Oppose More Private Docks in the Gullah/Geechee Nation

Gullah/Geechee Nation ♦ January 25, 2017 ♦ 1 Comment

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Division of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management responded to numerous letters requesting a public hearing regarding the request of Charles F. Harris to obtain a private dock on historic St. Helena Island, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation near Fort Fremont Historic Site.   This request referenced by OCRM-16-354-G was opposed by all that attended the public hearing at the St. Helena Branch Library on January 24, 2017.   Public comment letters can still be sent in to add to this opposition to Geordy Madlinger at madlingj@dhec.sc.gov until February 7th.

Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) and Founder of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition shows a map from the Gullah/Geechee Sustainability Think Tank in opposition to allowing any additional private docks to be placed on the Gullah/Geechee Nation’s coastline.

The continued inudation of the Gullah/Geechee Nation‘s coastline has blocked native Gullah/Geechees from continuing to access waterway points and has has negative impacts on their ability to navigate waterways which private docks are within.  There are also negative impacts to the coastline and the sea creatures and shorebirds of the waters where docks are placed.  Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) and Founder of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition (www.gullahgeechee.net) addressed some of this in her statement of opposition during the hearing:

Hunnuh chillun please hep we fa keep disya coast and heal um fa de @GullahGeechee!