Please Attend the Deadhead Logging Scoping Meetings & Voice Your Concerns

The Georgia Department of Natural Resource's (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. The 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 AltamahaTechnical College in Jesup on June 23, 2005. Attendees may come anytime between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. on those dates.

The Georgia legislature passed SB 283 allowing the recovery of submerged logs from the Flint and Altamaha Rivers; Governor Purdue recently signed this bill into law. The bill directs DNR to establish a program to allow recovery of sunken logs from these two rivers through January 1, 2008.

ARK and others strongly oppose mining the river for sunken logs that are now part of the river bottom. Concerns include the disturbance of existing habitat for game fishes, mussels, endangered species, and impact on overall river structure and water quality. A 2003 DNR Taskforce studied the issue and recommended against the commercial harvest of the timber based on environmental, economic, historic, and legal factors.

The bill directs DNR 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 DNR Board, and a $50,000 bond for damages. The DNR 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 at which participants can familiarize themselves with the issue, and provide written and verbal comments to help WRD as it develops regulations and a program for removal of submerged logs. Attendees may enter 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 TechnicalCollege in Jesup. Both July meetings will begin at 7:00 pm. At this time, WRD 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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