The Extra Mile - One Hundred Miles

Extra Mile
the
spring 2015
One Hundred Miles
Marsh Buffer Bill SB101 Passes Georgia Senate
Protecting our Salt Marsh
Our marsh matters. That’s the message thousands of
Georgians have sent state legislators since last April,
when the Director of the Environmental Protection
Division directed his staff to no longer enforce the
buffer provision in the Erosion and Sedimentation Act.
That decision jeopardized our coast’s nearly 400,000 acres
of salt marsh. It removed protections for our state’s signature
landscape - one that protects against harmful storm surges and
coastal flooding, supports more than 70% of the commerciallyharvested fish and shellfish in Georgia and South Carolina, and
drives our unparalleled quality of life.
The decision also drove citizens across Georgia to make
their voices heard through thousands of emails, calls, and visits
to the statehouse. Thanks to efforts from advocates like you,
our legislators have heard — loud and clear — that our salt
marsh must once again receive the protection it deserves.
Since April, One Hundred Miles has worked alongside our
conservation partners, legislators, and other stakeholders to
find a compromise. We’ve engaged the media to ensure the
story of how important the buffer is to our coast is represented
in the public conversation, and have launched creative ways for
citizens across our state to demonstrate their support.
After many months of negotiation, Senator Ben Watson (R-1)
filed a bill (SB101) requiring a 25-foot buffer along the edges of
our coastal salt marsh. The bill has passed through the Senate
with bipartisan support and is now being heard in the House.
It’s a good start — but there is still work to be done (sidebar).
As our state decisionmakers consider the buffer legislation
this spring, One Hundred Miles’ top priority remains the same:
protecting our natural resources and preserving our
coastal way of life. Learn more and help us take action at
www.OneHundredMiles.org.
It’s time to #RestoreTheBuffer! Your marshies —
like this one from the Landings Garden Club in
Savannah — demonstrated how much Georgians
value our coast’s signature natural resource.
Our marshes still need
your help: Take action.
With your help, we worked with
Senators to clarify SB101’s
maintenance provision!
But there is still work to be done
to ensure the buffer provides
the best possible protection for
our salt marshes.
Please ask your representative
to amend the buffer bill in
two ways:
1) The bill should not exempt all
bulkheads.
2) The bill must eliminate the
exemption for federally
permitted projects.
viewpoint
It’s time to spring
forward!
This month, as we
set our clocks an hour
ahead and move
towards warmer
weather, One
Hundred Miles is
looking forward to a
full agenda for 2015.
Since January,
I’ve spent a few days
each week in Atlanta,
talking to legislators
about the importance
of restoring our salt
marsh buffer. Each conversation builds a new
relationship and adds an important perspective
on our coast and its needs.
With your help, we’re also leading the way on
many other major issues affecting our 100 miles,
by educating citizens about the government’s
plan for offshore drilling, coastal land use, and
the cleanup of the Brunswick LCP site.
I have had the pleasure of talking about
these issues with many of you over the past
few months. We’ve sat next to each other on a
bus from Savannah to Atlanta, attended public
meetings, chatted in coffee shops, and listened
to hearings on the Senate floor.
I’ve been struck by how privileged I am to
lead One Hundred Miles. Because even when
our coast is facing big challenges, we have
tremendous allies like you by our side. You know
what the buffer means to our coast. You
understand the importance of preserving our
wildlife, our historic cultural resources, and our
quality of life. And I know you’ll be there to help
us, whatever we must do to protect our coast in
the future.
Sincerely,
Megan Desrosiers
Standing Up for Our 100 Miles
Coastal Advocates Lobby at Capitol Conservation Day
On February 18, nothing could stop Georgians from sharing their stories about our
treasured coast. Not a little cold and snow. Not a 5:00 A.M. start time. Not even an
8 hour bus ride. Despite the obstacles, twenty five
dedicated advocates made the trip from Savannah to
take part in the annual Capitol Conservation Day.
