Help Contain Jack Kingston's Cumberland Island Mistake

Read today's AJC article by Stacy Shelton on the opening of Cumberland Island to further automobile traffic. Most of Georgia's environmental groups are opposed to this. Georgia's "Golden Coast" is still largely unspoiled with Cumberland Island being one of the most beautiful places for scenery and appreciation of nature.

The National Park Service is encouraging people to express their wishes for what they'd like to see done. You may do so before tommorow at: www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm.

Relating specifically to this matter, the Georgia Environmental Action Network sent out this email:


Help Preserve Cumberland Island’s Wilderness

Dear Button,

We need your help to protect Cumberland Island and to preserve what is so precious and rare there – eastern, coastal wilderness where one can find solitude and peace in deep maritime forest.

Problem:

In the fall of 2003, Rep. Jack Kingston attached a rider to the budget bill that removed the wilderness designation from several roads on Cumberland Island and required that the National Park Service provide vehicle tours through the Wilderness to the north end of the island. The Park Service is now requesting input on the plan that will govern those tours. While environmental advocacy organizations remain opposed to the tours because their mere existence will negatively impact Cumberland’s wilderness experience, the details of the plan have yet to be developed and much can still be done to minimize that impact. Therefore, it is critically important that the public urge the Park Service to adopt a plan that will have the least impact to the Wilderness and the island’s natural resources.

Solution:

In developing the transportation plan, the National Park Service should seek only to meet the minimum requirements of the legislation and minimize the impacts on Cumberland Island’s natural resources, its Wilderness, and its wilderness experience.

Action Needed:

Please write the National Park Service by September 1, 2006 and urge them to develop a plan that has the least impact on Cumberland Island’s Wilderness and wilderness experience. Deadline for responding: Please take action by Friday, September 01, 2006.

The following organizations are participating in this campaign:

Altamaha Riverkeeper
Center for a Sustainable Coast
Georgia Conservancy
Georgia Conservation Voters
Sierra Club - Georgia Chapter
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy