The Cost to the Coast...

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has just approved the use of seismic airguns to explore the seabed from Cape May to Cape Canaveral for oil and gas. (Map below)

Seismic airguns are used to find oil and gas deep underneath the ocean floor. Airguns are so intensely loud that they disturb, injure or kill marine life, harm commercial fisheries, and disrupt coastal economies. These dynamite-like blasts—which are repeated every ten seconds, 24 hours a day, for days and weeks at a time—are 100,000 times more intense than a jet engine. According the most recent government estimates, the seismic airgun testing currently being proposed in the Atlantic will injure 138,500 whales, sea turtles and dolphins…and disturb millions more.

Seismic airguns are towed behind ships and shoot loud blasts of compressed air through the water and miles into the seabed, which reflect back information about buried oil and gas deposits. These blasts harm marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and other wildlife.

Impacts include temporary and permanent hearing loss, abandonment of habitat, disruption of mating and feeding, beach strandings and death. For whales and dolphins, which rely on their hearing to find food, communicate, and reproduce, being able to hear is a life or death matter. Of particular concern is the critically endangered Right Whale and the endangered loggerhead turtle. Airgun blasts also kill fish eggs and larvae and scare away fish from important habitats. Following seismic surveys, catch rates of cod and haddock typically decline by 40 to 80 percent for thousands of miles.

In addition to being devastating for marine life, seismic airguns are the first step toward dangerous offshore drilling with associated habitat destruction, oil spills and contribution to climate change and ocean acidification.

According to Tommy Beaudreau, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, (BOEM) estimates from the 70s and 80s put the amount around a modest 3.3 billion barrels of oil. Currently the Gulf of Mexico produces about 1,250,000 barrels of oil a day (according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration). At this rate the proven reserves off the Atlantic would be the equivalent of just over seven years’ of Gulf oil. The area under consideration stretches all the way from Delaware to Florida and is twice the size of California.

Thus far, the oil industry has submitted nine applications from oil and gas companies and seismic contractors, according to Beaudreau.

“Those applications propose literally hundreds of thousands of miles of seismic blasting,” writes Michael Jasny, Senior Policy Analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “And no doubt there are others waiting in the wings. Because of the enormous distances sound can travel in the ocean, the dangerous noise from this activity cannot remotely be confined to the waters off individual states that encourage it. Some impacts — particularly on the great baleen whales — would extend many hundreds of miles, affecting states as far north as New England. Fish and fisheries could be affected for tens of miles around every seismic ship.”

Again - The BOEM’s own Environmental Impact Statement estimates that about 138,000 marine animals could be injured in some way, while approximately 13.6 million more could have their migration, feeding, or other behavioral patterns disrupted by the seismic surveys.

Seismic surveying off the southwest coast of Africa in recent years has been linked to the disruption of migrating tuna and consequently a dramatic decline in catches off the coast of Namibia. Many species fished in the mid-and south Atlantic (including wahoo, swordfish, and billfishes) embark on long-distance migrations. This means that any impacts of air-gun surveys are likely to spread beyond the survey area itself. BOEM’s report offers no measures to specifically deal with the impact on fish species. Fish eggs and larvae can be killed by intense sound, and the growth of young scallops is also affected.

Jacqueline Savitz, vice president for U.S. Oceans at Oceana: “If seismic airguns are allowed in the Atlantic, it will jeopardize wildlife as well as commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism and coastal recreation—putting more than 730,000 jobs in the blast zone at risk."

The Exxon Valdez spill, at nearly 11 million gallons, was the largest in U.S. history until 2010′s Deepwater Horizon disaster dwarfed it, spewing over 200 million gallons into the Gulf of Mexico. If the proposed seismic tests find significant oil reserves off the Atlantic coast, the region will be subject to similar risks.

Some requested evidence beyond a “reasonable assumption of harm.” There is no way to establish proof before the fact for that's akin to asking for proof that someone will be hurt by an anvil falling on his/her head: logic and prevailing science suggest that cranial damage will ensue and we need not pummel people with anvils on a regular basis to cement our assumptions. The BOEM’s own scientific studies and EIS, along with those of hundreds of environmental institutes and independent bodies, support the findings of massive damage to marine life and the resultant impact upon coastal communities.

Throughout the proposed “blast site” (image below) cities and citizens raised their voices in protest - joining the many others who are striving to prevent catastrophic harm to marine creature, fisheries, and the coast itself.

