Fall 2009
Did you miss our monthly e-Panorama?
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Fall 2009 |
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Did you miss our monthly e-Panorama? |
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highlighting our work for Georgia’s coast
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| Coastal Land Summit Builds a Region-Wide Land Conservation Network | |
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On October 22 the Georgia Conservancy and its partners in the Coastal Georgia Land Conservation Initiative (CGLCI) hosted the first annual Coastal Georgia Land Summit in Savannah. More than 50 attendees from across the region – including leaders in local and state government, forestry and business – spent the day building the foundation of a region-wide land conservation network. The agenda focused on identification of land for conservation, potential funding sources, and how land conservation can economically and socially enhance a community. |
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Has Harbor Deepening Created a Frankenstein River? |
| When Oglethorpe sailed up the Savannah River, it was about 17 feet deep at low tide. Today, it is just over 42 feet, with a proposal to deepen further up to a maximum of 48 feet. |
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No doubt the Savannah River’s exaggerated depth has served our port well, but it also has wreaked havoc on natural systems, including loss of tidal freshwater wetlands in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, loss of short nosed sturgeon and striped bass habitat, and low oxygen levels – especially at the river bottom during hot summer months. After extensive modeling to predict (1) the impacts from the proposed deepening project, and (2) the likelihood of success of mitigation measures, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has unveiled its mitigation strategy.
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To learn more about the studies that have been done as part of the harbor deepening project, visit www.sav-harbor.com. Read more…
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Jekyll Island Conservation Plan, Version 2.0 |
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Chances are you have read about the planned redevelopment of Jekyll Island. But while you may have read about proposals for new hotels, shops and a convention center, very little has been said about the 65 percent of the island that, by law, must remain undeveloped. The Georgia Conservancy was involved in writing a Conservation Plan to protect the undeveloped portion of Jekyll. It was our intent that the Conservation Plan be adopted at the outset of the redevelopment process to coincide with the redevelopment. We had looked to the plan to help guide the |
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redevelopment process. However, the Conservation Plan has yet to be adopted by the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA). Given this history of inaction, we are pleased that the JIA has requested that the Georgia Conservancy participate in an effort to update the plan as a prelude to formal adoption by the JIA board.
We have long believed
that he true magic of Jekyll Island was its natural assets – not the
island’s man-made environment. We look forward to working to ensure that
these areas are protected and enhanced by JIA policy. |
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Georgia Conservancy hosts another successful Blueprints meeting for the Pinpoint Community |
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On Saturday, September 7, the Georgia Conservancy held its fourth Blueprints for Successful Communities meeting at Pinpoint Hall in Savannah. The meeting summarized the work done by the Pinpoint community over the last several months during the Blueprints process, including the adoption of a community vision statement. The next step and culmination of the Blueprints meetings will take place in November with a community design workshop. The community design |
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workshop will
be led by several local architects and planners and will help the community
illustrate their vision for the future with the help of visual aids and
artistic renderings. To learn more, contact Summer Teal Simpson at
ssimpson@gaconservancy.org. |
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Membership Cultivation Event on St. Simons
Island Brings New Members |
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The Georgia Conservancy membership cultivation event on St. Simons Island was a rousing success. Members and friends gathered on the patio of the Historic Strachan Carriage House, home of Todd and Patty Deveau, to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails and listen to the musical arrangements of Bill Smith. More than 75 guests were welcomed by Will Berson, Acting Coastal Vice President, and received by hosts Jim Gilbert, Janice Browning and Jimmie Ann Abner, Russ Marane, Lee Richards and David Kyler. Susan Laney showed a collection of coastal photography work by the late Jack Leigh. |
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Learn More about Coastal Species: Bottlenose Dolphins |
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| Bottlenose dolphins are both a coastal and an oceanic species, with the coastal ecotype preferring waters of less than 30 meters (98 feet) in depth. The habitats they occupy are diverse, ranging from rocky reefs to calm lagoons and open waters. | |
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The coastal ecotype is adapted for warm shallow waters. Its smaller body and larger flippers suggest increased maneuverability and heat dissipation. These dolphins occur along the outer coastline and in bays, sounds, inlets, estuaries and other inland waters. Do you have any pictures of the Bottlenose dolphin? Enter them in the Great Georgia Photo SWAP photo contest! |
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Do you know someone who cares about Georgia’s coast? Please forward this e-newsletter to them. |
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