Scoping meetings announced to develop a program for harvest of submerged logs from the flint and altamaha rivers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (May 27, 2005) - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) announces open house scoping meetings to develop regulations and a program for harvest of submerged logs from the Flint and Altamaha rivers. These meetings will be held in two locations and will give interested persons an opportunity to provide input to DNR. These meetings will be held at the Bainbridge High School cafeteria in Bainbridge on June 22, 2005, and in the Polytechnical Center (room 435) at the Altamaha Technical College in Jesup on June 23, 2005. Persons may come anytime between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. on these dates.

During the 1800's and early 1900's, the rafting of commercially harvested logs down Georgia's rivers and streams was a common practice for transporting timber to coastal markets. It is estimated that approximately five percent of these logs sank to the bottom, resulting in sunken commercially harvested logs located on the bottom of Georgia's rivers. In recent years there has been increasing interest in salvage logging, often called deadhead logging, to recover these old growth logs. The sunken logs, from trees often a century old or older, have different wood characteristics than modern lumber, and are considered extremely valuable. Recovered old growth logs are used for unique wood flooring and paneling, and other specialty products. Old growth logs have very tight growth rings. During salvage operations, logs are lifted from the bottom and growth rings checked, and those with tight rings are removed from the river.

The Georgia legislature passed a bill (S.B. 283) allowing the recovery of submerged logs from the Flint and Altamaha rivers, and Governor Purdue recently signed this bill into law. The bill directs the Department to establish a program to allow recovery of sunken logs from these two rivers through January 1, 2008. The bill includes certain provisions such as annual permits for recovery of deadhead logs from an exclusive two mile section of river, a $10,000 permit fee, additional fees to be determined by the Board of the Department of Natural Resources, and a $50,000 bond for damages. The Department is authorized to develop other provisions for the protection of public interests including public safety and water quality, wildlife and wildlife habitat, commercial and recreational fisheries, state and federal threatened and endangered species, land use, effects on stream bank property, protection of public boat landings or other public assets, the preservation and protection of other submerged cultural resources, and other similar issues.

The June meetings will be open house style meetings where participants can familiarize themselves with the issue, and provide written and verbal comments to help the Department as it develops regulations and a program for removal of submerged logs. Persons may come any time between 5:00 and 8:00 pm. Tables and displays will be set up to provide information, and to take comments and suggestions on issues related to log removal.

A second series of public meetings will be held at these same locations on July 27 at the Bainbridge High School cafeteria in Bainbridge and on July 28 at the Altamaha Technical College in Jesup. Both July meetings will begin at 7:00 pm. At this time, Department personnel will present draft regulations and program proposals developed from suggestions at the June meetings, and will provide a forum for additional comments and suggestions on the log removal program.

For more information, contact the Department of Natural Resources at (770) 918-6406 (Atlanta), (912) 285-6094 (Waycross), or (229) 430-4256 (Albany).
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