 Given President Obama's National Oceans Month proclamation, the irony is bitter: 

 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/05/30/presidential-proclamation-national-oceans-month-2014

Please consider joining Oceana's protest: 

http://act.oceana.org/sign/stop_seismicletter?source=facebook

Alex Kearns

Chair

St. Marys EarthKeepers

Recycling Reminder

While driving through town this evening, I glanced at the many recycling bins by the curb – and it struck me that people still seem unaware of the fact that chipboard is now an accepted material. (The cardboard from which many boxes are made is known as “chipboard” or “paperboard”).

All of the cereal boxes, dryer-sheet boxes, rice boxes etc. that contain food and household items can be placed in your blue bin. (Just, in the case of cereals boxes and others, remove the plastic insert.) You’ll be amazed by how quickly your bins fills up.

If you need a second bin (until we adopt the 65 gallon single-stream roll-out carts), just contact mthomas@advanceddisposal.com

Alex

WILD AT HEART

We’re tremendously excited about the plans for the St. Marys WILD AT HEART festival: a celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act. The City has issued a Proclamation in praise of the Act, and we plan to hold the following event:

On Saturday, September 6^th from 12 pm to 5 pm,

The City of St. Marys, Georgia, will be celebrating…

The 50^th Anniversary of the signing of The Wilderness Act

Join the family-friendly party at Howard Gilman Memorial Park (on the St. Marys waterfront) as environmental organizations from around the state and beyond offer information booths, refreshments, activities, and more.

The Southern Environmental Law Center, NOAA/Ga Sea Grant, 100miles.org, The Satilla Riverkeepers, The Georgia Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The St. Marys EarthKeepers, Glynn Environmental, The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, The Center for a Sustainable Coast, White Oak Conservation Foundation, Crooked River State Park, GreenLaw and others.

Hosted by the City of St. Marys and the St. Marys EarthKeepers, Inc.

More environmental organizations are expected to "sign up" in the weeks to come so stay tuned. For other events in your area, please visit http://www.wilderness50th.org/events.php?useraction=detail&e_id=1110

Reinstating the Marsh Buffer

On Monday, June 2, 2014, St. Marys City Council voted, unanimously, to reinstate the 25 ft marsh buffer protection that was so inexplicably eradicated by the Ga EPD on April 22, 2014. 

Our sincere thanks to Council for, once again, stepping forth to ensure that the rare and fragile marsh ecosystems are afforded protection. The marshes of Georgia are not only precious to our area but are vital in terms of mitigating erosion, storm surges, and sea level rise. It is our sincere hope that all communities throughout Georgia will take similar steps to safeguard the marshes that grace our coast. 

Senator Whitehouse on Climate Change

I urge you all to take a few moments to watch this video. Members of Georgia Sea Grant, St. Marys’ Planning Director, and others accompanied Senator Whitehouse on his tour. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50O_zOS1GHM 

This is the reality that all coastal areas must address, and I am thankful that the elected leaders, city staff, and citizens of St. Marys are overwhelmingly supportive of efforts to understand the impacts of climate change, and plan accordingly to ensure a safe and prosperous future.

Alex

Green Schools

The St. Marys Garden Club is offering a series of lessons for 2nd graders at St. Marys, Crooked River, and Mary Lee Clark Elementary schools. Barbara Connor, Gail Steier, Angel Bernier, and Karen Widing volunteer their time and talents to teach 2nd graders about recycling, plant growth and taking care of the earth. Each school received two sets of books (funded, in part, by the St. Marys EarthKeepers).

In the first lesson students met Max from “I Can Save the Earth” by Alison Inches who discovered easy and simple ways to take care of our planet. During the second visit, students learned how red wiggler worms can be used for composting and read the book “Wiggling Worms at Work” by Wendy Pfeffer.

Gale Lizana (teacher and long-time EarthKeepers board member) was able to keep a worm bin in the classroom for several weeks for the students to observe. As spring approached students examined the seeds and seed pods of several species and then planted their own pumpkin seeds. The final lesson for the year coincided with Earth Day. Students made flower magnets from recycled water bottles. 

The Garden Club plans to continue this program next year and we offer our thanks, support…and applause. 

A Threat To The Marsh

A memo recently released by Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director Judson Turner effectively removed the requirement for a protective 25 ft buffer on marshfront properties.

