Lets delve into the details, observations and stories of nature to spark curiosity and connect to the natural world
Resources for Marsh Migration Understanding and Action
Click on underscored text to follow links.
Charleston Area Conservation Groups Protecting the Salt Marsh
Charleston Water Plan
This really is an exciting document. It gives us a manageable framework for thinking about living with water and for developing solutions. There is so much in it.
​
But what is not in it is money. Or specific plans. Or a hierarchy for getting anything done. It is a set of suggestions. Good ones, though! It is worth reading. You will learn and will become familiar with the language that will be used to talk about these challenges. Hopefully the City and County will implement many of these ideas. We can influence that.
​
Open it on a computer and follow every link and arrow. There is good stuff buried in here.
​
The City Director of Resilience is Kaylon Koszela. I believe she is the City employee charged with enabling projects by connecting community partners and conservation groups.
Involvement in Local Government
Our City and County Governments have the hard task of balancing individual vs community vs environmental vs business interests. It is where the sea level rise challenges will likely be worked through and legislated.
​​
A very brief primer on how local governments work:
In the City of Charleston and Charleston County there is a Comprehensive Plan that sets out the big goals for the City and County (separately) for the following 5 - 10 years. This is developed with a lot of public involvement, City and County staff work, Planning Commission review, and finally the Council approval. The goals and strategies of the Plan trickle down through the details of governing documents. There are a variety of boards and commissions in the governments that establish more detailed ordinances and guidelines, such as Zoning and Land Use. The public is involved in developing these as well. City and County staff then work to implement these in specific instances. When a particular instance doesn't seem clear cut, or where a request is made to change or disregard an ordinance or guideline, the request goes to a board or commissions which asks for public input, reviews the situation and determines the path forward.
As you can see, there is a lot of room for public involvement. This is sometimes unwieldy and tedious but is the stuff of local government.
​
I have involved myself over the past year in cases which come before the County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) that apply to the "ground upland of the marsh edge". There are ordinances in place which aim to protect this ground from development and disturbance. When individuals or businesses want to encroach on this ground they request a variance. This request is reviewed by the BZA, who also listen to public input, and then make a decision. I have been giving them public input, trying to get them to tilt the balance more towards the marsh and less towards the pools, sheds and patios that individuals want to build.
I hope to make a change one piece of property at a time. I haven't seen success yet, but I'm still hopeful. Since the beginning of 2023 the BZA has reviewed 20 requests to encroach into the established buffer and setback zones which protect the "ground upland of the marsh edge". They approved 18 of the 20. They allowed disturbance, placement of hard edges, building of structures and pools in this critical area 18 of the 20 times they were asked.
​
This is unacceptable to me and I believe very short-sighted. I am working to try to change this.​ Want to help? Let me know.