One Hundred Miles organized the bus trip with support from
our partners, the Savannah Riverkeeper and Ogeechee
Riverkeeper. Our on-the-bus advocacy training helped
participants better understand issues ranging from the marsh
buffer to offshore drilling and aquifer storage, and provided tools
to help them convey their message. During the visit, our
delegation met with Senators William Ligon, Lester Jackson, Ross
Tolleson, and Ben Watson.
“Our collective ability to protect our coast, ocean, and all the
resources we love is underscored on days like this,” said Chris
Hines, Executive Director of the Gray’s Reef National Marine
Sanctuary Foundation and one of the trip participants. “Being
able to discuss coastal legislation as one group in the same
place made for a very powerful day.”
Gould Elementary School teacher Debbie
Power organized a conservation-themed
essay contest. Six students were chosen to
represent their Garden City school - and our
coast - in Atlanta for Conservation Day.
100 Miles of...Imagination
Jim and Lisa Jinkins give back to the coast they love
Jim Jinkins has been a conservationist for as long as he can
remember. He recalls a childhood of building forts, growing
vegetables in the garden, and spending time outside, where he
could “play, explore, and dream.”
Today, Jim marvels at just how
“Giving back can
happen in ways both big exotic his home in coastal Georgia
and small,” Jim and Lisa can be. When he and his “family of
artists” moved to Brunswick four and
say. “Pick up litter on
a half years ago, they jumped into a
walks. Share your
knowledge of the coast life of kayaking, camping, and
with your friends,
exploring— embracing everything
children, and neighbors. about our coast but the no-see-ums.
And surround yourself
As the creators of the awardwith nature as often as winning animated series Doug,
you possibly can.”
JoJo’s Circus, and Pinky Dinky Doo,
Jim and his wife Lisa immediately
began finding creative ways to make a difference for our coast.
They worked with the Georgia DNR to create Catch the Excitement,
an illustrated guide to our coastal resources. Today Jim and Lisa
stay active throughout their community, and — like the character
Doug Funnie — inspire others to do the right thing, no matter what.
Jim and Lisa Jinkins live in downtown
Brunswick, Georgia, with their son Heath,
daughter Rose, and a westie named Lulu.
In December, the couple hosted a holiday
party for One Hundred Miles at their Jumbo
South studio.
Follow their example: to learn about
hosting a party or event for One Hundred
Miles, call Catherine at (912) 264-4111.
Program Spotlight:
Envision Glynn 2020
EPA extends comment
period on LCP site cleanup
A builder doesn’t construct a house without a
blueprint. An author doesn’t write a novel
without an outline. And our community
cannot successfully plan for the future
without first establishing a vision.
That’s the guiding principle behind Envision
Glynn 2020, a new plan that will identify ways
to promote and preserve the natural resources,
cultural heritage, tourism, economy, and
overall livability of Glynn County.
One Hundred Miles, the St. Simons Land
Trust and the Brunswick-Golden Isles
Convention and Visitors Bureau have worked
together to form a committee of more than
25 area business leaders. The Envision Glynn
2020 committee will help initiate a community
conversation about a regional vision for Glynn
County. Together, these ideas will serve as a
guide for future development, conservation,
and economic growth.
One of the most contaminated sites in the U.S.,
the LCP site in Brunswick has a toxic legacy.
Chemicals released in the 1900’s can still be
found in people who regularly eat fish from
local creeks and marshes.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recently released a proposed remedy to clean
up the site’s 48 acres of contaminated salt
marsh. They are accepting public comments
on their proposal until March 16, 2015.
More than 8,000 pages of information have
been released by the EPA and Honeywell, the
site’s current landowner. That’s why One
Hundred Miles is working with two outside
experts (an engineer and a toxicologist) to
evaluate the plan and take steps to ensure
toxins are fully removed from our food chain.
In the coming months, we will work to
ensure everyone along our coast has the tools
they need to stay informed. healthy, and safe.
www.OneHundredMiles.org • Spring 2015 • Page 3
Offshore Drilling:
What will the government’s proposed plan mean for our coast?