Due to its large tidal range and protective coastal marsh laws, Georgia’s relatively short coastline possesses approximately one-third of the remaining salt marsh on the East Coast. 

Whole and healthy, the marsh is a nursery for commercial seafood, a tourist attraction, and a critical factor in reducing flooding. Without that vital buffer, polluted run-off will enter the marsh directly (causing mass die-off) and we will be stripped of the critical protection from storm-surge.

For more information, please read this article: http://saportareport.com/blog/2014/04/earth-day-present-from-nathan-deals-administration-threatens-to-destroy-states-fragile-coastal-marshes/comment-page-1/

A helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LycjLwl0drE

Please send your comments about this pressing issue to: 

Governor Nathan Deal
203 Capitol Place, SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
(404) 656-4713

Commissioner Mark Williams
mark.williams@dnr.state.ga.us

EPD Director Judson Turner
jud.turner@dnr.state.ga.us

jason.spencer@house.ga.gov
william.ligon@senate.ga.gov

National Parks Week and Cumberland Island

Celebrate Nation Parks Week http://www.nationalparks.org/national-park-week  If you plan to visit Cumberland Island National Seashore, please note that you can now make reservations online at http://cumberlandislandferry.com/

Should you wish to submit a statement regarding the Cumberland/Fernandina/East Coast Greenway proposal (below) please contact gary_ingram@nps.gov and stan_austin@nps.gov 

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.

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

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!

https://cne.coderedweb.com/Default.aspx?groupid=PYdmsg3pSMOxla4EQXvGKw%3D%3D

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

Sea Grant Town Hall

You are cordially invited 

to The City of St. Marys                                        

Sea Grant Town Hall

Event Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 6:30 pm

Location: City of St Marys (Theater By The Trax, 1000 Osborne St.)

St. Marys residents and municipal leaders are invited to learn about the development of a flood resiliency plan for St. Marys and share feedback on issues related to flooding, sea level rise and storm surges at a Sea Grant Town Hall.

The public meeting will include summaries of the plan by researchers from Georgia Sea Grant, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Marine Extension, public service and outreach units at the University of Georgia. Experts from North Carolina Sea Grant will provide information on the process that the project will follow.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, provide input on the plan’s development, and make comments.

Speakers at the meeting will include Chuck Hopkinson, Director of Georgia Sea Grant; Kelly Spratt, Local Outreach Coordinator for Georgia Sea Grant and UGA Marine Extension, and Jessica Whitehead, Coastal Communities Hazards Adaptation Specialist from North Carolina Sea Grant.

In 2013, St. Marys was selected through a nationwide grant competition as one of five locations in the United States to undergo community resilience and adaptation planning. Funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant Program, the findings will be shared with other coastal communities in Georgia, North Carolina and nationwide throughout the Sea Grant network. Additional project partners include the Lamar Dodd School of Art and the College of Environment and Design, both housed at the University of Georgia.

Researchers and extension specialists intend to tailor a plan with recommendations linked to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System program, focusing on the implementation of effective adaptation actions that may provide local residents flood insurance rate reductions.

 (This event is hosted by The St. Marys EarthKeepers, Inc.)

Congratulations, St. Marys!

Advanced Disposal had been asked to give us a clear idea regarding our curbside recycling participation rate (the national average compliance rate is 34%).

I'd known that we were doing extraordinarily well but the numbers below are better than I'd imagined. This is yet another prime example of what a dedicated organization, a progressive community, and a supportive Council can accomplish together.  

Monday - 59%

Tuesday - 81%

Wednesday - N/A (no recycle routes on this day)

Thursday - 65%

Friday - 85%

Total = 72.5%

Alex

The Latest Threat to the St. Marys River

As you know, the St. Marys River is a low volume, oligotrophic waterway with a small watershed. Its waters are limited in supply and incapable of absorbing the impacts of over-use. Florida's water consumption creates an ever-growing need and the state looks (in part) to the St. Marys River to address its demands. 

I urge you to add your voices in protest for our community's future is intrinsically connected to the health of our river.

Here is a link to the St. Johns River Water Management District's "Water Supply Plan 2013"

http://floridaswater.com/DWSP2013/ 

Note Appendix F, page F-9. (Below)

Please submit your comments here http://floridaswater.com/DWSP2013/plancomments.html

Pass this message along to concerned others, please. The public comment period closes on Feb. 20th. 


