An official website of the State of Georgia.
Posted December 1st, 2025
Coastlines Georgia | December 2025 | Vol. 8, Iss. 3
Staff Report
Coastal Resources Division
DNR Exhibits at the 2025 Georgia Recreation and Park Association Annual Conference & Trade Show
CRD joined with State Parks and the Commissioner’s Office recently to exhibit at the 2025 Georgia Recreation and Park Association Annual Conference & Trade Show on beautiful Jekyll Island. As the state’s largest gathering of parks and recreation professionals, the event gave DNR staff a great opportunity to connect with attendees, share everything DNR has to offer, and highlight our Outdoors Beyond Barriers (OBB) initiative, which empowers people of all abilities to explore Georgia’s natural resources.
Georgia House and Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committees’ Environmental Policy Academy
Assistant Director Karl Burgess, Program Manager Dominic Guadagnoli, and Coastal Resources Specialists Kelly Hill and Jennifer Kline participated in the Georgia House and Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committees’ Environmental Policy Academy at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. Burgess provided the group with an overview of CRD, while Hill and Kline presented information regarding coastal resilience partnerships. In addition, Burgess and Guadagnoli accompanied the group on a field visit to Tybee Oyster at Bull River Ranch, an oyster farm in Georgia.
Georgia Department of Corrections Visits CRD for Coastal Education and Team Building
CRD hosted representatives from the Georgia Department of Corrections at Coastal Regional Headquarters on Oct. 16 for a trawl demonstration, marsh walk, and fish biology presentation. Assistant Director Karl Burgess gave an overview of DNR and CRD, followed by a visit to the Earth Day Nature Trail with Marine Educator Brooke Vallaster, and a talk by Marine Biologist Donna McDowell about CRD’s Age and Growth Lab. The visitors also went aboard the R/V Reid W. Harris for a trawl with Marine Biologist Eddie Leonard and his crew. The representatives were in town as part of a staff retreat and used the visit as a team building and interagency educational opportunity.
Living Shorelines Workshop Builds Coastal Expertise
In partnership with Sapelo Island National Research Reserve and The Nature Conservancy, Coastal Management staff hosted a Living Shorelines Workshop for engineers and contractors at Skidaway Island State Park. The event included presentations, breakout stations, and a field visit, giving participants hands-on experience with design, permitting, and site suitability. With 16 new participants added, the Living Shoreline Practitioner Network now totals 50 members across Georgia.
Students Learn About Marine Life, Coastal Geological Processes
Marine Educator Brooke Vallaster and other CRD staff members recently led two educational programs. Students from the Glynn County Homeschoolers Association visited a St. Simons beach for a seining demonstration and ecological education in the field, getting first-hand experience with marine life and learning about angling ethics on Thursday. The following day, Vallaster and staff led a program for third graders at Oglethorpe Point Elementary School where they learned about the sand sharing system, coastal erosion, and how factors like longshore currents affect developments.
CRD Participates in City of Brunswick’s First Friday
Coastal Resources Specialist Kelly Hill and Jennifer Kline had an informational tent at the City of Brunswick’s First Friday event which showcased Living Shoreline, Green Growth and Flooding displays. Information was handed out on the flooding issues in the City and how CRD is partnering with the City through a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) project to mitigate these issues. A follow-up Community Meeting was held at the local library on Sept. 18.
Folkston Council Hears About Grant Opportunities
CRD’s Coastal Management staff presented at the City of Folkston Council meeting to inform the Council of their eligibility to apply for grants through the Coastal Incentive Grant (CIG) Program. The request for proposals was released Sept. 24 with a deadline for preapplications of Dec. 5. The CIG Program is eligible to qualified local governments within the 11 coastal county area, academic institutions doing research in the 11 county area and state/regional entities
Coastal Aquatic Barrier Assessment and Analysis Program (CABANA)
Wetlands Restoration Specialist Jaynie L. Gaskin attended the quarterly meeting of the Georgia Aquatic Connectivity Team on Wednesday September 10th. Jaynie presented to the group about CRD’s Coastal Aquatic Barrier Assessment and Analysis Program (CABANA) that has assessed over 1,500 road-stream crossings in the coastal region. The mission of the CABANA program is to develop a prioritized inventory of all aquatic barriers in Georgia’s tidal wetlands and help communities find support for restoration.
Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program’s Recreational Technical Committee Meeting
Marine Biologist Dawn Franco represented Georgia at the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program’s Recreational Technical Committee meeting in Arlington, Va. The committee is comprised of representatives from each Atlantic coast state and federal partners and Franco is chair of the committee. Discussions were primarily centered around enhancements to the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) included creating more discrete fishing area grids, adding depredation codes, and conducting sampling activities in the winter shoulder months.
Brunswick Fire Department Lends Hand at CRD
The Brunswick Fire Department lent a hand (and a tower fire truck!) to CRD on Sept. 4. Staff were preparing to re-hang a “Go Fish!” license plate banner on the side of the Marine Services Building, and quickly realized the height and location of the banner presented a significant challenge. Unable to safely reach where the banner needed to go, Marine Technician Sean Tarpley mused that a Georgia Power bucket truck would be handy. Public Information Officer Tyler Jones thought about it, and reached out to his neighbor, John Tyre, who is a local shrimp boat captain and assistant chief of the Brunswick Fire Department. After a quick phone call, Tyre arranged for the city’s tower truck to do some “in-service training” at Coastal Regional Headquarters, helping to safely hang the 16-by-8 foot banner, which is visible from the nearby Sidney Lanier Bridge.
