the South is also a testing ground for the nation's most pressing environmental issues, including energy, global warming, drought, land conservation, and biological diversity," said Jeff Gleason, SELC's Deputy Director.
The next 12 months will be telling for SELC's list of endangered areas as they face a series of decisions that will either raise or lower the bar nationwide on critical issues like air quality and clean water. "Our region will either protect -- or lose -- areas of our native forest, coastline, and rural countryside. How the South accommodates growth and development while preserving our precious natural heritage could set a model for the rest of the country," added Gleason.
Gleason also points out that the South disproportionately contributes to global warming. "If our six-state region were viewed as a country, we would rank 7th in the world for output of carbon dioxide. Reducing carbon emissions in the South is a critical part of any comprehensive global warming solution."
Top Ten Endangered Areas in the South for 2009:
1) Clinch and Powell Rivers (Virginia)
Issue: Construction of a new coal-fired power plant in Wise County will accelerate mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia, and further increase mercury levels in the Clinch and Powell rivers.
2) Interstate 81 Corridor (Virginia)
Issue: Virginia officials are reexamining a plan to widen all 325 miles of I-81 to perhaps eight lanes to support long-haul truck traffic -- a plan that would cost billions of dollars and cause tremendous harm to communities and historic, scenic, and environmental resources.
3) Marine Waters (Virginia)
Issue: Virginia is the first state in our region to begin the process of opening up its marine waters to offshore drilling for oil and gas. The benefit of this short-term supply of energy is dramatically outweighed by the harm to the environment and communities.
4) Globe Forest (North Carolina)
Issue: Destruction of rare, old-growth forest in the Southern Appalachians.
5) Pamlico River (North Carolina)
Issue: The single largest destruction of wetlands in North Carolina's history will occur if a phosphate mining company gets permission to expand its operations on the river's banks.
6) Great Pee Dee River (South Carolina)
Issue: Santee Cooper, a state-owned utility, is proposing to build more coal-fired power plants with outdated technology that would dump an additional 300 pounds of mercury into an already mercury-overloaded river.
7) Johns Island (South Carolina)
Issue: A $420 million highway proposal threatens to bring large-scale development to this historic community, transforming the island into a sea of condos, mega-stores, and traffic.
8) Salt Marshes (Georgia)
Issue: Large-scale development on biologically rich islands and tidal waters.
9) Weeks Bay (Alabama)
Issue: Unchecked development and weak regulation threatens an area so unique it is one of only three in Alabama to receive the designation of Outstanding Natural Resource Water.
10) Cherokee National Forest (Northeast Tennessee)
Issue: The U.S. Forest Service is moving forward with its plans to log several areas of this remarkable landscape, endangering trout, unbroken wildlife habitat and rare species.
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Monday, January 5, 2009
Top 10 Most Endangered Areas in the South for 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Shad Season Opens January 1
Commercial shad season runs from 6 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009 through midnight on Tuesday, March 31, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division. Regulations for the 2009 commercial shad season are the same as the 2008 regulations.
The Altamaha River, including the Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers, as well as the Satilla River and the St. Mary’s River downstream from the Seaboard Coastline Railroad bridge will be open for commercial shad fishing Monday through Friday each week. Waters upstream from this bridge will be open Tuesday through Saturday each week.
The Ogeechee River will be open for commercial shad fishing on Fridays and Saturdays of each week during the shad season.
The Savannah River will be open for commercial shad fishing downstream from the Interstate 95 bridge Tuesday through Friday and upstream from the I-95 bridge Wednesday through Saturday each week. Only drift nets may be used downstream of a line between the mouth of Knoxboro Creek and McCoys Cut at Deadman's Point.
Individuals fishing commercially for shad must have a valid Georgia commercial fishing license. Boats used below the saltwater demarcation line for commercial fishing also must be licensed, with the cost of the license depending on the size of the boat.
The minimum mesh size for legal set or drift shad nets is four and a half inches stretched. Set netters are reminded that set nets must be placed at least 600 feet apart and should be limited to 100 feet in length. Set nets must clearly display the owners name and commercial fishing license number.
Drift nets shall not be fished closer that 300 feet apart and are limited to a maximum of 1,000 feet in length in saltwater. Set nets and drift nets must be situated so as to allow one-half the stream width to be open and free for the passage of fish.
All set nets must have one end secured to the stream bank and must be buoyed at the outer (seaward) end so they are clearly visible to other boaters. This regulation is designed to prevent anglers from setting nets in the mid-channel of the stream. Sturgeon, all catfish species and game fish other than American shad or hickory shad taken in set or drift nets must be released unharmed into the waters where they were taken.
Reporting of American shad harvest to the Coastal Resources Division is a requirement under Georgia’s commercial fishing regulations. If fish are not sold to a licensed fish dealer, anglers are asked to report their catch.
Contact Julie Califf at (912) 264-7218 for harvest reporting forms. Other regulations apply. For a complete set of commercial fishing regulations or for more information, contact a Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement office at (912) 264-7237 (Brunswick); (706) 595-4211 (Thomson) or (912) 685-2145 (Metter).
