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Audubon Society granted permission to add dune-restoration signs at Cowan and Great Southern bird areas
Summary
Jessica Martin of the Audubon Society asked the board for additional dune-restoration signage at two Important Bird Areas; the board approved the request and emphasized coordination with the Sand Beach director and removal if signage interferes with beach maintenance.
Jessica Martin, stewardship manager for the Audubon Society, told the Harrison County Board of Supervisors the group seeks permission to install additional dune-restoration signs at the Cowan and Great Southern Important Bird Areas to protect nesting least terns.
"We are out there on the beach every day during the summer months protecting the least terns that come here every year to nest," Martin said, explaining the signs would clarify protected areas for beach users. She told supervisors the Audubon Society already has some signage in place funded by a different source and now has additional funding through another grant (NDAQ) to expand signage.
Supervisors approved the request by voice vote. Board members stressed the importance of working with the Sand Beach director before planting or permanently altering dune areas and asked the Audubon Society to remove signs if county maintenance or safety concerns required it. The board noted prior issues with sunflowers planted near signage and said the county must retain the ability to remove vegetation that interferes with beach maintenance or public-safety requirements.
Action: Motion to approve installation of dune-restoration signs at Cowan and Great Southern Important Bird Areas (mover: not specified; second: not specified). Vote: unanimous. Outcome: approved.
Proper names: Audubon Society; Cowan Important Bird Area; Great Southern Important Bird Area; Sand Beach director.
Why it matters: The action supports habitat-protection efforts for nesting shorebirds while clarifying coordination and preservation of county beach-maintenance authority.
