The Community Garden Group proposed the following motion to put before the Seabrook Island Property Owner’s Board:
“The Community Garden being an important amenity on Seabrook Island, the Property Owners Association recognizes the right of the gardeners to use the area adjacent to the Maintenance Area (as it is currently constituted ) pursuant to the gardeners’ agreement to the attached document.”
It was motioned to have the Environmental Committee accept the agreement, voted and approved to present before the Board. (A copy of the regulations and gardeners’ agreement is attached to the minutes.) If the new regulations are approved by the Board, each current gardener will be required to sign the new agreement.
Tilapia will be stocked in Mallard Lake in May, though no specific date has been set at the time of our meeting. Each fish will be a minimum of 3 inches, and 600 fish will be released at a cost of $1.50 each.
The Wildlife Notification Form is not being used as frequently as in the past. It was agreed that more publicity should be given to the form. A Tidelines article will be posted to remind residents on how to find and use the form. The data collected can be used in a program Philip Miller is using (at no cost to SIPOA) to accurately map the movement of our wildlife. Philip Miller and Roger Banks will work with Shawna Jarrett on ways to use this data once collected.
The Annual Deer Management Report has been electronically distributed to Environmental Committee Members. The report has been formatted to include the history of deer management on Seabrook Island and in following years only the newest data will need to be added to the existing document. There are three piebald deer on the island; Tarpon Pond and Two Spot, both bucks and White Belly, a doe.
The April Security report included more dead raccoons, Charley Moore believes that they were poisoned by residents using rat poison. An injured owl was found and turned over to The Center For Birds of Prey.
Dick Wildermann has spoken with Warren Kimball, chair of SIPOA General Operations and Management Committee about GOMC’s efforts to address flooding on Seabrook. A subcommittee headed by Mark Doane is preparing a report that focuses on flooding and drainage management. GMOC expects to issue a report in late summer or fall.
The Dolphin Watch Program has begun with eight volunteers spending 2 hours before and 2 hours after day time low tides at the Kiawah River Cut. Their purpose is to educate visitors and residents about strand feeding and dolphins in general and place the emphasis on how they can observe, but respect the ocean life. Watchers will also be collecting data. The Seabrook Island Beach Patrol is also involved and has the authority to enforce town codes regarding the disturbance of wildlife. Brochures with dolphin education and information about shore birds will be given to guests to help reinforce the information that is shared by our volunteers.
-Submitted by Lucy Hoover, EC Communications