Feral Hogs on Cumberland Island Hogs have existed on Cumberland Island for hundreds of years, and were likely introduced by Spanish missionaries and/or European settlers. Feral hogs severely damage the island’s delicate ecosystem in a number of ways: Interfering with plant communities, affecting nutrient cycling and patterns of plant succession Removing vegetation critical to dune stabilization Competing with native species […]
Maintain the 300 Visitor Limit on Cumberland Island The NPS is consistently re-evaluating the number of potential daily visitors allowed on Cumberland Island; most recently in association with the development of a new Visitor Use Management Plan. Wild Cumberland opposes any increase in the number of daily visitors to Cumberland Island — to protect both the health of the island and […]
Redesignation of Cumberland Island Wilderness Did You Know? It takes an act of Congress to designate an area as wilderness.Only about 5% of the entire United States is protected as Wilderness. Alaska contains just over half of America’s wilderness, so only about 2.7% of the contiguous United States (an area about the size of Minnesota) is protected as wilderness. For […]
Cumberland Island Visitor Use Management Plan VUMP IS BACK IN 2026. TIME TO SHOW UP! The NPS is back trying to push VUMP in 2026. Get up to speed on the proposed changes by checking out our virtual town hall with people who know the island well and are actively engaged in its protection. Click around our interactive map below […]
SPACEPORT CAMDEN Update – 2/1/23 Georgia Supreme Court decision related to a voter referendum in Camden County v. Judge Robert Sweatt went in the favor of the public which is a big step for us! But there are other pieces of litigation pending, too: Camden has sued Union Carbide Corporation for breach of contract in Camden County v. Union Carbide; Related to […]
Cumberland Island Beach Driving Did You Know? Beach driving is allowed along the entire 17-mile beach of Cumberland Island. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has issued over 250 beach driving permits (more than any other beach in the state of Georgia) to island residents and family members. 2024 Total Beach Driving Permits Cumberland Island: 300 (17% increase from 2020) […]
Cumberland Island Horses Cumberland Island is the only barrier island in Georgia with feral horses. Despite their popularity with tourists, they have caused serious damage to the Cumberland Island’s native ecosystem. Cumberland Island Horses trample and graze upon key plant species. This includes Spanish moss (Tilandsia usneoides) and smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), the primary plant of the marshland. This grazing reduces […]
Wild Cumberland and the Center for a Sustainable Coast are opposing attempts to develop Cumberland Island, which threaten its wilderness and ecosystems. Legal actions focus on challenging developments like Lumar LLC’s dock, approved without adequate public notice or ecological consideration. Recent court decisions could mandate further review and public involvement.
A message from Jessica Howell-Edwards Program Director Humans will continue to face one disaster after another until we change our fundamental relationship with nature. The Earth is a complex matrix of living and inorganic systems interacting to maintain a balance. We have been provided a self-perpetuating system of sustainability, despite arguments about how it began — but we seem to […]
DNR is reviewing VUMP to ensure it’s consistent with enforceable environmental policies.