Georgia River Network

STAND UP FOR GEORGIA RIVERS! We are honored to be featured in the September issue of Georgia Trend magazine! Read LeeAnn Dance's article to learn more about how Georgia's rivers and streams also bring a flow of tourism and recreation that boosts the state's economy. https://lnkd.in/eNdRPiYe Thank you for spotlighting Georgia's amazing rivers, Georgia Trend! #GeorgiaRivers #ProtectTheFreedomtoFloat #RiverRecreation #ProtectTheOkefenokee

We are ONE WEEK AWAY from hosting the Georgia Rivers Gala on August 22 at the Atlanta History Center! The gala will honor a number of individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to both river conservation and river recreation across Georgia: 🛶 President Jimmy Carter will receive the Georgia River Hero award for his enduring environmental legacy for Georgia’s rivers. Jimmy Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, will accept the Georgia River Hero award on his behalf. 🐊 Michael Lusk, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Manager, will be honored for his work to protect the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail, a vital water trail that allows everyone to access and explore the vast Okefenokee. 🚣♀️ Georgia Canoeing Association will be honored for their continued partnership to increase the paddlesports community and protect paddlers’ access to Georgia’s waterways. 💧The Freedom to Float Coalition, including Rep. David Jenkins and Sen Shawn Still, will be recognized for their efforts to advocate for legislation that will keep Georgia's rivers accessible for river recreation. 🐟️ Patagonia will receive the Corporate River Champion award for their exemplary philanthropic leadership, and with gratitude for their significant contributions to Georgia River Network. Learn more about the Georgia Rivers Gala and our advocacy work to protect the freedom to float Georgia's rivers and streams on our event website: https://lnkd.in/epnqUaKp

Georgia River Network would like to congratulate our neighbors in Tennessee on their brand new Office of Outdoor Recreation and the $15 million investment the state is making into supporting Tennessee Blueways! We are super excited to see what our neighbors can accomplish in river recreation and glad to see our own Andrea White at the table helping the Tennessee Blueways initiative with all of her knowledge about the paddling community and water trails. Our hope is to launch an Office of Outdoor Recreation here in Georgia to expand river recreation and our water trails program. We hope to learn a lot from our neighbors! Read more about the Office of Outdoor Recreation in Tennessee here: https://lnkd.in/e3VWunjS 📷 : Andrea White recently paddled the Duck River in Tennessee with the steering committee of the Tennessee Blueways project.

We honor the passing of stalwart and compassionate Georgia leader Sheila McNeill who promoted protection of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from mining and helped Gov. Kemp proclaim "Okefenokee Swamp Day” at the Capitol. 🐊 The proclamation recognizes the global value of the swamp as a our state’s future UNESCO World Heritage Site. Blessings of peace to our swamp champion’s daughter Leslie, family & friends. 📸: Sheila McNeil, third from right, at Okefenokee Swamp Day at the Georgia State Capitol in 2022.

Did you see the recent viral video of dozens and dozens of alligators swarming in the swamp? The alligators likely concentrated in that area because of low water levels. In a recent opinion piece for Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia River Network executive director Rena Ann Peck warns that the proposed Twin Pines mine at the doorstep of the Okefenokee would continue to lower water levels, increasing the stress on the entire ecosystem as well as release carbon into the atmosphere. "...the swamp, with all its peat and trembling earth, is a massive carbon sink. In some places, the peat is 15 feet thick. Recent studies show that in addition to being home to thousands of alligators, the swamp stores an estimated 120 million metric tons of carbon — the equivalent of more than 500 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas." 📰 Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/e_wNsHDt 🐊 See the alligator gathering video, courtesy of Marty Welch: https://lnkd.in/eWGka7Pf

Great job on this article Nikki Belmonte !

Twin Pines says they can be trusted with mining operations that will not harm the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. "But a review by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of hundreds of pages of government records and court documents, along with numerous interviews with experts, environmentalists and residents, reveals a pattern of operational failures and environmental violations by Twin Pines and other Greenfuels subsidiaries." Read the full story at Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

With mine permits on the horizon, feds fight for water rights at the Okefenokee Swamp "Now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is using federal reserved water rights, a tool it has never used before in the eastern U.S. to try to prevent the mine. It’s a move that could become more common as climate change and development lead to more clashes over water rights." Listen to the full story at https://lnkd.in/etuR4Khb P.S. You'll hear our "Okefenokee" song! 🎶 📷️: Michael Lusk (front) and Matt Rouse (back) boat through the main canal path near the visitors center of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Folkston, GA. (Marisa Mecke/WABE News)

Our efforts made NATIONAL NEWS! 📰 WATER SPORTS FOUNDATION INC, a leading source for boating safety, published highlights from the National Safe Boating Week ACA Kayaking 101 class we hosted with partners on May 18. “Being able to mobilize this many nationally certified ACA instructors to help beginners is a very powerful way for the community to come together to reinforce safety while we are having fun!” said Ranger Rusty Simmons, Chief Ranger of Park Operations at Allatoona Lake. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ecYrCsqD

We have some good news to share about boating and paddlesports! Georgia River Network has been working diligently with federal and state agencies and other Georgia organizations to support safe boating education and messaging across Georgia. This week, Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp recognized our efforts with a Georgia Safe Boating Week proclamation! 📅 National Safe Boating Week, celebrated annually during the week leading up to Memorial Day weekend, offers an opportunity for boating safety specialists to launch education and awareness campaigns to help the public prepare for a safe boating season. Governor Brian Kemp has highlighted this awareness with a proclamation that acknowledges the work that experts are doing to help Georgians boat more safely, while also celebrating the importance of Georgia’s waterways to the Georgia economy and to our way of life.