HB 271 ACT NOW: Stop the Shore Desctruction Bill!

Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island

www.savejekyllisland.org

HB 271 ACTION ALERT 4

"When the going gets tough,

the tough get going!"

Our struggle to save the Shore Protection Act from being gutted by HB 271 is coming to a head. Persistence is a must if we are to win this fight! Jekyll Island - indeed the whole coastline - is counting o n all of us!

Please help by taking the steps outlined below.

We are asking
only Georgia residents
to participate in
this Action Alert

UPDATE

On Thursday, House Bill 271 bill was approved by the Natural Resources Committee and sent to the House Rules Committee (RC), where it will be discussed and possibly passed on to the full House for a vote. Our goal now is to have the bill voted down in the RC.

HB 271, which was toxic in its original form, was amended for the worse at the last minute by the bill's sponsor (Rep. Jesse Petrea) by redefining the term "sand dune" (as described in the "Talking Points" section below) in a way that further restricts the jurisdiction of the Shore Protection Act. This redefinition is so outrageous that it might boomerang for Rep. Petrea by allowing us to win more support among fair-minded legislators within the RC or within the full House if the bill makes it to the floor for a vote.

ACTION PLAN

Step 1: This weekend, it's vital to email individually , at least 4 of the RC's members, more if you have the time to do so. Our message is simple, HB 271 is loaded with problems and, if enacted, will undermine protection of Georgia's fragile shoreline. We are therefore urging


	Under HB 271 this would no longer be considered a sand dune

the RC's members to vote "no" on this toxic bill. You may supplement your plea for a "no" vote with as little or as much s upporting information as you like (See talking points below). Be sure to include your home address.

On Monday, call at least 4 of the RC's members, more if you have the time to do so, and deliver a brief message urging a "no" vote on HB 271. Be sure to mention you live in Georgia.

Contact information is provided at the end of this Alert.

Step 2 : If HB 271 is approved by the RC and goes to the House floor for a vote , call your State Representative and urge him/her to vote "no" on the bill. For the name and contact information for your representative, click here and enter your zip code in the "Find your Legislator Box" on the right side of the page.

We will let you know what happens in the RC as soon as possible.

TALKING POINTS: WHEN EMAILING/CALLING LEGISLATORS, YOU MAY SAY [ IN YOU OWN WORDS] THAT HB 271:

Redefines the term "sand dune" in order to drastically reduce the jurisdictional area of the Shore Protection Act (SPA). Essentially, HB 271 says sand dunes that are covered with sparse, pioneer vegetation are not to be defined as "sand dunes" any longer, which means the SPA's jurisdictional area would be measured from the sparsely vegetated

primary dunes rather than the dynamic dune field landward from them.

Facilitates the development of the last wide-open stretch of beachfront


	HB 271 would remove this Jekyll beachfront area from SPA protection

land on Jekyll Island by removing it entirely from the SPA's jurisdiction.

Benefits the controversial Sea Island Spit project. The bill was heavily influenced by a small group of hedge fund billionaires who purchased the former Sea Island Company and who aim to make tens of millions of dollars on the sale of oceanfront home sites by removing them from the jurisdictional area of the SPA.

Allows new construction to take place within just 25 feet of the high tide line in shoreline areas where there are no dunes and no sea walls or rock revetments. This provision in HB 271 is dangerous and irresponsible!

Sets the landward jurisdictional boundary of the SPA at 25 feet without any science-based justification for that figure. Coastal geologists (Dr. Chester Jackson in particular) reject the 25-foot figure and tell us that the SPA's jurisdictional area should be based on scientifically valid erosion data.

With sea level rise increasing, the State of Georgia should be strengthening protection of our fast-eroding barrier islands not reducing it, as HB 271 does by limiting the SPA's jurisdictional area to just 25 feet from the ocean or from the dunes, as redefined/misdefined by HB 271.

The bottom line is that to help provide for a more stable future for our barrier islands, we should be adopting SPA standards that are forward-looking rather than rolling them back, as HB 271 does.

House Rules Committee Contact Information

Stacey Abrams staceyabrams@gmail.com 404.656.5058

Brett Harrell brett@voteharrell.com 404.463.3793

Richard Smith richard.smith@house.ga.gov 404.656.6831

Mandi Ballinge rmandi.ballinger@house.ga.gov 404.656.5105

Tommy Benton tommy.benton@house.ga.gov 404.656.5126

Jon Burns jon.burns@house.ga.gov 404.656.5052

Johnnie Caldwell johnnie.caldwell@house.ga.gov 404.656.5087

Christian Coomer christian.coomer@house.ga.gov 404.656.5024

Sharon Cooper sharon.cooper@house.ga.gov 404.656.5069

Katie Dempsey katie.dempsey@house.ga.gov 404.463.2247

Karla Drenner dren16999@aol.com 404.656.0202

Earl Ehrhart earl.ehrhart@house.ga.gov 404.463.2247

Stacey Evans stacey@staceyevans.org 404.656.0116

Barry Fleming barry.fleming@house.ga.gov 404.656.0152

Rich Golicck rich.golick@house.ga.gov 404.656.5943

Gerald Greene gerald.greene@house.ga.gov 404.656.5105

Matt Hatchett matt.hatchett@house.ga.gov 404.656.5025

Lee Hawkins lee.hawkins@house.ga.gov 404.656.0213

Carolyn Hugley carolyn.hugley@house.ga.gov 404.656.5058

Mack Jackson mack.jackson@house.ga.gov 404.656.0314

Jan Jones jan.jones@house.ga.gov 404.656.5072

David Knight david.knight@house.ga.gov 404.656.5099

Chuck Martin chuck@martinforgeorgia.com 404.656.5064

Greg Morris greg.morris@house.ga.gov 404.656.5115

Butch Parrish butch.parrish@house.ga.gov 404.463.2247

John Meadows john.meadows@house.ga.gov Do not call

Allen Peake allen.peake@house.ga.gov 404.463.2247

Alan Powell alanpowell23@hotmail.com 404.463.3793

Jay Powell jay.powell@house.ga.gov 404.656.5103

Terry Rogers terry.rogers@house.ga.gov 404.651.7737

Ed Setzler ed.setzler@house.ga.gov 404.656.7857

Lynn Smith lynn.smith@house.ga.gov 404.656.7149

Calvin Smyre calvinsmyre@synovus.com 404.656.0109

Ron Stephens ron.stephens@house.ga.gov 404.463.4122

Jan Tankersley jan.tankersley@house.ga.gov 404.656.7855

Wendel Willard wendell.willard@house.ga.gov 404.656.5125

Al Williams al.williams@house.ga.gov 404.656.6372

Bruce Williamson bruce.williamson@house.ga.gov 404.656.5024

If you would like to have more information about HB 271 and the SPA issue, please feel free to contact us at degan1@bellsouth.net or phone 912-635-2167 home/ 912-577-4655 cell.

Thanks, folks, for going to bat for the coast and Jekyll Island once again!
David and Mindy Egan, Co-Directors

Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island State Park

p.s. If you are able to help out as described above, please let us know.

Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island | 912-635-2167 home, 912-577-4655 cell | degan1@bellsouth.net | http://www.savejekyllisland.org
308 Old Plantation Rd.
Jekyll Island, GA 31527

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