WWALS Ambassador Dave Hetzel explains the
Alapaha River Water Trail: recreation through fishing, swimming, boating,
conservation, and economic benefits through heads on beds, restaurant
customers, gas, and outfitters. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Economy
Sabal Trail Withlacoochee River Alternative and Jasper Open House 21 Oct 2014
Due to fine work by WWALS members Chris and Deanna Mericle in Hamilton
County, Florida,
Sabal Trail proposes to move its fracked methane
pipeline off of the Withlacoochee River in Florida, and invites the public
to an Open House in Jasper, FL Tuesday October 21st about that and
other matters. We can ask them to move it off the Withlacoochee River
in Georgia, too. And it’s still possible to file ecomments with FERC,
and to contact your local, state, and national elected and appointed officials.
In FERC’s 15 October 2014 Sabal Trail Notice of EIS Intent and Route Alternatives, Continue reading
DuPont withdraws permit application for Jesup mine –Riverkeepers and Greenlaw
Land use planning can make even a $60 billion market cap company
think again about a mine in our sensitive karst limestone aquifer.
details here.
Greenlaw pictures
here. -jsq
For Immediate Release: August 27, 2014
Public Outcry Against Proposed Mine Continues to Grow, Mining Company Withdraws Permit Application
JESUP, GA-After hundreds of local residents, conservation groups, and elected officials expressed concerns Continue reading
WWALS gets grant from river network –VDT
Statewide organization recognizes WWALS Watershed Coalition, plus local direct and indirect economic benefits of an Alapaha Water Trail, wrote the reporter who called me yesterday about the WWALS PR. -jsq
Matthew Woody wrote for the Valdosta Daily Times yesterday, WWALS gets grant from river network,
The Willacoochee, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, and Little River Systems Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) received a $500 Alapaha Water Trail Grant from the Georgia River Network. John Quarterman, president of WWALS, said that making a water trail on the Alapaha River involves mapping out the river and putting out guide posts. The maps will show where boat ramps are along the river.
This grant goes beyond maps and guide posts; it signifies that a statewide organization recognizes South Georgia rivers.
“The grant for the Alapaha Water Trail is Continue reading
The Alliance opposes any new pipelines in these areas –Ichetucknee Alliance to FERC
Filed with FERC 17 December 2013 and on the Ichetucknee Alliance facebook group:
Lucinda F Merritt, Fort White, FL.
The Ichetucknee Alliance (http:// ichetucknee alliance.org) opposes placement of any new natural gas pipelines under, over or through the 5.5-mile long Ichetucknee River, including the area of Ichetucknee Springs State Park, the area of Columbia County that is included in the historic riverbed (the Ichetucknee Trace), and any part of the Ichetucknee Springshed.
The Alliance opposes any new pipelines in these areas for the following reasons.
The river and springs, including Ichetucknee Springs State Park, are Continue reading
Arsenic, Outings, and Flooding: WWALS Watershed Coalition @ VLCIA 2013-04-16
Water issues strongly affect economic development, so I talked about
the new WWALS Watershed Coalition at the
16 April 2013 Board Meeting
of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority.
The VDT declined to speak, so I did. After apologizing for no okra today, I commended the Authority for talking about the missing agenda items and for mentioning due diligence and flood control.
Mostly I talked about the new WWALS Watershed Coalition,
www.wwals.net,
incorporated in June 2012, which is about watershed issues
such as flooding, water quality, and invasive species related to the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee,
Alapaha, and Little River System.
I mentioned
arsenic in some local well water,
which
the Department of Health has finally said should be tested,
three years after
Janet McMahan discovered it was a problem.
I invited VLCIA board and staff to two upcoming WWALS events:
- 20 April 2013 Withlacoochee Paddle, which has since happened, and unfortunately none of them paddled.
- 11 May 2013 Janisse Ray reads at a fundraiser at Black Shank Pavillion in Tifton.
WWALS board meetings are every second Wednesday of the month, usually at the IHOP in Adel because it’s centrally located. WWALS is communicating with Valdosta and various organizations about flooding and other watershed-wide issues, which in my opinion have to do with things like too much clearcutting without consideration for where the water goes, too much development without consideration for what the impervious surface would do, (to my surprise, the Executive Director and several board members nodded along with that) so it was good to hear them mention flood containment.
Here’s the video:
Arsenic, Outings, and Flooding: WWALS Watershed Coalition
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland, Chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton, Attorney, Tom Davis, CPA, Allan Ricketts, Project Manager,S. Meghan Duke, Public Relations & Marketing Manager, Lu Williams, Operations Manager,
Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 16 April 2013.
-jsq