Newspaper Page Text
THE ISLANDER, APRIL 13, 2009, PAGE 5
Park & Tree Board
Continued from Page 2
“The park and tree board will provide
education to the public on the impor
tance of keeping the tree cover on their
private property,” said Chilton, “If trees
need to come down for development or
other reasons, then we’ll recommend
that they be replaced.”
“We are also going to try to revive the
honorarium program, in which people
can donate trees to honor local citizens,”
said Chilton, “This was a program the
city had in the past. There are some
trees planted in and around Howard
Coffin Park that were planted as part of
that program. It has been stopped but
we are going to try to get it restarted.”
“Also, one of our long term goals is
a city arboretum,” said Chilton, “But
that’s on our long term wish list.”
At the end of 2008, Brunswick’s
P&TB was re-designated a Tree City
USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Brunswick was named a Tree City
some years ago and then lost the desig
nation about five years ago.
Mayor Brian Thompson said it was
first established approximately 12 years
prior to former Mayor Brad Brown's
first term in office.
There are four requirements for the
Tree City USA designation, according
to Thompson.
They are:
• Create a tree board;
• Develop a tree care ordinance;
• Maintain a community forestry
program with an annual budget of at
least $2 per capita (Thompson said
Brunswick's is roughly $35,000 per
year); and
• Hold an Arbor Day observance
with a proclamation.
"Arbor Day is April 24," said Chilton,
"We are currently planning our celebra
tion. We will do a commemoration and
plant another tree, although the site
hasn't been decided yet."
Asked for a time frame on the tree
ordinance, Chilton said, "This is work
in progress, but we hope to have it done
by the end of the year." “I
First Annual Mother
Nature Festival on JI
Celebrate Spring on Jekyll Island
with the first annual Jekyll Island
Mother Nature Festival on Saturday,
April 18.
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is
the main hub of event festivities.
From 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., the Center will
host an eco-friendly exhibitor area,
eco-craft zone, outdoor entertainment
and silent auction. Environmental
organizations, artists, and shops will
exhibit their eco-conscious and nature-
related wares. Simultaneously, in the
children’s eco-Other activities include
a Family Fishing Day sponsored by
the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources, an Eco-Book Fair at Jekyll
Books, a kite buggy demonstration on
the beach, and a herpetology session
at Tidelands Nature Center. All of
these events are free and open to the
public.
The Jekyll Island parking fee will
be waived on April 18 for all guests
driving a hybrid vehicle to the festi
val. For more information visit www.
jekyllisland.com/mothernaturefesti-
val or call 1-877-4JEKYLL. □
New City animal facility
Continued from Page 1
would be included in the next fiscal
year's budget (2009/2010) and that all
the commissioners are on board with
the idea.
"When the City decided to take on
its own animal care we began to look
at the cost of a (animal care) facility,"
Chief Johnson said. "We found an
alternative in that we were presented
with a low kill, no kill facility and the
(City) commission thought that was a
great idea."
"We realized we didn't want to
return to killing animals," she said.
"We want to establish a positive pro
gram with a quality life for all the
City's animals."
Chief Johnson said that the shelter
facility would "make its own money."
According to the Chief and to the
Mayor the location, still undisclosed,
will be close to a residential area,
accessible to the community, include
a police substation, a dog park, and
community facilities such as meeting
rooms.
Chief Johnson gave The Islander a
draft annual operating expense figure
of $275,000 per year which includes
a shelter director, two officers and an
operations manager plus all costs to
operate the shelter.
According to the Mayor the shelter
design itself is simple as well as simple
to operate. He estimated that the facil
ity would house 120 dogs and 150 to
175 cats.
Chief Johnson introduced Sgt. Rus
sell Berger who heads up Animal Con
trol and also works internal affairs.
Sgt. Berger said a feral cat ordinance
is in the works to augment the City's
current animal ordinances. The new
ordinance, when approved, will stop
indiscriminate trapping and protect
the City's feral cats.
"We are becoming educated on what
we can do differently in unwanted,
stray animal care," Mayor Thompson
said. "We are committed to the safety,
well being and care of the animals in
our community."
Thompson said he hoped the City's
new shelter facility would be up and
running "this time next year." □
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