Re: [North Georgia Democrats] Memo to Senator Steve Gooch and Commissioner Doug...

Penny Armstrong Bernath commented on your post in North Georgia Democrats. Penny Armstrong Bernath 10:05am Nov 17 Environmental P rotection? Comment History Frank Gilkeson 10:00am Nov 17 Yes we need citizen reporting from the field via cell phone photos of what is going on out there. I have been told that Forstar LLC which holds vast tracts of undeveloped forest land in eastern Lumpkin County both north and south of 52E have stripped all vegatation from the side of a creek where they apparently are intending to layout a new subdivisions. Who can verify this with cell phone photos? Ken Akins 9:56am Nov 17 I was a member of a very strong public environmental group called Altamaha Riverkeepers when I lived on the coast. They would take pictures and bother EPD so much they had to act to protect our wetlands. I have known many a developer who disregarded marshland protection and had to pay heavy fines plus mitigate what they had destroyed. Perhaps such a group is needed up here. Original Post Frank Gilkeson 9:51am Nov 17 Memo to Senator Steve Gooch and Commissioner Doug Sherrill. Your efforts to reduce stream buffers and house setbacks along waterways is starting to work. The Georgia Environment Protection Division is no longer enforcing the 25 foot protective buffer on stream marshes along the Georgia coast. The EPD has still not come forward with new rules following passage of SB299 earlier this year. What are the doing? Why is this taking so long? Maybe they will follow thru and do away with all buffers and setbacks upstream from drinking water reservoirs like Yahoola Creek in Yahoola Valley. Then it will be possible to build big retirement and vacation houses right up next to Yahoola Creek and sell them to rich folks from Atlanta. "As of April, a 25-foot buffer of undisturbed vegetation provided for in the Erosion and Sedimentation Act has not been enforced on the salt marsh. As a result of confusing language in the Act, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division is allowing construction to occur right up to the edge of our valuable wetlands and marshes," http://www.wral.com/campaign-promotes-selfies-in-georgia-s-salt-marsh/14184216/ Campaign promotes selfies in Georgia's salt marsh :: WRAL.com www.wral.com If you love the marsh and hate that it's less protected than it used to be, the environmental group ... View Post on Facebook · Edit Email Settings · Reply to this email to add a comment.