Altamaha Riverkeeper News
ARK Will Pursue Options to Oppose Sea Island Groin
The Coastal Marshlands and Shore Protection Committee has voted 2-1 to approve the proposal by Sea Island Acquisitions (SIA) to build a 350 foot groin intended to protect 8 lots the company wants to sell to high wealth individuals interested in building luxury beachfront homes. Currently, the land is undeveloped. It has been deemed too unstable to qualify for federal flood insurance, but SIA has noted its target buyers would have the resources to self-insure.
The proposal was opposed by 99 of 102 individuals, homeowners and organizations (including ARK) who sent in comments to the Department of Natural Resources prior to the committee vote. Many of those individuals also spoke against the proposal at the committee’s hearing on St. Simons Island. A study sponsored by GreenLaw, ARK, SurfRider foundation and the Center for a Sustainable Coast, noted there has been substantial erosion south of the original groin and that a new one would exacerbate the problem and could significantly impact East Beach on St. Simons Island. It also noted that the project would adversely affect wildlife habitat on the spit. DNR staff also concluded that erosion south of the proposed groin would continue if the project went forward and that the project would interfere with wildlife and marine life. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opposed the project as well.
The lawyer for SIA countered that the legal standard was that any impacts likely from the project had to be unreasonable, and she argued the property to be protected was very valuable to her clients and that impacts from the groin on wildlife, the spit or the sand sharing system around Gould’s Inlet would not be unreasonable.
The next hurdle for the proposed groin involves seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
ARK, along with GreenLaw, its other partners as well as 100 Miles and the Southeastern Legal Foundation, has put together a list of options for those who expressed disappointment with the decision and who want to stay or get involved:
- Get involved in ARK’s appeal of the SPA permit (Immediately — with a deadline of Jan. 11). At this point we need property owners and SSI residents to become members so we have appropriate “standing” for our appeal. While your names will not be on the official filings, you will be listed at some point as members of the organization to which you belong. We may call you as a standing witness and at that point you will need to file an official affidavit with the court, but we do not need an affidavit at this point or before January 11. If you have questions about this, please call/email Altamaha Riverkeeper or GreenLaw. Click here to join ARK: http://www.
altamahariverkeeper.org/?page_ id=355 - Join ARK and participate in the USACOE permit application process (30 Days after the Public Notice is posted). The contact at the US Army Corps of Engineers is Meredith Allen (912) 652-5503 and the project number is 2015-00742. The public notice was posted today: http://www.sas.usace.army.mil/
Missions/Regulatory/ PublicNotices.aspx - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District
100 West Oglethorpe Avenue
Savannah, Georgia 31401 - Communicate with the Shore Protection Committee members to ask them to reconsider their vote at their meeting in February. (Send letters now, contact info below, cc to elected officials).Below you will find the contact information for elected officials in the area and for members of the Shore Protection Committee. The Brunswick News letter to the editor is another way to influence this process by making folks aware of what is going on. We encourage you to write your opinions about the groin decision down and send them into the Brunswick News and/or Savannah Morning News. You can submit letters here: http://savannahnow.com/
content/submit-letter-editor-0 or https://thebrunswicknews- dot-com.bloxcms.com/site/ forms/online_services/letter/. Also, the Islander (http://www.theislanderonline. com/2054/1291/1/homepage) did a great job covering this issue this week.
If you are writing comments to submit by email and want to CC elected representatives, a quick cut ‘n paste list of relevant public officials follows their full contact information below.
Coastal Marshlands/Shore Protection Committee Members
December 2015
Mark Williams, DNR Commissioner, Committee Chairman Phone: (404) 657-7454 Mailing Address: Georgia Department of Natural Resources 2 M.L.K. Jr. Dr. NW Atlanta, GA 30334
Rick Gardner Phone: (912) 313-3914 Mailing Address: Coastal Marshlands and Shore Protection Committee GA Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division One Conservation Way Brunswick, GA 31520
Stan Humphries
Email: stan@itsagoodlife.net
Mailing Address: Coastal Marshlands and Shore Protection Committee GA Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division One Conservation Way Brunswick, GA 31520
Henry Morgan
Email: henrysmorgan@bellsouth.net
Mailing Address: Coastal Marshlands and Shore Protection Committee GA Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division One Conservation Way Brunswick, GA 31520
Bert Guy
Phone: (912) 882-2931
Mailing Address: Coastal Marshlands and Shore Protection Committee GA Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division One Conservation Way Brunswick, GA 31520
Other Elected Officials to Copy on Correspondence with the Committee
US Senator John Isakson
Phone: (770) 661-0999
Email: http://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
Mailing Address: One Overton Park 3625 Cumberland Blvd, Suite 970 Atlanta, GA 30339
US Senator David Perdue
Phone: (404) 865-0087
Email: https://www.perdue.senate.gov/connect/email
Mailing Address: 191 Peachtree Street NE Suite 3250 Atlanta, GA 30303
US Representative Buddy Carter
Phone: (912) 265-9010
Email: http://buddycarter.house.gov/contact/
Mailing Address: 1510 Newcastle Street, Suite 200 Brunswick, GA 31520
Georgia State Senator William Ligon
Phone: (912) 261-2263
Email: william.ligon@senate.ga.gov
Mailing Address: 158 Scranton Connector Brunswick, GA 31525
Georgia State Representative Alex Atwood
Phone: 912.264.4211
Email: alex.atwood@house.ga.gov
Mailing Address: 300 Main Street, Suite 201 St. Simons Island, GA 31522
Georgia State Representative Jeff Jones
Phone: 404-656-0126
Email: jeff.jones@house.ga.gov
Mailing Address: 139-358 Altama Connector Brunswick, GA 31525
Glynn County Commissioner Dale Provenzano
Phone: (912) 638-1242
Email: dprovenzano@glynncounty-ga.gov
Mailing Address: 216 Five Pounds Road St. Simons Island, GA 31522
Glynn County Commissioner Bob Coleman Phone: (912) 265-5305 Email: bcoleman@glynncounty-ga.gov Mailing Address: 199 Paradise Marsh Circle Brunswick, GA 31525
Glynn County Commissioner Mark Stambaugh
Phone: (912) 265-7244
Email: mstambaugh@glynncounty-ga.gov
Mailing Address: 117 Trawler Court Brunswick, GA 31523
Quick cut ‘n paste list
http://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
https://www.perdue.senate.gov/connect/email
http://buddycarter.house.gov/contact/
dprovenzano@glynncounty-ga.gov
There are so many ways that you can help keep our rivers clean and beautiful. Responding to Action Alerts or reaching out to your elected representatives. Find your way to get involved!