Yesterday was actually Florida Gopher Tortoise Day, but as Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says, “you can celebrate gopher tortoises by making your yard tortoise friendly and participating in our new recognition program.”
Georgians, you won’t get a sign, but you can also make your yards gopher-friendly for Gopherus polyphemus.
Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yard Recognition Program
![[Gopher tortoise in human habitat --FFWCC]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-04-10--gopher-tortoise-day/6893501454_bbe28cdf8a_o.jpg)
Gopher tortoise in human habitat –FFWCC
Update 2023-02-08: Morven Solar denied @ Brooks County Commission 2023-02-06.
Update 2023-02-06: Herbivores, sediment basins, silt fences for Morven Solar –WWALS to Brooks County Commission 2023-02-06.
These WWALS videos show the Public Hearing that was the only agenda item at the Brooks County Planning Commission, January 19, 2023.
![[Movie: Rules for Speaking --Pat Sharpe, Chair (30M)]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-01-19--morven-solar-videos/big/MVI_0337.jpg)
Movie: Rules for Speaking –Pat Sharpe, Chair (30M)
The Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions.
The actual decision on the Special Exception will be made tonight at 5PM by the Brooks County Commission at Brooks County Courthouse, East Screven Street, Quitman, GA, 31643.
There is no agenda for tonight’s meeting on the county’s website, WWALS has still not received agenda nor board packet in response to our open records request of January 30, 2023.
Here’s a LAKE video playlist:
Videos: Morven Solar at Brooks County Planning Commission 2023-01-19
Videos by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS).
Below are links to each WWALS video of each speaker. Except for some camera glitches, these videos show the entire meeting.
See also the agenda, the board packet, the pictures of the sites of Morven Solar, and Report: Conditions wanted on Morven Solar by Brooks County Planning Commission 2023-01-20.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/
Update 2023-02-06: Videos: Morven Solar at Brooks County Planning Commission 2023-01-19.
In front of a standing-room-only audience, and after long hesitation, the Brooks County Planning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend Conditional Approval for the Morven Solar project, pending “A Valid Road use Agreement put in-place” and “Erosion Measures provided and Filtration Plants in the Retention Ponds”.
Here is the report sent from the Planning Commission to the County Commission for its decision on February 6th. The report has some puzzling omissions.
![[Meeting 2023-01-19, Recommendation 2023-01-20]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-01-20--morven-solar-planning-commission-report/many.jpg)
Meeting 2023-01-19, Recommendation 2023-01-20
Staff still recommends denial, and the included Staff Analysis is the same as provided before the Planning Commission meeting. Continue reading
Update 2023-01-18: Agenda: One item, Morven Solar @ Brooks County Planning Commission 2023-01-19.
A large solar project, in agricultural fields and pecan groves scattered around wetlands, will be heard by the Brooks County Planning Commission at 5:30 PM this Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 610 S Highland Road, Quitman, GA 31643.
![[Morven Solar, Slaughter Creek, Withlacoochee River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-01-19--brooks-co-planning/many.jpg)
Morven Solar, Slaughter Creek, Withlacoochee River
Staff’s recommendation:
Due to the staff’s concern of the amount of “prime farmland”, the quantity of jurisdictional wetlands, the threatened and candidate species potential impacts, and the amount of access roads because the parcels are not contiguous (especially Peach Road — dirt), the Staff recommends DENIAL of the applicant’s proposed use as a Large-Scale Solar Energy System.
WWALS is generally in favor of solar power, but this project raises serious doubts, most of which are expressed in the Staff Analysis.
The final decision will be made by the Brooks County Commission, 5:00 PM, Monday, February 6, 2023, also at 610 S Highland Road, Quitman, GA 31643.
The project is between Morven and Hahira, straddling Slaughter Creek, upstream from the Little River. Continue reading
The Little River Trail mentioned is a hiking trail, but it and Reed Bingham State Park (RBSP) are on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail. RBSP is the site of the annual WWALS and FORB BIG Little River Paddle Race and where last summer FORB invited WWALS to help fifty new boaters paddle.
