Georgia Conservancy Inc

THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE SEABROOK VILLAGE FOUNDATION TO CREATE A LIVING SHORELINE ALONG THE PUBLIC LANDINGAN IMPORTANT HISTORICAL PARK AND COMMUNITY RESOURCE IN SEABROOK, A HISTORIC GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY. THEY WILL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THE LIVING SHORELINE TO HELP PROTECT THE SITE FROM EROSION AND STORMWATER RUNOFF. THEY WILL ALSO LEAD OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES SUCH AS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, SUMMER CAMPS, AND EDUCATIONAL FORUMS.

THIS ACTION APPROVES A NEW AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $30,000 TO THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO DEVELOP A SCHOOL SITE SEL

MULTIYEAR COASTAL GEORGIA HABITAT RESTORATION AND RESILIENCY INITIATIVEPROJECT ABSTRACTTHIS NEW AGREEMENT ALLOCATES A TOTAL OF $15,000 IN U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) GRANT FUNDING FROM THE COASTAL PROGRAM DURING FY2025 TO SUPPORT THE MULTIYEAR COASTAL GEORGIA HABITAT RESTORATION AND RESILIENCY INITIATIVE. THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT RESTORATION PROJECTS DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE MULTIPLE STRESSORS AND FACILITATE THE RECOVERY OF FEDERALLY LISTED AND AT-RISK SPECIES IN COASTAL GEORGIA. THIS INITIATIVE WILL TIE INTO CURRENT EFFORTS OF THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY TO COLLABORATE ON CURRENT HABITAT RESTORATION AND RESILIENCY INITIATIVES AMONG THIS GROUP OF PARTNERS BY FACILITATING A COST-SHARE PROGRAM WITH THE USFWS COASTAL PROGRAM. THE FY2025 FUNDING WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT NEW PROJECTS THAT WILL LIKELY BE IMPLEMENTED DURING FY 2025 2026. BASED ON CURRENT FUNDING, ONE PROJECT OUT OF A GROWING LIST OF COASTAL RESILIENCY PROJECTS WILL LIKELY BE FUNDED. THESE PROJECTS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE LIVING SHORELINE COST-SHARE PROJECT, BELLE ISLE LAND MANAGEMENT AND ACQUISITION PROJECT, TYBEE ISLAND JAYCEE PARK COASTAL MARSHLAND RESTORATION PROJECT, BLACKSHEAR WETLANDS URBAN WETLAND RESTORATION, CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF COX RD MCLELLAN PROPERTY PROJECT, SMALL-SCALE CULVERT REPLACEMENT WITH SINERR AND CWC PROJECT, AND THE CONSERVATION PURCHASE OF GREEN ISLAND PROJECT. EACH OF THESE PROJECTS WILL UNDERGO BOTH IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING USING STANDARDIZED AND SCIENTIFICALLY DEFENSIBLE DESIGNS WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE USFWS, GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION, OR OTHER EXPERT ORGANIZATIONS OR STAFF. THE PROJECTS WILL BE DESIGNED TO HELP RESTORE AND ENHANCE GEORGIA S COASTAL RIVER SYSTEMS AND MARITIME FOREST HABITAT THROUGH THE REDUCTION OF SEDIMENT INFLUX AT DIRT ROAD AND STREAM INTERSECTIONS AS WELL AS ALONG COASTAL SALT MARSHES AND SHORELINES, STREAMBANK STABILIZATION, AND HABITAT COMPLEXITY ENHANCEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECTS WILL HELP BOLSTER PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ON COASTAL HABITAT RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES FROM THESE PROJECTS INCLUDE INCREASING OR MAINTAINING THE OCCUPANCY OR ABUNDANCE OF FEDERALLY LISTED OR AT-RISK SPECIES IN REACHES OR AREAS WHERE RESTORATION OCCURS, IMPROVING COASTAL AND TRANSITIONAL HABITAT OCCURRING WITHIN OR ADJACENT TO RESTORATION SITES, AND INCREASING PUBLIC INTEREST IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION. IF THE PLANNED PROJECTS ARE UNABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR UNFORESEEN REASONS, THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A COMPARABLE PROJECT(S) ELSEWHERE IN THE COASTAL RIVERS OR MARITIME FOREST FOCUS AREAS.

