We are asking Governor Deal to  make a series of decisions that will renew the state’s commitment to preserving what we love about the coast.

#1) Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee
Governor Deal should appoint a balanced and qualified group of people to the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee, the citizens who oversee state programs for permitting development in these vital habitats. Georgia’s marshlands are home to countless fish and animal species, and serve as nature’s water pollution filters. They are the foundation of a healthy coastal environment. For far too long, the fox has guarded the henhouse when it comes to protecting marshlands. The membership of the CMPC has been stacked with representatives looking out for the interests of developers and polluters, with only token representation for those looking out for clean water, nature, and public health. The result: issuing permits to private interests to build over these natural areas without evaluating the cumulative impacts of all of these structures on the delicate marshes.

How can the governor balance the membership of this committee? It’s simple – appoint some qualified scientists and members of the conversation community to the mix.

#2) Board of Natural Resources
Governor Deal should also appoint a balanced and qualified group of people to the Board of Natural Resources — the citizens who oversee all the activities of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The Georgia DNR plays an important role in the future of the coast — enforcing air and water pollution control laws, managing the harvest of shrimp, crabs, and other seafood, and monitoring timber operations. Like the Coastal Marshland Protection Committee, qualified scientists and conservation advocates have been underrepresented on the Board of Natural Resources.  This means that developers and polluters have the ear of the agency leadership — and citizens and wildlife do not.

#3) Department of Natural Resources
For too long, the people who enforce Georgia’s pollution control laws have done their jobs with the prospect of political interference looming over their heads. Far too often, law enforcement officers pull their punches and cut sweetheart deals with polluters — ordering them to clean up their act, but giving them one deadline extension after another. This must stop, so Governor Deal should send a message to the regulators that can do their job without political interference. For example, Governor Deal should revisit the 2007 Rayonier Consent Order that allows the company to continue to discharge color at levels that will violate the Clean Water Act and Georgia law and fails to impose sufficient standards and protocols to adequately address the long standing problems from this facility.


It doesn’t cost Georgia taxpayers a nickel to appoint to the right people to the right positions and to let law enforcement officers do their jobs.