Jared Ranahan, Forbes, August 7, 2020, Six Underrated Southern Destinations To Include On A Nature Lover’s Road Trip,
![[Forbes: Reed Bingham State Park, Underrated Southern Nature Lover Destination]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-07--forbes-reed-bingham/rbsp.jpg)
Forbes: Reed Bingham State Park, Underrated Southern Nature Lover Destination
“The gopher tortoise is a burrowing animal, and other creatures such as gopher frogs, indigo snakes, … [+] Georgia Department of Natural Resources”
Continue readingReed Bingham State Park
For those wishing to encounter a wide array of native Georgian flora and fauna, few destinations compare to Reed Bingham State Park, a 1,613-acre stretch of land located in the depths of rural southern Georgia. The park is rife with hiking trails that showcase the rich biodiversity of the region—the Little River Trail crosses through pristine swamp, offering glimpses of river otters, turtles, and bald cypress trees, while the short Turkey Oak Trail is home to native ectothermic species ranging from indigo snakes to Georgia’s own state reptile, the gopher tortoise. Be sure to spend some time exploring the banks of Reed Bingham Park Lake—this idyllic water feature is a popular local spot for kayaking and fishing.
Our Suwannee Riverkeeper Southwings flight of October 5, 2019, caused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to demand Twin Pines Minerals explain their equipment site on pain of civil or criminal penalties.
![[Dragline Yard Location Map]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-10-18--tpm-dragline-yard/2019.10.18-TPM-Response-to-Intend-to-Ltr-0003.jpg)
Dragline Yard Location Map
PDF
The Corps’ Holly Ross wrote on October 9, 2019 (see also PDF): :
We received a tip that Twin Pines had started work on the project site. The WWALS has aerial imagery posted on their site of mining equipment staged. Continue reading
The local newspaper discovered another discrepancy between what the Army Corps announced and what the mining company is saying.
Marla Ogletree, Charlton County Herald, 23 July 2019, Twin Pines seeks permit for heavy mineral mining in Okefenokee area.
The story notes the Public Notice says Twin Pines Minerals (TPM) is asking to mine 12,000 acres near the world-famous Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. But Steven Ingle with TPM told the newspaper TPM only owns about 9,000 acres, and they would disturb only part of that.
The story has further discussion about TPM’s claims of low impact. Then:
“Based on the amount of permanent damage, the mining could still [a]ffect the top soil for planting trees, which could then cause issues for natural habitats,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.
Endangered animals, such as Continue reading
Spooks! Daredevil dry-land kayaker! Bridge climber! Gnarly jerky and the golf cart! Also the Withlacoochee River at Spook Bridge, Knight’s Ferry Boat Ramp, Nankin Boat Ramp, each with road and kiosk signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, plus briefly Port-A-Potties at all those places and halfway back up towards Troupville Boat Ramp, and a gopher tortoise, all during Day 2 of #PaddleGA2019.
There were boats. Continue reading
Matt Elliott, GA-DNR Wildlife Resources Division blog, 25 April 2017, Alapaha River WMA: Storied Site for Sandhills, Wildlife,
Alapaha River Wildlife Management Area had achieved near-legendary status in some circles well before the 6,869 acres were opened as a WMA on Sept. 30, 2016. The site has been variously known as the Lentile Tract, the Snake Sanctuary, Dan Speake’s indigo snake study site (by herpetologists familiar with the work of the Auburn University wildlife professor emeritus) and the Pasture (by local hunters).
UGA graduate student Erin Cork with an eastern indigo (John Jensen/DNR)Providing the border along Irwin and Tift counties between Tifton and Ocilla, the Alapaha River at this point is Continue reading
![[Trail Ridge Land LLC]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-07-12--tpm-usace/trail-ridge-land.jpg)
![[Joe Cook and Harold Harbert]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-06-16--paddle-ga-day-2/20190616_094032.jpg)