Feds’ Input on Swamp Irks Congressman

– May 22, 2024 –

Good morning! As we await a decision from state regulators about a proposed mine near the Okefenokee Swamp, we take a look at how US Rep. Buddy Carter recently told federal wildlife officials to stay out of the debate. But here at The Current we welcome feedback. In fact, readers prompted follow-ups on horseshoe crabs and a sunken shrimp boat, as noted below.

Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org

Correction: Nick Macias, assistant director for operations at UGA Marine Institute, can be reached at Nicholas.Macias@uga.edu. A previous edition of Coast Watch listed his email incorrectly.

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Carter wants feds out of Okefenokee debate

The largest landowners near the proposed strip mine that threatens the Okefenokee Swamp is the federal government, which owns and manages the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The feds have a lot of concerns about the mine and haven’t been shy about sharing them with Georgia regulators. That rubs Coastal Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter (R-St. Simons) the wrong way, as he made clear in a Congressional hearing last week. The Current’s Mary Landers has the full story here.

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Struggle for Harris Neck continues

Harris Neck in McIntosh County was long home to Gullah Geechee people. GPB’s Benjamin Payne explores how these landowners lost their property through eminent domain during World War II and how their descendants are trying to get a portion of it back. Read the full story here.

Harris Neck has been a national wildlife refuge since 1962.

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You asked for it

Two recent Coast Watch items prompted questions from readers.

On the topic of horseshoe crabs, which our visual journalist Justin Taylor videoed recently as they mated in the surf, a reader asked about their harvest in Georgia for biomedical purposes. Horseshoe crab blood is used to test medical devices for the presence of certain harmful bacteria. Here’s the response from Tyler Jones at the Coastal Resources Division: “CRD did not issue any horseshoe collection permits for biomedical purposes this year or last year. Separately, CRD issued two endorsements on commercial fishing licenses for horseshoe crab collection this year, and four last year. That’s different from the biomedical collection permit. The endorsements are usually crabbers who are harvesting them to be sold as bait.”

On the topic of the sunken shrimp boat, the F/V Shirley and Tammy, the executive director of Wild Cumberland, Jessica Howell, reminded us that parts of the boat washed up on nearby barrier islands. The roof of the wheelhouse landed on a Jekyll Island beach. The portion of the bow that featured the boat’s name washed up on St. Simons. Wood debris that was possibly from the Shirley and Tammy was spotted on Cumberland. Local authorities typically have to clean up the beaches.

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Also noted

• The UGA Marine Institute is planning a project to restore access to the historic water garden pathway on its Sapelo Island campus. Due to condition and safety issues the pathway has been closed since 2018. The planned project will make the new footbridges code compliant and restore access for both residents and visitors. The project is open for public comment through May 29. To provide comment contact Nick Macias assistant director for operations at UGAMI. Email Nicholas.Macias@uga.edu
• Summer 2023 was the hottest not just in recent history but in 2,000 years, a Nature study found. Last month was the hottest April on record and the 11th consecutive month of record-breaking global heat, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.
• The US recently exceeded five million solar installations. The milestone comes just eight years after the U.S. reached one million solar installations in 2016 — a milestone that took 40 years to achieve following the first grid-connected solar installation in 1973.

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