Conservationists are pushing back against a government plan that would swap hundreds of acres of public and private land on Georgia’s largest barrier island.
The National Park Service says the exchange on Cumberland Island National Seashore would connect more federally owned parcels and give four landowners parcels that would be “less impactful on visitors.” But environmental groups say private landowners are being prioritized over a congressional mandate to preserve the island in its natural state.
“I think we do feel very confident that this opens the door to really unlimited development, unrestricted development, for commercial use from any private owner,” said Jessica Howell-Edwards, executive director of the nonprofit Wild Cumberland.
A public comment period on the proposal ends Sunday, although the public would have the opportunity to weigh-in again during the environmental compliance process.
Credit: Cumberland Island National Seashore
Credit: Cumberland Island National Seashore
Cumberland Island, with about 18 miles of undeveloped beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean, is known for its protected wilderness, diverse biology and feral horses. It also historically has been a retreat for some of America’s wealthiest families.
The Greyfield Inn is the lone current commercial establishment on the 56-square-mile island, which is reachable only by boat. There also are a small number of private houses. Most overnight visitors camp at designated NPS sites reached by foot.
NPS says it would acquire about 400 private acres in exchange for public lands of equal value.
The federal agency says the public land going into private hands would be subject to conservation easements and deed restrictions that “identify areas of concern for cultural and natural resources to limit development to areas outside of sensitive locations.”
But the specific restrictions have not been spelled out and “are part of a negotiation with the private landowners,” according to the proposed swap, which could allow private landowners to build docks and other amenities on the side of the island facing the mainland.
The Georgia Conservancy is asking NPS to provide more information about potential easements, including housing density and allowed land uses and infrastructure. It said any transaction should “minimize the potential for future construction of private homes on the island.”
Sierra Club Georgia also is urging the government agency to share more details with the public before any decisions are made.
Cumberland Island was designated a national seashore in 1972 as part of an effort to protect it from further development. NPS spent decades acquiring land from property owners, such as the Carnegie and Rockefeller families.
Although the federal government controls about 18,000 acres on the island, roughly 1,000 acres are in private hands. Many landowners also negotiated retained-rights deals in which the government owns the properties but the individuals can live there for agreed-upon periods, often until their or their heirs’ deaths.
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for The Atlanta Journal Constitution
The planned land swap follows a proposed new management plan in 2022 from the government that eventually could double the number of daily visitors permitted on the island from 300 to 600.
Three of the adjacent parcels that would go from federal to private ownership are south of the island’s wilderness area and “not in an area with high visitor use,” NPS said. The properties have access to water, roads and utilities, and one includes several structures known as Davisville.
Howell-Edwards warned that the parcels earmarked for private landowners would create almost a 3-mile corridor of potential development between the south end of the island and the wilderness boundary.
The fourth parcel is near the edge of the wilderness area in the High Point historic district on the north end of the island. Howell-Edwards said the family of Coca-Cola Company founder Asa Candler sold it to the federal government in 1982 but retained the right to live there.
The High Point property would be exchanged for about 95 acres that are owned by Lumar LLC, which represents a group of Coca-Cola heirs. Previously, Lumar asked Camden County to rezone the property so it could be subdivided into 10 lots. NPS stepped in to negotiate with the landowners in 2017.
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for The Atlanta Journal Constitution
NPS chief realty officer Michael Bockman said the agency first tried to directly purchase the private parcels.
“However, the owners have a long history and interest in the island, so they didn’t want to give up all of their interest, so the only tool available would be through a land exchange,” Bockman said at a recent online public meeting on the proposal.
Park superintendent Melissa Trenchick said acquiring the privately controlled parcels, which cross popular trails and the island’s main road, would ensure that public routes remain open to visitors.
But conservationists argue the government is being too deferential to private interests. Howell-Edwards noted the legislation establishing the national seashore specified Cumberland Island “shall be permanently preserved in its primitive state,” with exceptions for some recreational use like swimming, fishing and hiking.
“It’s saying the only reason that there should be any development is for these things,” she said. “To me, it’s that simple.”
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