skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Some South Dakota farmers are unhappy with industrial ag getting conservation funds; Texas judge allows abortion in Cox case; Native tribes express concern over Nevada's clean energy projects.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Colorado Supreme Court weighs barring Trump from office, Georgia Republicans may be defying a federal judge with a Congressional map splitting a Black majority district and fake electors in Wisconsin finally agree Biden won there in 2020.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Texas welcomes more visitors near Big Bend but locals worry the water won't last, those dependent on Colorado's Dolores River fear the same but have found common ground solutions, and a new film highlights historical healthcare challenges in rural Appalachia.

GA Group Challenges Elimination of Coastal Dredging Protections

play audio
Play

Friday, January 6, 2023   

The new year brings a new legal challenge to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, asking it to reconsider its decision to dredge year-round on the Georgia coast.

The group One Hundred Miles said year-round hopper dredging impedes the recovery of loggerhead sea turtles as well as other species. The group's vice president for education and communications, Catherine Ridley, said her organization, which is represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, opposes the Corps' decision to eliminate seasonal limitations on dredging projects that have protected sea turtles and other marine life for decades.

"We have invested 30 years of work into getting these turtles back to our coasts to continue nesting and help that species recover," said Ridley, who also is coordinator for the St. Simons Island Sea Turtle Project, "and to have dredges that would be in those very same waters, really injuring and killing those turtles, would set those recovery efforts back decades."

Dredging is done to clear sediment from waterways to keep them safe and navigable. Ridley added that, historically, this has been done in Georgia from mid-December through the end of March, when adult loggerheads and other vulnerable species are not as abundant and less likely to be harmed.

In the warmer seasons, Ridley said, the sea turtles face a higher risk of contact with dredging. She said a robust network of volunteers and researchers goes out every day during nesting season - from late April to early October - to monitor and protect the nests, where the adult sea turtles lay their eggs in the sand.

"And so, when they come and they dredge in the wintertime, there's very few turtles. Impact to the species recovery is very low," she said. "And that's why it's worked so well -- while also again, keeping our harbor safe, but also managing protections for other species. Winter dredging windows have been a really effective tool for pretty much everyone. It's just been a win-win."

She said they recognize the need for proper dredging to keep the harbor safe, but seasonal restrictions have allowed the Georgia Brunswick and Savannah Ports to grow and thrive, while also serving as an effective tool for protecting the loggerhead sea turtles.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
More than 2,000 patients with intellectual or developmental disabilities have received dental care in group home day center settings across North Carolina, according to Access Dental. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Most people probably never give a second thought to their visits to the dentist, but not everyone can navigate this process with ease. People with …


Social Issues

play sound

Christmas is a little more than two weeks away, and toy drives around the country are in full swing. A North Dakota organizer shares some things to …

Social Issues

play sound

A federal judge in Nevada has dealt three tribal nations a legal setback in their efforts to stop what could be the construction of the country's larg…


A study on earth.org reveals a 6 1/2-foot artificial Christmas tree would have to be used for at least 12 years for it to be more ecofriendly than a real Christmas tree. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Hoosiers could get their holiday trees from any of about 200 tree farms in the state, according to the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association…

Social Issues

play sound

Reports from the Insurance Commissioner's office and the state Attorney General reveal an analysis of what they call "the true costs of health care" i…

Environment

play sound

Connecticut lawmakers are reluctant to approve new emission standards that would require 90% cleaner emissions from internal-combustion engines and re…

Environment

play sound

While lawmakers and environmental groups strive to lower vehicle emissions and the nation's carbon footprint, many truckers see unrealistic …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021