Georgia Wildlife Federation

If you are traveling to Georgia's barrier islands by air, land, or water, you can't help but marvel at the vast expanses of salt marsh that Sidney Lanier so eloquently wrote about in his famous poem, "The Marshes of Glynn."

Beauty aside, Georgia's marshes are among the most biologically productive in the world thanks to their high tidal range. According to Georgia DNR, they produce nearly twenty tons of biomass per acre, making them four times more productive than the most prolific cornfields. As a result of this productivity, numerous industries are supported by our coastal marshes. According to Wild Georgia Shrimp, the impact of Georgia's shrimp industry alone on the state's economy is estimated at more than $200 million.

Recognizing the aesthetic, biological, and economic value of our coastal marshes, legislators have introduced a bill to amend the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act of 1970 (the Marsh Act) requiring a more protective buffer zone on Georgia's coast without threatening landowners' rights.

A sponsor of the bill, Representative Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell) sat in the General Assembly when the Act was passed in 1970. "The Marsh Act protected the marsh against industrial threats in the 1970's and against relatively slow coastal development through the 1990's," said Rep. Geisinger. "It now must be updated to protect our marshes from the rapidly increasing residential and commercial development along the
entire coast."

The proposed amendment to the Marsh Act would create a 50-foot buffer between the marshlands and new development, which as science shows, is the minimum needed to protect the marsh and surrounding property values. The amendment will not take property away from current landowners, apply to existing structures or make the buffer zone unusable. It will, however, require a permit to build within the new buffer zone to protect the marsh from polluted stormwater runoff from waterfront and
upland development.

Fifty feet is not a large distance. It is the buffer that now exists on trout streams in North Georgia. It is the width of the street frontage of many house lots in the City of Atlanta's older neighborhoods. It is only five feet longer than a 15-yard penalty in a football game. While this buffer would not provide full protection needed for the salt marsh, it would alert landowners that their actions can affect the marsh - the very thing that attracted them to buy the land in the first place.

Jerry McCollum, president and CEO of GWF, said, "Here on the coast of Georgia we are blessed with the opportunity to create a future for this fragile ecosystem that is sustainable, profitable, and protected. If we squander our resources for the short-term financial gain of a few, future generations will regret our lack of vision. As a result of our short-sightedness, our coastal treasures are vulnerable to being compromised."

The Georgia Water Coalition identifies the coast as a top priority and is encouraged by this truly bi-partisan bill, which would protect one of Georgia's most valued yet threatened assets - our coastal salt marsh - against damage from stormwater runoff. Without these changes and updates to the Marsh Act, citizens on our coasts will face falling property values, decreased protection from flooding and storm damage, and degradation of water quality and Georgia's fisheries.

For more information on the Georgia Water Coalition, please visit www.georgiawater.org.