Update Feb. 24 - The word went out and action was taken: 
http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2014-02-21/story/georgia-regulators-environmental-groups-oppose-floridas-plan-withdraw 

Dates To Remember

Please mark these dates in your calendar:

March 19th: Sea Grant Public Forum. (6:30 - 8:30 pm. Location to be announced soon.)


March 22nd: 2014 River Clean-up and Celebration http://www.saintmarysriver.org/docs/2014_River_Cleanup_Flyer.pdf


March 29th: EarthKeepers' Electronics Recycling Event - St. Marys Aquatic Park, Herb Bauer Dr., 10 am - 4 pm. 


March 29th: Earth Hour. Once again Camden County will extinguish all non-essential lighting in honour of global Earth Hour. 8:30 - 9:30 pm. 

Sea Grant Up-Date

This morning I met with Kelly Spratt (Sea Grant's primary contact in St. Marys), Councilman Bob Nutter, and Planning Director, Roger Weaver. I am stunned and gratified by the magnitude of work that's been accomplished thus far.

 

The preliminary site visit by the FEMA representative indicates that we are well-positioned (with do-able work) to attain a favourable Community Rating System score and this should prove invaluable in terms of off-setting the rising flood insurance rates caused by the misguided Biggert-Waters Act.

 

At this time the Sea Grant team is working closely with city staff (primarily Mr. Weaver) to compile the information necessary for full examination and analysis of our status. This stage will be followed by interviews (which are being arranged) and the formulation of VCAPS (Vulnerability Consequences Adaptation Planning Scenarios). Throughout the two-year process there will be a series of public meetings - the first of which is tentatively scheduled for mid-March and will be well-publicized. 

 

I will endeavour to update everyone regularly via emails, the media, the EarthKeepers' website and our Facebook page. At this time there's little that concerned citizens can do other than attend the announced meetings and applaud Council for their clear-eyed decision to embrace this initiative. Sea Grant is deep in the realm of complex mapping and a level of science that, quite honestly, keeps me scrambling up the learning curve.

 

I am deeply pleased by our community's support for this project, and the fact that St. Marys now stands as one of the most proactive and progressive coastal cities on either seaboard. The work that we do here will serve as a blueprint for communities throughout America - and beyond.

 

Biggert-Waters may be "delayed" but, according to the Government Accountability Office, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is approximately $24 billion in debt to the Treasury. The premiums are too small to cover its costs, pay claims to flooded homeowners, and repay the Treasury.  Property-owners will, sooner or later, be forced to cover the costs. http://www.moneynews.com/Personal-Finance/spending-bill-flood-insurance/2014/01/15/id/547309

 

What strikes me in all of this is our acceptance that we can't (won't) strive to lower the river, and so we must try to raise the "land." We are, on a national and global basis, becoming reactive instead of proactive when it come to climate change and its cataclysmic impacts. As I have said before, I urge you all to contact your elected officials. Ask them about their stance on climate change...and then cast your votes accordingly.

Alex

 

 

2014!

Happiest New Year to all! 

2013 was an exciting year in St. Marys as we continued to increase our recycling rate, inform and energize our community, and address the many challenges posed by climate-change and sea level rise.

So a new year stretches ahead…

With the NOAA Sea Grant – a powerful tool in our tool-box – we begin the work of ensuring that our extraordinary coastal community will be prepared for climate-related events and to deal with the crushing flood insurance rates that may come about as a result of the ill-advised Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Act. http://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance-reform-act-2012http://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance-reform-act-2012

We can reduce otherwise-unaffordable insurance rates by scoring well on the Community Rating System (http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-community-rating-system) and I am pleased to say that our city administration is fully behind this effort.  

The work has begun: the Sea Grant teams are active in St. Marys, information is being compiled and recommendations amassed. The work that we do here will not only benefit the citizens of our town, but will serve as a blueprint for all coastal communities.  Congratulations, St. Marys.

Meanwhile, the EarthKeepers continue to promote conscientious environmental stewardship, hold Electronics-recycling events, stand guard over our river and lands, support the many “green” groups in our schools, provide information to the residents, and do what we can honor the fact that “We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.”

Alex

The Sea Grant Project Begins...