PROJECT ABSTRACTTHIS NEW AGREEMENT ALLOCATES A TOTAL OF $15,000 IN U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) GRANT FUNDING FROM THE PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM DURING FY2025 TO SUPPORT THE MULTIYEAR GEORGIA CONSERVANCY PARTNERS INITIATIVE. THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT RESTORATION PROJECTS DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE MULTIPLE STRESSORS AND FACILITATE THE RECOVERY OF FEDERALLY LISTED AND AT-RISK SPECIES IN SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA. THIS INITIATIVE WILL TIE INTO CURRENT EFFORTS OF THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY TO COLLABORATE ON CURRENT HABITAT RESTORATION AND RESILIENCY INITIATIVES AMONG THIS GROUP OF PARTNERS IN SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA BY FACILITATING A COST-SHARE PROGRAM WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM. THE FY2025 FUNDING WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT NEW PROJECTS THAT WILL LIKELY BE IMPLEMENTED DURING FY 2025 2026. BASED ON CURRENT FUNDING, ONE PROJECT OUT OF A GROWING LIST OF LONGLEAF PINE HABITAT ENHANCEMENT RESTORATION AND OR RIPARIAN CORRIDOR ENHANCEMENT RESTORATION PROJECTS WILL LIKELY BE FUNDED. THESE PROJECTS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE PRESCRIBED FIRE AND LAND MANAGEMENT COST-SHARE PROGRAM, .... EACH OF THESE PROJECTS WILL UNDERGO BOTH IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING USING STANDARDIZED AND SCIENTIFICALLY DEFENSIBLE DESIGNS WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE USFWS, GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, OR OTHER EXPERT ORGANIZATIONS OR STAFF. THE PROJECTS WILL BE DESIGNED TO REDUCE STRESSORS ON LONGLEAF PINE ECOSYSTEMS BY RESTORING AND ENHANCING LONGLEAF PINE HABITATS INCLUDING FIRE-DEPENDENT WETLANDS AND BOGS, AND AS OPPORTUNITIES ARISE, RIPARIAN CORRIDORS MAY ALSO BE CONSIDERED. PROJECTS MAY INCLUDE HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PRACTICES SUCH AS MIDSTORY HARDWOOD CONTROL, PRESCRIBED BURNING, FIREBREAK ESTABLISHMENT MAINTENANCE, PLANTING LONGLEAF PINE SEEDLINGS, SEEDING NATIVE GROUNDCOVER, PLANTING CYPRESS AND BLACK GUM SEEDLINGS IN DOME WETLANDS, AND INVASIVE AND EXOTIC SPECIES CONTROL. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECTS WILL HELP BOLSTER PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ON LONGLEAF PINE HABITAT RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES FROM THESE PROJECTS INCLUDE INCREASING OR MAINTAINING THE OCCUPANCY OR ABUNDANCE OF FEDERALLY LISTED OR AT-RISK SPECIES IN REACHES OR AREAS WHERE RESTORATION OCCURS, IMPROVING LONGLEAF PINE AND TRANSITIONAL RIPARIAN HABITAT OCCURRING WITHIN OR ADJACENT TO RESTORATION SITES, AND INCREASING PUBLIC INTEREST IN LONGLEAF PINE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION. IF THE PLANNED PROJECTS ARE UNABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR UNFORESEEN REASONS, THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A COMPARABLE PROJECT(S) ELSEWHERE IN THE LONGLEAF PINE FOCUS AREA.

THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD OF $15,000 TO THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SCHOOL SITE SELECTION (SITING) CURRICULUM FOR SCHOOL ADM