![]() I oppose the proposed 2019 VUMP developed by the NPS and implore you to take this feedback seriously. I urge you to consider what makes Cumberland Island special - its diverse ecosystems and its opportunities for solitude - while protecting nature - and to manage it accordingly. Increasing ferry trips and visitor limits, creating more 'comfort stations' and campsites, selling merchandise and supplies on the island - it is all unconscionable and it's reprehensible that it's even being considered. I have yet to encounter any natural area that benefits from amplified traffic, even if diverted differently, ‘better’, or ‘more efficiently’ as you have allotted for in your plan. ![]() It is clear that the proposed VUMP will adversely impact the island’s already-fragile ecosystems. ![]() That means recreational development is to take place ONLY to the extent that the island's primitive character and ecosystems are not compromised. When Cumberland Island was established as a National Seashore, Congress directed the National Park Service that “no development of the project or plan for the convenience of visitors shall be undertaken which would be incompatible with the preservation of the unique flora and fauna” (section 5b). Please act quickly to remove the feral hogs from Cumberland Island. The national seashore also preserves and interprets many historic sites and structures. The seashore features beaches and dunes, marshes, and freshwater lakes. The Park Service acknowledges that all feral hogs should be removed from the island, but they have not implemented a plan to remove the hogs. Cumberland Island National Seashore preserves most of Cumberland Island in Camden County, Georgia, the largest of Georgia's Golden Isles. Thousands of feral hogs roam the island, posing a danger to hikers and island visitors as well. The disruption of the island flora also directly impacts the island fauna dependent on those various plant communities for food, shelter, and nesting. Feral hogs have been found to heavily feed on long leaf pine seedlings, affecting the regeneration of this valuable key plant species. The foraging and rooting of hogs have also greatly disturbed various plant communities and plant patterns of succession interfered with essential nutrient cycling and in some areas removed dune stabilizing vegetation. They often destroy the nests of endangered sea turtles and ground-nesting birds. Feral hogs have caused widespread damage to Cumberland Island. To whom it may concern, I am writing to support the immediate removal of all feral hogs from Cumberland Island.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |