www.SouthernEnvironment.org

(SAVANNAH) – The Georgia coast is a great place to live and do business, and the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is trying to make sure it stays that way. The coast is vital to Savannah and Southeast Georgia. The nonprofit SELC works to make sure people follow the rules that protect this crucial asset.

“It’s extremely important to protect our coastal areas, because it is one of the economic engines of our area,” said local businessman Sheldon Tenenbaum, past chairman of the Savannah Economic Development Authority and current member of the Savannah Airport Commission. It’s important that an independent, nonpartisan group like Southern Environmental Law Center ensures that the laws and statutes protecting the coast are followed, he said. The public has a right to have the beaches and waterways protected from harm.

SELC’s David Pope further explained, “Our job is to protect the public’s interest and the public’s resources.” Pope is Director of the Georgia/Alabama office of SELC. The organization, as the largest nonprofit environmental advocacy organization dedicated solely to protecting the South’s environment, recently launched an initiative focusing on the Georgia coast, including Savannah and the surrounding coastal region.

Georgia has one-third of the salt marsh on the East Coast, and residents and tourists alike are drawn to the coast. The quality of life that coastal living provides helps attract new businesses as well as makes hiring and retention easier for employers. Pope said, “The coastal resources draw people to the area – the creeks, marshes, hammocks and barrier islands. It’s the whole ambience.”

“Being on the coast is one of the real draws to this area,” Tenenbaum said. “It certainly is important in bringing both working and retired people to our community.” But, he hopes more people start paying attention to protecting our environment. “The coast is a legacy that we will leave for generations to come. If we screw it up, that is how we will be remembered.”

Tourism provides two billion dollars annually to the coastal Georgia economy, according to the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The Georgia coast supports multimillion dollar commercial and recreational fishing industries. The zone is home to resources of worldwide ecological importance.

Pope also quickly added, “We’re not against development. We know we need economic growth. There are only a handful of developments we’ve taken to court – those are the ones that aren’t following the law.”

It’s just good sense to protect our assets, Pope explained, and good for business. The great quality of life and natural beauty here are vulnerable to poorly planned development. And, the situation has become urgent because of the sheer volume of new development and the permanent damage that poorly planned development causes, Pope explained.

In addition to beauty and recreation, the Georgia coast’s wetlands provide a cleansing sponge for stormwater runoff, Pope explained, and the marsh estuary is one of the most unique and productive areas in the U.S. Improperly placed development will cause serious damage to the marsh and the entire ecology.

“What we’re trying to do is get the government to enforce existing laws,” Pope said. Many government agencies charged with protecting the coast lack the resources, and at times the will, to do so, Pope said.

The population of ten-county area of the coastal region is expected to increase 51 percent by 2030, according to a 2006 study by Georgia Tech and Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center. Chatham County’s population is projected to increase 32.5 percent between 2000 and 2030. Some local leaders expect growth to exceed those projections.

Dana Braun, local attorney and former City of Savannah alderman, said the coast affects more than just tourism and real estate companies. Braun believes the coast is a major factor in the growth of our area and that growth affects every business.

“Growth affects every business,” Braun said. “We can have both healthy growth and the protection of our environment. The coast is one of the reasons for the growth of our area so it needs to be protected. Who doesn’t want to live near the beaches, marsh, rivers and forests of our area or at least have access to them for recreation?

“The destruction of our coastal ecology will have deleterious effects on the quality of life in this area,” Braun said. “You look at the growth in the area, much of it is attributable to the coast and our other natural assets are used as a marketing tool for this area.”

“Hopefully our political leaders will work for regulations that permit healthy growth of the area, prevent the natural beauty from being destroyed,” Braun said. “It’s about the future. We’ve all got to be focused on it.”

“You get to a point of diminishing return, to a point where who wants to live here if we overdevelop and destroy our natural wonders,” Braun said. “Look what’s happened to Florida. You have to have growth but in a way that won’t destroy the reason why so many want to live in this area.”

Most of the marshes in George are owned by the public (thought some are privately owned because of the way those property deeds were conducted in the past).

SELC, founded 22 years ago, uses the full power of the law to preserve and protect the health and environment of the Southeast, including shaping, enacting and enforcing laws and policies, strengthening relationships with legislators and policy-makers, and partnering with other environmental organizations.

SELC works collaboratively with more than 100 partner groups who depend on the group’s expertise, regional perspective, and legal strategy to complement and strengthen their efforts. SELC’s consistent track record has earned it a reputation as one of the most effective non-profits in the nation. SELC, which is donor-funded by foundations, families and individuals, provides its services at no cost to its partner environmental groups. There are three attorneys based in the Georgia-Alabama office, headquartered in Atlanta, who are focused on Georgia coastal issues.

SELC spends about a quarter of its time litigating cases where the law is not being followed. The rest of the time is spent working cooperatively with agencies and governing bodies, helping shape laws and policies that can protect the Southeast.

About the Southern Environmental Law Center
SELC is a nonprofit donor-supported environmental advocacy organization using the power of the law to protect the environment and health in the Southeast. Since 1986, SELC has informed, implemented and enforced environmental law and policy concerning clean air and water, mountain forests, the coast and wetlands, and rural lands and livable communities. Working to defend the public’s interest and never for private gain, SELC provides its legal services without charge to other environmental organizations and partner groups. SELC has 63 staff members and offices in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia; Chapel Hill and Asheville, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina, Washington, DC,; and Atlanta. Visit SELC online at www.SouthernEnvironment.org

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