Last week a group of state lawmakers got a first-hand look at some of the issues impacting the Georgia coast while taking part in the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s Legislative Environmental Policy Academy.
Members of the House and Senate Natural Resources and Environment committees spent several days looking at issues such as land conservation, living shorelines, shore protection and coastal resilience efforts in seminars led by local governments and the Coastal Resources Division. They visited the Altama Wildlife Management Area, Jekyll Island, Little Saint Simons Island and Sea Island, as well as Sapelo Sea Farms — where they visited a clam aquaculture lease and discussed oyster aquaculture.
The site visit also included a trip to the University of Georgia’s Marine Institute at Sapelo, where they learned about resilience measures implemented to protect the institute from hurricanes and flooding.
This year’s training also featured a briefing on the capsized vessel, the Golden Ray, in St. Simons Sound.
“Understanding issues, such as how saltwater intrusion affects coastal water resources,
requires continual engagement with experts and resource managers,” said State Representative Lynn Smith (R-Newnan), Chairperson of the House Natural Resources and Environment committee. “We must educate ourselves regularly as we manage and monitor our water resources.”
Her counterpart in the Senate, Chairman Tyler Harper (R-Ocilla), added “Connecting natural resource management to community values and economic development makes Georgia stronger. Land conservation efforts, such as the Altama Wildlife Management Area, can protect habitat while also providing outdoor recreational opportunities that bring hunters, anglers, hikers and birdwatchers to our more rural areas.”
UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government launched the Georgia General Assembly Environmental Policy Academy in 2011 with funding from the Dobbs Foundation, support that was renewed in 2017. The Academy is designed to provide members of the Georgia General
Assembly with relevant information about current and developing environmental issues. In 2017, lawmakers visited Southwest Georgia, focusing on water, longleaf pine restoration, and rural brownfields.