In January, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
released a plan to open federal waters off the Atlantic Coast to oil
and gas exploration and drilling. For the first time in decades,
communities from Virginia to Georgia face the ominous threat of
offshore energy production.
If enacted, this proposal has the potential to impact everything from the
critically endangered North Atlantic right whale to our nearly 400,000 acres of
salt marsh, pristine barrier island beaches, and even our very quality of life.
There are many reasons to oppose the plan. Investment in oil and gas will
result in the industrialization of our coastal communities. And past disregard
for safety precautions have led to catastrophic environmental disasters like
the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Is that a risk we are willing to take?
With your help, One Hundred Miles is working to remove Georgia from
the list of states included in the federal government’s plan.
It won’t be easy. Both Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal and South Carolina’s
Governor Nikki Haley support the proposal, citing potential economic gain
and energy independence.
Yet the U.S. Department of Energy, under both Presidents Obama and
Bush, stated that East Coast reserves are not significant enough to impact
prices at the pump or reduce our dependence on oversea supplies.
Additionally. many question the jobs that would be created – specialized
positions that would largely be outsourced.
There is still time to stop this ill-conceived plan. But we must act now.
What You Can Do
BOEM will host a public meeting in Savannah on March 24 from 3-7 PM — and our coast needs
you there! Join us at the Hyatt Regency at Two West Bay Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401.
One Hundred Miles and representatives from the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) will
be onsite to answer questions and provide additional resources from 2:00-8:00 P.M.
To help us prepare for the meeting, we will host a poster-making party in our Brunswick office on
Saturday, March 21 from 1-3 P.M. Join us for snacks and a creative way to express your opinion.
Please call (912) 264-4111 for more information.
The deadline for public comment is March 30, 2015. If you can’t make the meeting, submit your
comments online at www.regulations.gov. Search for BOEM-2014-0085-0002.
Our coast’s wildlife may not have a say — but we do. Please make your voice heard.
$2 billion
Our coast supports a nearly $2 billion
tourism industry, and our fisheries
contribute upwards of $600 million to
Georgia’s economy. Offshore activities
will threaten the historic, cultural,
and natural resources on which our
quality of life depends.
450
There are an estimated 450
North Atlantic right whales
remaining in the wild. The offshore
waters of the Georgia and North
Florida coast are the only known
calving grounds of this
endangered marine mammal.
Photo courtesy GA DNR, NOAA permit #15488
This proposal is
short-sighted,
and it puts our coast
at risk.
March 24
1 month
The government’s own report
estimates just 550 million barrels
of oil are available off the South
Atlantic Coast. This would only
be enough to meet one month
of domestic demand.
Date of the only public meeting
scheduled in Georgia.
Mark your calendars and plan
to make your voice heard (see
page 4). Visit our website for
additional information and
talking points.
www.OneHundredMiles.org • Spring 2015 • Page 5
My Favorite Mile
Roy Richards, Jr. reflects on his family’s Sea Island summers
sunrise. The turtle tracks from waterline to
dunes and back were still there. It felt good
to be the first to see them, but we knew their
chances weren’t so good against curious kids
with shovels, raccoons, and crabs. Mom had
more motherhood experience than most,
and she’d always say something hopeful
about the unattended nests.
She stopped to pick up soda cans or bits
of plastic that had come in with the tide. They
were on her beach, and she took personal
That was how Mom and I spent our mornings
responsibility for their collection. I was lazier
together on Sea Island.
than she and less inclined to detour several
Her greatest joy was her grandchildren, who
hundred feet for a sandy can that would soil
were shooed away from the TV but otherwise got
my hands and
much attention. She
pockets. She set
sat with them on the
the example,
beach and took them for
though, and so I
long, exploratory walks.
followed.
