Contact: Elleen Kane FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2/7/97NOAA FINDS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT AT GEORGIA RESERVE
Georgia's Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve has made significant improvements over the past three years, raising the visibility of coastal resources and educating state residents on how to preserve the coast, an evaluation team from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.
After conducting a week-long series of public hearings and private meetings across the state in August, the team documented nine particular accomplishments showing that the reserve is serving Georgia residents as well as contributing to the work of a nationwide system of reserves.
These accomplishments ranged from constructing and staffing a new 3,000-square-foot visitor center on Sapelo Island to establishing a volunteer corps and strengthening relationships with local governments and the University of Georgia.
At the time of the evaluation, an estimated 6,000 people were participating annually in reserve programs, learning about ecological, historic, archaeological and cultural aspects of Sapelo Island through public tours, interpretative programs, nature trails, and special programs, such as bird observations. The reserve has also brought the coast inland to high school students in the Altamaha River watershed who now monitor the watershed's water quality. In addition, 110 area residents now volunteer at the reserve.
"We saw such tremendous growth at the reserve since the last evaluation, particularly in the way the people who run the program have gotten communities involved in learning about the coast," said Cheryl Graham, NOAA's evaluation team leader.
After the Sapelo Island visit, the NOAA evaluation team deemed the Sapelo Island Reserve "satisfactorily adhering to its management plan," meaning that the program is in good standing and meets the terms and conditions of NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
"Over the past 25 years, we've learned that a healthy coast, nationwide, requires educating people about the coast," Graham said. "The reserve has found much more effective ways to do that over the past three years."
To maintain its high standing, the reserve must hire a research coordinator and improve its research program over the next three years. To further improve the reserve's effectiveness in helping Georgia maintain a healthy coastline, the NOAA evaluation team suggested that the Sapelo Island reserve take an additional 10 steps, such as developing a formal memorandum of understanding with the University of Georgia to enhance opportunities in research and education, and help meet facility needs on the island.
NOAA sends an evaluation team to Georgia once every three years to see how well the reserve is doing in providing state decision makers with critical research on coastal resource health and in educating residents about their impact on those resources. During this visit, the evaluation team meets with representatives from state and local government agencies and environmental organizations, as well as with business and community leaders and the general public about the reserve's progress in coastal research and education.
Sapelo Island is one of 21 sites in the national system. State governments voluntarily participate in the national reserve system. Under the program, state and federal governments agree on pristine sites to dedicate to the reserve system and, together, determine the focus of research and education for reserves nationwide.
Designated in 1976, the reserve is bounded by the Mud River, New Teakettle Creek and Doboy Sound. Sapelo Island Reserve encompasses almost 4,000 acres of marshland and more than 2,000 acres of high ground. The reserve includes some of the last marshland on the East Coast retained in a natural condition.
For a copy of the final findings for the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation, contact NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, 1305 East-West Hwy., N/ORM4, 11th floor, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.