This was the Agenda for the St. Marys Technical/Familiarity Visit Regarding Sea Grant on November 14, 2013:

1. 10:00 – 10:10 am - Welcome by Mayor-elect Morrissey
2. 10:10 am - Commence Visit with Project overview from Sea Grant principals: 

Dr. Jessica Whitehead (Coastal Communities Hazards Specialist, NC Sea Grant)

David Bryant (Assistant Director, GA Sea Grant)

Dr. Chuck Hopkinson (Director, GA Sea Grant)

Kelly Spratt (Local Government Outreach Coordinator, GA Sea Grant)

Jill Gambill (Public Relations Coordinator, GA Sea Grant). 

Dr. Jack Thigpen (Extension Director, NC Sea Grant)

Dr. Jason Evans (Environmental Sustainability Analyst, Carl Vinson Institute of Government)

a. Chuck Hopkinson 
i. Brief summary of Community Climate Adaptation Initiative program, and recap of how this project took shape

b. Have everybody go around and say what most concerns them about flooding/coastal hazards risks to St. Marys 

c. Kelly Spratt 
i. Discussion of flood insurance, Biggert-Waters Act, & CRS (Community Rating System)


d. Jess Whitehead and Jason Evans
i. Overview of project facilitation/technical strategy & timeline 

e. Open discussion
i. Questions & issues of concern
ii. Maps and pictures
iii. Local policy linkages
iv. Outreach discussions
v. Contacts for infrastructure/GIS data 
f. Discussion on physical needs for the Grant (space, IT, furnishings, etc.)

g. Tour of St. Marys

h. 7:00 pm - Reception hosted by the St. Marys EarthKeepers

Our thanks to City Council, City Manager, Steve Crowell, Planning Director, Roger Weaver, and the St. Marys EarthKeepers' board for helping to make the launch of the Sea Grant project a resounding success. The meeting was highly-informative with (despite the short notice) 45 in attendance (city officials and members of the public). It was followed by a full day of discussions and golf cart/van tours of St. Marys. The evening reception was thoroughly enjoyable, with 80+ civic leaders/general public able to speak with the GA and NC personnel.

Throughout the entire time, the Sea Grant teams continually expressed their "amazement" over the "unprecedented" level of professionalism, involvement and hospitality of our community. We are setting a very high standard for all other Sea Grant partners - plus leading the way in ground-breaking research while gaining a national/international reputation for proactive planning and progressive policy.

https://georgiaseagrant.uga.edu/article/9_25_13_st_marys/  

Our latest Electronics-Recycling/Paper Shredding Event on Nov. 2 was another resounding success. It's always so amazing to watch the amount of "stuff" that comes in...and Camden County is just one small map-dot on the planet. "Due to popular demand", we'll continue holding these events twice per year. Our thanks to the many people who hold on to their e-scrap and paper-work until it can all be fully recycled!

 

Next week we welcome Georgia Sea Grant and North Carolina Sea Grant teams to St. Marys. http://georgiaseagrant.uga.edu/article/9_25_13_st_marys/

 

The plans for the reception on the 14th are set, the invitations have been sent out and all is in readiness to start this exciting project. 

E-Scrap and Paper-Shredding Event, Nov. 2!

Out With The Old!

Christmas will be here before you know it. Don’t start the New Year with your house and shed full of old electronics and paper files!

Due to popular demand, the St. Marys EarthKeepers are hosting another E-Scrap Fair.

When: Saturday, November 2, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Where: St. Marys Aquatic Park (Herb Bauer Dr.)

What: All electronics. If it has a plug we accept it – with the exception of old tube televisions. And bring along anything that requires batteries, even the old batteries themselves.

With Sentry Data Management’s secure paper shredding, you can toss it all in without worrying about staples, paper clips etc.

Please note: We will not be collecting paint and household hazardous materials.

A suggested $5 donation to the St. Marys EarthKeepers would be greatly appreciated.

We Won The Grant!

Sea Grant and UGA Help Communities Plan for Sea Level Rise

Georgia Sea Grant, North Carolina Sea Grant and the University of Georgia are launching a project to help St. Marys, Ga. and Hyde County, N.C. plan for sea level rise, increased coastal flooding and intensified storm surges.

Funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the project is part of the National Sea Grant College Program’s nationwide effort to assist communities in preparing for the current and predicted impacts of climate variability and change.

