the satilla initiative: spring 2004
draft phase 1 management plan for the university
of georgia's satilla river property
Team members: Krista Gridley, Eric Jenkins,
Billy Merck, Odin Stephens, Teresa Valentine
Project Report: Satilla
River Management Plan (large file; 25 MB PDF)
The University of Georgia has recently acquired property along the Satilla
River near Woodbine, Georgia. Donated to the university by the Marshlands
Plantation, this property was reverted to a wetland as part of a mitigation
banking proposal. To restore this former rice plantation as a wetland,
dikes were breached to allow daily tidal flooding by the river and an
extensive tree planting effort was undertaken. In addition to the protection
offered by mitigation banking regulations, a conservation easement was
also applied to the property and it was subsequently donated to the university.
Responsibility for the conservation and use of the property has been
delegated to the Institute of Ecology. At their request, our team has
been charged with designing a Draft Phase I Management Plan which will
provide a framework for management of the site. This plan must be consistent
with ecological principles of conservation, provide opportunities for
education and research, and satisfy all relevant legal requirements. Our
team will make its recommendations after considering stakeholder interviews,
reviewing comparable wetland management plans, and researching relevant
legal issues.
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