Summary of Recent Accomplishments April - July 2003
Land Use and Conservation
- Collaborating with three other
organizations and an environmental attorney, the Center reached a
settlement with a mining company that provides improvements in
protection of wetlands, restoration of native ecosystems, enhanced
environmental education, and continued monitoring and assessment of
public resources.
- As chairman of the Glynn County Greenspace
Advisory Committee, the Centeršs executive director is also working to
help conserve a 6-acre tract of maritime forest on the south end of
Saint Simons Island.
- Serving on the Glynn County Water Management
Advisory Committee, the executive director is promoting thorough
assessment of water resource impacts of proposed land uses through
revisions to the county's zoning ordinance.
Public Awareness
- Published commentary on water conservation and water quality issues in
area newspapers in supporting progressive state water legislation.
Added information prompting public support for water legislation on
Center website, which is visited by over 1,000 users every month.
Coastal Stewardship
- Working as a member of the Coastal Advisory
Committee, the Center's executive director is playing a leading role in
restructuring and formalizing the committeešs functions to improve
program effectiveness.
Coastal Assessment
- Based on an original
proposal developed by the Center, we received a start-up grant from the
Savannah Presbytery to be used in initiating a comprehensive assessment
of coastal Georgiašs environmental conditions and trends. This
complements our ongoing work in advocating improved public policy.
Energy Issues
- Center staff prepared and submitted comments to the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission in objecting to the proposed plutonium
processing operation at the Savannah River Site near Augusta, which
presents unprecedented long-term risks to water resources.
Environmental Education
- Thanks to a generous, targeted gift from
an anonymous donor, the Center made a $500 matching membership donation
to Georgia Public Radio for the network's coverage of environmental
issues in coastal Georgia.
Hammock Protection
- The Center
submitted extensive written comments and made an oral presentation to
the Coastal marshlands Protection Committee in commenting on a proposed
bridge to Terra Firma, a marsh hammock in Chatham County.
State &
Federal Policy
- In continuing efforts to ensure more accountable,
reliable public policy governing both environmental protection and
research, Center staff sent written comments to Governor Perdue and our
coastal Congressional delegation about political initiatives on water
resources, land use, and economic development.
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