Under Georgia’s Coastal Marshlands Protection Act, DNR’s Coastal Resources Division administer permits for constructing docks. With few exceptions, single-user private docks meeting state standards do not require a public hearing – applicants are issued a “programmatic permit” under provisions of federal rules administered by the Corps.
DNR is now proposing to more than double the length of boardwalks across Georgia’s marshlands to provide private-dock access to navigable waters. If approved as proposed, each walkway could have a footprint exceeding one-fifth of an acre. By shading the marsh, walkways compromise the health of vegetation and other vital intertidal habitat conditions beneath them.
Official justification for more than doubling the length of boardwalks and corresponding damage to the marsh is ambiguous and unconvincing. There has been no assessment of the number of marsh-front landowners who would benefit by rules making their property water accessible with longer boardwalks, how much property value would be increased by DNR’s proposal, and who, exactly, would profit from these boosted property values.
If political candidates hope to win the support of Georgia’s coastal voters, they must provide explicit answers to these questions.
To protect Georgia’s prized marshlands, concerned citizens should submit comments to DNR (crd.comments@dnr.ga.gov) by September 30.
David Kyler, Center for a Sustainable Coast
Saint Simons Island