These were times to
Maturity
collect shells or walk to
comes to some
the dunes to count sea
of us later in life,
turtle nests. Sometimes
taking its time
we would dig a fire pit
to ripen with
and cook hot dogs in
the seasons
the evening, trying to
until, at forty
feed shivering children
A loggerhead sea turtle leaves the beach after laying her eggs on Sea Island,
or fifty we are
and keep sand out of the Georgia. Photo courtesy Kelly Patton.
then repeating
marshmallows.
the
examples
of
those
who
have
come
Mom loved children more than anything else
before. Now I am the one detouring to pick
in life. She loved them little and noisy, with sandy
up cans and stuff, and we have a family of
diapers, dirty faces, or tears. And she loved them
environmentalists who care about the coast
at the end of a long day of sun and water, tired
and much more. We care about that beach,
and cranky, ready for an early bedtime. Everything
because she cared about that beach. It is
my siblings and I learned about making ourselves
ours, too, as she gave it to us very long ago.
happy we learned from her. And we learned much
of it right there on that stretch of beach.
Richards, Jr. is Chairman of the Board of Directors of One
When I visited with my own children, Mom and I Roy
Hundred Miles. A native of Carrollton, Georgia, he now lives in
Charleston, SC, with his wife Virginia and their four children.
would go out early, in that magical twilight before
Far down the beach, there would be nothing
but gray haze hanging over the sand and
sea. No people, no nothing. Just like the
mile or so behind us already traveled. We
would walk onward, wet sand under bare
feet, with occasional conversation about
things both vital and trivial. We enjoyed the
solitude and one another’s company, and
that special place.
What’s your favorite mile?
Share your story, and read ours, at OneHundredMiles.org.
Faces and Places
From Savannah to the Statehouse,
One Hundred Miles has had a busy
few months visiting with our members,
supporters, community partners - even
the occasional movie star. We hope to
see you soon!
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Images: 1. One Hundred Miles staff, supporters, and other Conservation Day participants visited with Governor Nathan Deal. Photo: Erik Voss
Photography. 2. Members of the coastal delegation included (L-R) OHM Program Associate Kelly Patton, Gray’s Reef NMSF Executive Director Chris
Hines, Gerry Sattele, Larry Yawn, Dolphin Project Executive Director Peach Hubbard, Lola Barker, and Ogeechee Riverkeeper Emily Markesteyn.
Photo: Erik Voss Photography. 3. Doc Bill of Coastal Georgia Gourmet Farms and OHM Executive Director Megan Desrosiers introduced short films at
the 3rd Annual Jekyll Island Green Screen. 4. Megan Desrosiers, Altamaha Riverkeeper Jen Hilburn, and Cecilia Gamboa, at the Green Screen.
5. Georgia Sea Turtle Center staff and AmeriCorps members filmed a video marshie to share why #OurMarshesMatter to turtles and other wildlife.
6. During a visit to downtown Brunswick, actor Ben Affleck caught up on coastal issues with OHM’s Alice Keyes and Jovan Sage. 7. Ryan and Nissa
Hall of Snellville organized a Jekyll Island beach cleanup for the League of Protectors’ Save our Island Sundays.
www.OneHundredMiles.org • Spring 2015 • Page 7
Post Office Box 2056
Brunswick, Georgia 31520
With your help, One Hundred Miles is
working to preserve, protect, and enhance
Georgia’s 100-mile coast.
Our new look...coming soon!
Stay tuned to
www.OneHundredMiles.org
to join as a member, learn about our
programs, and take action on
critical issues affecting our coast.
The One Hundred Miles 100:
Help us honor those who make a difference for our
Georgia coast. Nomination deadline: March 20, 2015
The One Hundred Miles 100 recognizes individuals and
organizations throughout Georgia for their efforts to
support the health, vitality, and future of our coast.
Nominations are being accepted in 10 categories
(Artists, Business Leaders, Educators, Coastal Stewards,
Journalists, Community Advocates, Philanthropists,
Civic Leaders, Researchers/Scientists, and the Next
Generation) through Friday, March 20.
We’ll announce the honorees on Earth Day, April 22, and
will celebrate the recipients at a public ceremony this
spring. Please email your nomination(s), along with a brief
summary of his/her contributions to our coast to
[email protected].
Learn more and make your nomination at
www.OneHundredMiles.org. Photo courtesy SouthEast
Adventure Outfitters.