Dear Editor:

In 1972, Congress established Cumberland Island National Seashore and a decade later designated nearly 10,000 acres of Cumberland Island Wilderness. Congress’s explicit goal was ensuring that Cumberland’s natural wonders would be sustained in their primitive state, providing unique public benefit.

Under federal guidelines all national parks must have a ‘visitor use management plan’ [VUMP]. Cumberland’s plan update, now under review, raises controversial issues: It proposes more than doubling visitation, from 300 to 700 people daily.

Without substantiating unmet demand, the plan appears to promote excessive use.

Besides greatly expanding visitation, the plan endorses use of electric bicycles.

Too many visitors and motorized vehicles threaten Cumberland’s treasured natural environment.

If adopted the VUMP would cause impacts directly conflicting with Cumberland’s unique value to the public. The national seashore has the greatest diversity of habitats and biotic communities of any of Georgia’s coastal islands, including 300 species of birds, a third of which nest there, as well as nesting area for the threatened loggerhead sea- turtle.

Concerned members of the public are encouraged to send comments about the VUMP to National Park Service by February 21st. Both the plan and instructions for commenting can be found at https://wildcumberland. org/ visitor- use- management- plan/

 David Kyler, Center for a Sustainable Coast, St. Simon’s Island 

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