Wildlife in wildfire

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Good morning! We have wildlife updates today, ranging from how rare species were protected in recent wildfires to news of the first loggerhead nest of the season. In land use decisions, Sapelo residents are stepping back from a zoning lawsuit while Camden residents take a pause from data centers.

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

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ENVIRONMENT: NEWS

Wildlife in wildfire

A rare plant with a funny name, the hairy rattleweed, lives only in Brantley and Wayne counties. Nowhere else in the world. So as the Highway 82 fire spread across thousands of acres of Brantley last month, wildlife officials saw to it that fire suppression efforts didn’t harm nearby pockets of this endangered species, as The Current GA‘s Mary Landers reports. The hairy rattleweed is well adapted to living with fire, as are gopher tortoises, another protected species found in Brantley. But as wildlife officials note, the Brantley fire burned hotter and moved faster through planted pines than it would in a natural forest.

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COMMUNITY: NEWS

Sapelo residents won’t appeal

Hogg Hummock residents have decided not to appeal a civil rights lawsuit related to the rezoning of their Gullah Geechee enclave on Sapelo Island. A judge dismissed the case of Bailey, et. al. v. McIntosh on April 1.

The residents’ decision was swayed by the fact that referendum voters in January repealed the zoning law challenged in the lawsuit.

The Southern Poverty Law Center along with Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore, LLP, represented the residents.

“The SPLC filed suit when the law was first enacted to ensure the county listened to its residents,’ Miriam Gutman, senior staff attorney at SPLC wrote in a statement. “At first, those voices were overlooked. Over time, however, a referendum provided a clear outlet for public input, the community was heard, and the law was ultimately repealed. It’s a powerful reminder that when people speak out, decision-makers must respond, and we are proud to have played even a small role in that outcome.

“We will continue to monitor the county’s next steps as it considers a replacement zoning ordinance, working to ensure that the island’s rich history is preserved and that the voices and preferences of Sapelo Island’s Gullah Geechee community are respected.”

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Turtles on beaches, in marshes and on roads

The Georgia Sea Turtle Cooperative on Tuesday reported the first sea turtle nest of the season on St. Catherines Island. Expect thousands more along the Georgia Coast before nesting season winds down in late summer. Last year, the cooperative recorded 1,879 loggerhead sea turtle nests.

On Jekyll, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center recently rehabilitated an unusual sea turtle. Named Earl Grey, it was transferred from the New England Aquarium after experiencing cold-stunning. Genetic testing confirmed Earl Grey is a hybrid whose father is a loggerhead and mother a critically endangered Kemp’s ridley.

One last turtle note: Be on the lookout for diamondback terrapins, the only turtle species that lives in the salt marsh. Beginning this month they head out of the marsh and cross causeways in search of higher ground to lay their eggs. Tybee Island Marine Science Center suggests that while on U.S. 80 you don’t follow closely, don’t stop or exit your vehicle in unsafe conditions, but do report deceased turtles to the science center. They can harvest and incubate eggs from these animals, releasing the babies back into the marsh.

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Also noted

The Camden County Commission on Tuesday voted to adopt a six-month moratorium on data centers amid growing concern across the state about the water-and-energy-hungry operations. The county’s move came after a Florida businessman suspended his efforts Monday to transform a nearly 700-acre tract of land in Camden County into a data center.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Friday announced the launch of the Georgia Red Snapper Project, an initiative to expand recreational fishing opportunities for red snapper in federal waters off the Georgia coast, while improving data needed to sustain those opportunities. Recreational anglers will have a two-month red snapper season, starting July 1, 2026, and be allowed to keep one fish per day of no minimum fish size. Learn more here.

The Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series this year included candidates for the statewide Public Service Commission, the five-member board that regulates Georgia Power rates, among other duties. Democratic candidates Angelia Pressley, Craig Cupid and Shelia Edwards participated in the Georgia PSC District 5 Democratic debate, which can be can be viewed here. In that same district, the debate among Republican candidates Bobby Mehan, Carolyn Roddy and Joshua Tolbert can be viewed here. The District 3 seat is also on the primary ballot for Republicans, but no debate has been posted. The incumbent Democrat Peter Hubbard is uncontested in the Democratic nomination.

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