Protecting Georgia's Coast

The Altamaha Riverkeeper could be all that stands between Georgia's endangered coastline and the steady pace of new development.

1 minute read

February 25, 2006, 1:00 PM PST

By David Gest


"To the developers building subdivisions in Georgia's coastal counties, James Holland is a straight-up pain in the butt.

Holland, a former crabber, blames shoddy construction practices and other environmental pollution on the massive decline of Georgia's blue crab industry. Now he's fighting to protect what's left of the wetlands that were essential to the blue crab's lifestyle -- and will be crucial in protecting Georgia against a future storm surge.

In 2000, Holland gave up crabbing for good and, acting on his newfound appreciation for the environment, helped found the group Altamaha Riverkeeper. Now he's the Riverkeeper's chief environmental investigator. When residents spot rainwater carrying red clay off a construction site or come across a chemical spill in a stream, they know to call Holland, who documents the environmental impact and alerts state regulators."

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 in Atlanta Creative Loafing

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