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Despite Storms, Georgia Sea Turtle Nest Counts Top Record
Cooler weather has come to Georgia’s coast and with it the close of a record-breaking nesting season for loggerhead sea turtles. Due to storm impacts, however, a nest success rate slightly lower than normal is expected for the federally threatened species.
The good news is that 1,646 loggerhead nests were counted on barrier island beaches this summer. Cumberland and Blackbeard islands recorded the highest number of nests at 336 and 261, respectively. The season total represents a record year in Georgia, breaking the previous mark of 1,504 nests set in 2003. Last year’s total dipped to 688, the third lowest since daily monitoring effort began in 1989.
Federal criteria require at least 2,000 nests a year for a 25-year period for the species to be considered recovered.
In August, Tropical Storm Fay swept through the waters off coastal Georgia, creating a tidal surge that inundated and washed away some nests. The lack of a direct hit on the barrier islands tempered the storm’s effect. However, loggerhead nests still felt the impact.
Researchers and volunteers reported that high tides from Fay damaged approximately 8 percent of the nests. Probably another 25 percent were inundated multiple times, which can affect nest success.
“Generally we have about a 70 percent success rate,” said Mark Dodd, a senior wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section. “We expect that this year it will be a little lower than normal. Luckily, approximately 50 percent of the nests had already hatched at the time of the storm, so we expect to still have a pretty good year for hatchling production.”
Final nest success numbers are tallied from multiple databases and will be released by early 2009.
Loggerheads, the most common sea turtle on Georgia’s coast, are state-listed as endangered. The nesting season runs from May through September.
Georgians can help conserve sea turtles and other animals not legally hunted, fished for or trapped, as well as native plants and habitats, through buying wildlife license plates that feature a bald eagle or a ruby-throated hummingbird. They can also donate to the Give Wildlife a Chance state income tax checkoff. Both programs are vital to the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state funds.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Highly Anticipated 3rd Annual 'Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival' Kicks Off Sept. 19
PRNewswire/ -- Join the Jekyll Island Authority, the Georgia Shrimp Association, and the Georgia Tourism Foundation for the only event in the Southeast dedicated to celebrating two southern favorites - shrimp and grits!
Set amid Jekyll Island's picturesque Jekyll Island Club National Landmark Historic District, "Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival," will kick off on Friday, Sept. 19, at 5:30 p.m. Festivities will continue throughout the weekend, beginning Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and Sunday at noon.
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Monday, June 16, 2008
National Endowment for the Arts Announces More Than $2,000,000 in Grants for The Big Read
GFP Note: Reading is a wonderful sport at any time, and at any age. For our readers in Georgia, the list of books and libraries who will receive a portion of this grant is listed below the article. Best start reading now!
This September The Big Read is giving even more of the nation's cities and towns something to talk about. Today the National Endowment for the Arts announced that 208 libraries, municipalities, and arts, culture, and science organizations will receive grants totaling $2,810,500 to host Big Read celebrations between September 2008 and June 2009. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. The newest Big Read grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To date, the NEA has given more than 500 grants to support local Big Read projects.
See a complete listing of the grantees.
"Everything the NEA does we do in partnership. I am delighted to announce our 208 new partners in The Big Read. Some are new to the program, some are returning, but all of them have answered the call to action to get our country reading again," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia.
"With this latest round of grants, I am proud to say that The Big Read has supported more than 500 public library partnerships," said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the NEA's lead federal partner for The Big Read. "Through this program, public libraries continue to demonstrate their value in communities as centers of engagement, literacy, and lifelong learning. I am particularly delighted by the innovative public programming born out of library and museum collaborations."
The selected organizations will receive Big Read grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to promote and carry out community-based programs. Participating communities also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement each title. Reader's Guides include features such as author biographies, historical context for the book, and discussion questions. Teacher's Guides adhere to National Council of Teachers of English standards and include lesson plans, essay topics, and reproducible handouts.
The Big Read Audio Guides, which also can be used as radio programming, feature readings from the novel along with commentary from renowned artists, educators, and public figures such as Robert Redford, Colin Powell, and Mary-Louise Parker, and Big Read authors such as Amy Tan and Ray Bradbury. With support from IMLS, the Audio Guides for 14 titles from The Big Read library also will be provided to more than 14,000 public libraries nationwide.
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Georgia Libraries
University of Georgia/UGA Libraries
Athens, GA
Bless Me, Ultima
Atlanta Historical Society for The Center for Southern Literature
Atlanta, GA
The Great Gatsby
Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association
Brunswick, GA
To Kill a Mockingbird
Muscogee County Friends of Libraries
Columbus, GA
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County, Inc.
Douglasville , GA
To Kill a Mockingbird
Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville, GA
A Lesson Before Dying
Savannah State University
Savannah, GA
Fahrenheit 451
Towne Lake Arts Center
Woodstock, GA
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
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