St. Marys, Ga. is one of the most vulnerable cites in Georgia to these impacts. “90 percent of the historic structures in our historic district have their lowest floor elevation located below the current 100-year flood elevation,” said St. Marys Mayor William DeLoughy. “This study will hopefully provide the City—and other historic coastal cities—with guidance in how best to accommodate sea level rise for historic districts and structures.”

Established in 1787, St. Marys is home to valuable historical assets that city officials are keen to protect. The St. Marys Earthkeepers organized a public seminar earlier this year on sea level rise that brought in key city officials and over 120 residents from the community.

As part of the project, Georgia Sea Grant, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Marine Extension Service, all Public Service and Outreach units within the University of Georgia, will conduct research and collect information to analyze the costs and benefits for a range of actions designed to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts. This partnership is expanding upon a similar sea level rise adaptation project on Tybee Island, Ga. that received Georgia Trend Magazine’s “Four for the Future Award.”

“Much of Georgia’s shoreline lies just a few feet above sea level,” said Jason Evans, environmental sustainability analyst with the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government. “When you combine this with the substantial growth expected in coastal Georgia over the next few decades, you have increasing numbers of people, property, infrastructure and natural systems along the Southeast Atlantic coast likely becoming vulnerable to climate-related risks.”

The project also will address similar climate-related vulnerabilities in Hyde County, N.C. In both locations, the Georgia team will provide expertise in comparing the costs and benefits of adaptation actions, while N.C. Sea Grant will take the lead in developing, through a series of public workshops, detailed assessments of communities’ current and future vulnerabilities. The end result will be resilience and adaptation plans tailored to the needs of each community.

The team intends to link proposed adaption actions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System program, potentially reducing flood insurance rates for local residents as the plans are implemented. Lessons learned in these communities will be shared with other communities in the Southeast and through the National Sea Grant network.

We're doing well...but we can do even better!

EarthKeepers on Facebook

For day-to-day news and discussions, you can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/44706969520/?fref=ts

Adopt-A-Nest!

With thanks to the Tribune & Georgian for this article:

"With another round of 5-percent federal cuts slated for October, Cumberland Island National Seashore staff are looking to the future of the park’s sea turtle monitoring program.
“It’s 18 miles of undeveloped beach,” island wildlife biologist Doug Hoffman said. “We typically account for 25 to 30 percent of the statewide nesting total. It’s arguably the most important nesting beach in Georgia.”

Typically, the island receives two to four interns through Student Conservation Corps who patrol the beach daily between May and October noting false crawls, marking new nests, taking egg samples for a genetics study, moving nests laid too close to the water farther toward the dunes, documenting hatchings that start about late July and later excavating the nests to see how many turtles emerged.

“We have been monitoring the sea turtles on Cumberland since the 1970s,” Hoffman said. The program costs $18,000 annually, Hoffman said, and could be cut come October. “Our division does not have a lot of extra money except for salaries and the sea turtle program,” Hoffman said, noting the department had two employees leave and one retired, which resulted in some savings.

One source of funding for next year is Seaturtle.org’s adopt-a-nest program. The adoption fee is $25, with $10 going to the nonprofit website and $15 to the beach, Hoffman said. People can adopt a nest this season — Cumberland already has 203 — and the money would be held to fund the program in 2014. “There’s just not a big pot of money somewhere that we can draw from,” Hoffman said of financing the program. Each adoption includes a certificate, customized adoption webpage, the adopter’s name on the nesting beach’s webpage and updates on the nest throughout the season.
“Adopting a sea turtle nest is a great way to assist the National Park Service on Cumberland Island to conserve this fragile species,” seashore superintendent Fred Boyles said. “Adopting a nest makes a great gift or a way to help teach kids about stewardship of our ocean resources."

(I just adopted nest 66166
Nest Activity:

Nest was laid on 31 May 2013 by a Loggerhead sea turtle. The nest was protected with a plastic screen.
31 May 2013 - Nest was relocated (154 eggs).
31 May 2013 - 4 Eggs lost because of Ghost Crab).

http://www.seaturtle.org/nestdb/adopt/index.shtml?b=90&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seaturtle.org%2F

St. Marys Binational Peace Garden

Our sincere thanks to Pastor Rick Douylliez and the First Presbyterian Youth Group for their wonderful work at the St. Marys Binational Peace Garden! They weeded, mulched, cleaned and made the Garden shine.