JIA hires firm to study maritime forest concerns
Wed, Apr 16, 2008
By ANNA FERGUSONThe Brunswick NewsForming a brilliant green canopy of shade and shadows, the maritime forest on Jekyll Island's west end is one of the island's natural treasures. Lately, it has also become the center of attention for the Jekyll Island redevelopment plans.Sixty percent of the maritime forest on the East Coast is in Georgia, with a large portion of that landscape on Jekyll Island, said Paul Medder, marine educator for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The forest landscape is composed of sprawling live oaks, lean pine trees and other foliage and wildlife species. Known as a climax community, the forest does not change over time unless disturbed by outside forces, such as development, fires or hurricanes, he said.
"Jekyll Island is a good example of a maritime forest, but Cumberland Island is a better example of how a forest looks when it is mainly preserved," Medder said. "(The Cumberland forest) looks the same now as it has almost always looked. It's untouched."Skeptics of the Jekyll Island revitalization plans, including Jekyll Island Authority secretary Ed Boshears, have voiced concern that growth on and around the forest would damage the sensitive landscape. The section of forest they are most concerned about is the area diagonally from the current convention center. It will share close quarters with Linger Longer Communities' proposed $342 million redevelopment project, which will include a new convention center, beach village and hotels.
The authority has contracted with Alton Brown of the Resource and Land Consultants survey firm in Savannah to examine the land and determine the areas of the forest that are and are not suitable for development, said Eric Garvey, spokesman for the authority. The findings will be submitted to the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine how building should proceed based on environmental laws. Linger Longer's redevelopment blueprints will be made based on findings and state law, Garvey said. "The term environmental study is very broad," he said. "There are a lot of steps to be taken to see the survey process through. Taking these surveys is the first step in the larger process."The amount of maritime forest that could be affected by growth will not be known until the initial environmental studies have been completed, Garvey said. A timeline for when the survey will be finished has not been set, but neither the authority nor Linger Longer Communities is rushing the results, Garvey said."That is one of the key reasons why we chose Linger Longer. They have a track record of taking their time and being responsible," Garvey said. "We look at all natural areas as sensitive, and we need to be careful with how we proceed with building."While the maritime forest is a delicate ecosystem, building around the region does not have to equate with destruction, Medder said. Growth could actually be a positive thing. "Jekyll Island could become a poster child for green growth," marine educator Medder said. "Growth doesn't have to be a choice of right or wrong. This could become a lesson for how to do it a better way."Some say they don't want growth but that's not realistic."
|
|
|
|
