Monday, March 31, 2014

Cumberland Island

THE WILDERNESS ACT

“For this purpose there is hereby established a National Wilderness Preservation System to be composed of federally owned areas designated by Congress as "wilderness areas", and these shall be administered for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such manner as will leave them unimpaired for future use as wilderness, and so as to provide for the protection of these areas, the preservation of their wilderness character, and for the gathering and dissemination of information regarding their use and enjoyment as wilderness…”

DEFINITION OF WILDERNESS

“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation…”

Given the above, the St. Marys EarthKeepers, Inc. strongly protest any efforts to increase the permissible number of visitors to Cumberland Island National Seashore.
 
Background: Local cycling enthusiasts (and others) in Fernandina Beach, FL, are attempting to persuade the National Park Service to divide the contract for ferry service between the existing provider in St. Marys, Ga., and one that would leave from the city marina in Fernandina. (“We want equal access and we want it bike friendly,” said Phil Scanlan of the Friends of the Amelia Island Trail, Inc.)

A new ferry service would result in an increase in the number of visitors to Cumberland Island – currently set at 300 per day. It is being proposed that an additional two ferries per day (departing from Fernandina) carry 150 passengers per trip, effectively doubling the allowable number of daily visitors to the Island.
Greater numbers of visitors will directly intensify the human impact on the island’s already delicate ecosystems, and would contradict the very purpose for which Cumberland Island was preserved as a national seashore.

Furthermore, the concept of making the Island, a national wilderness that forbids wheeled vehicles, more “bike friendly” flies in the face of the very essence and intent of the Wilderness Act. The National Park Services does not have the available resources to monitor the activities of increased visitors in order to ensure that the Island’s ecosystems are protected at all times. Cyclists who are able to forge new trails and broach the fragile nesting, breeding and foraging habitats of the Island’s species will, without doubt, disrupt the flora and fauna of Cumberland Island.

In closing, we urge local, state and national legislators to deny the above proposal, thereby safeguarding Cumberland Island National Seashore – a precious and irreplaceable wilderness - for present and future generations.

Alex Kearns
Chair
St. Marys EarthKeepers, Inc.








Saturday, March 22, 2014

St. Marys River Clean-up and Celebration

This morning in St. Marys:

94 volunteers between the ages of six and eighty-plus collected 54 33-gallon bags of trash, 26 bags of recyclable material plus carpets, broken furniture, tires, plumbing fixtures, rotting boards and other detritus from our roadside, riverfront and ditches. And that’s just what we could reach. 

To the best of my knowledge this was also the first time that our Mayor and entire City Council (with the exception of one whose wife was having surgery) joined in. There’s something truly wonderful about seeing our elected officials come together to throw their efforts behind an event such as this. I think that I can hear our river breathe just a bit easier right now. Thank you, everyone!


Alex











Friday, March 21, 2014

Sea Grant, Continued...

Today we completed the two days of VCAPs (Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios) with the Sea Grant personnel, and I thank all of the department heads, elected officials and citizens for participating.
As a coastal community, we enjoy the delights of our environment – but there is a price to be paid in terms of potential climate-related costs.
The methods in which to mitigate and prepare go from the mind-bogglingly challenging to the seemingly mundane and everything in between. But here are two simple, cost-free things you can do right now:

1. Register with Code Red to be notified by your local emergency response team in the event of emergency situations or critical community alerts.
Examples include: weather alerts, evacuation notices, boil water notices, and missing child reports. (This information will remain the property of ECN and will not be disclosed.) It’s effective and it’s important.
I have always felt more secure with this system. When severe weather approaches, my cell, my husband’s cell and our house phone ring simultaneously and we know to take cover and/or tune into the tv/radio. Every citizen should have this valuable tool so please urge your family, friends and neighbours to sign up.
The link is below - please pass it on!
2. STOP pouring grease and other obstructive matter down your sinks. That is what caused the recent 1,600 gallon spill of wastewater and that is what could make all the difference during flooding scenarios.
Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) come from meats, butters and margarine, lard, food scraps, sauces, salad dressings, dairy products, and cooking oil. When FOG goes down the drain, it hardens and causes sewer pipes to clog. Just because these things are put through the garbage disposal doesn’t render them harmless.
This can lead to a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) where raw sewage actually backs up into your home, lawn, neighborhood, and streets. Not only does this nasty mess cause health issues, it also can run into a nearby stream or river which affects our drinking water – and the cost to our infrastructure and city bank account is frighteningly high.
Please store fats and grease in a disposable container. Used cooking oil should be cooled and put into a covered container and put out for garbage collection. It may seem like a small thing – but it can make a world of difference.

Alex