“Drastic Reversal” by the SC Supreme Court on development of the Kiawah Spit

By Celie Dailey | Published: February 28, 2013

Kiawah Spit, July 2011, aerial photograph by Mary Edna Fraser

After all the years of work of so many people, it looks like we lost on this epic court ruling. It’s a really sad day for us and all those fighting the development of this tenuous landform and improper development of South Carolina’s coasts.

An excerpt from today’s Post & Courier article Supreme Court gives go-ahead for Capt. Sam’s Spit development on Kiawah Island:

Armstrong said the ruling is disturbing not just for the spit but for future court decisions in critical areas to be protected along the coast. The earlier Supreme Court ruling hinged on the need for permit decisions to consider cumulative impacts of a project on areas around it. The current ruling is “180 degrees different,” saying state regulators did not have what Chief Justice Jean Toal termed “expansive power” to deny a permit for a project outside a critical area, because of the area.

The first ruling gave environmental advocates strong grounds to fight other permits, she said. The new ruling seriously undercuts that.

“This is the one place we need to protect as public policy, to protect fragile natural resources along the coast. These unique places are being irretrievably lost to ill-planned development,” she said.

Nancy Vinson and the Coastal Conservation League produced a video presentation in 2010 that explains the logistics of the project and the many reasons to oppose development of the Spit.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCUkvK-dkFo
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt6ZmseIbkw

You can see our history of our activism about this issue on Delete Apathy under the “Kiawah Spit” category. Here is a video, 50 Houses on Kiawah Sand, produced by Celie Dailey and Mary Edna Fraser with Orrin Pilkey and Nancy Vinson which gives more insight into the Kiawah Spit issue.

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“Creek by Creek” for Charleston Waterkeeper, Mary Edna’s Studio, February 14, 2013

By Celie Dailey | Published: January 17, 2013

Self Portrait, batik on silk, 102" x 36"

Fundraiser on Valentine’s Day
1723 Oak Point Road, Charleston, SC
Thursday evening, 5pm-9pm

An art exhibition by Mary Edna Fraser and Jeff Kopish

Non-profit Charleston Waterkeeper is alerting our fair city about threatened waterways in our community. You can view a map of impaired locations here.

Join us to celebrate this proactive organization and meet Cyrus Buffum and Andrew Wunderley. Charleston Waterkeeper is dedicated to protecting your right to swimmable, drinkable, fishable water by defending against pollution. Find out what you can do to help your favorite creek.

Live music by Sweetgrass Band. Beer donated by Holy City Brewing. Vietnamese sandwhiches by Auto-Banh and sweets by Dulce food trucks.

Libations and fun provided. Please park at the Harris Teeter and stroll over.

See our previous posts for more information about our relationship with Charleston Waterkeeper.

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Leave Folly Beach park alone

By Celie Dailey | Published: December 14, 2012

Folly Beach County Park is rapidly eroding. We agree with the Coastal Conservation League who opposes spending 3 million dollars on a groin which would “partly dam the flow of sand in the current along the shore,” according to the Post & Courier article Dispute between conservationists, officials could doom Folly Beach park (December 12, 2012). They explain: “The Folly park’s erosion is partly due to sand-flow disruption by the Charleston jetties, a problem that exacerbates erosion all along the five miles of Folly Beach.” Building a groin to protect Folly Beach County Park will rob sand from another location and further erosion elsewhere.

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