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Tribute to James Holland, Altamaha Riverkeeper on his retirement
by Pierre Howard | The Georgia Conservancy
February 22, 2010
When a great warrior leaves the arena, there is a lingering sense of
sadness and emptiness with his departure. And so it is with the retirement
of my friend James Holland, the Altamaha Riverkeeper. My mind goes back
to our first encounter in 1999. There was a coastal meeting of the Board
of Natural Resources on which I served, and James was on the agenda to
discuss coastal water quality. He came into the room carrying a bucket
full of blue crabs. When he rose to address the board, he stood ramrod
straight, speaking with great force and passion about the degradation
of water quality on the coast. He reached in the bucket and retrieved
a live crab that had a large lesion on its shell. He told us that he
was a crabber and that his livelihood had been destroyed because the
State of Georgia was not taking care of the Altamaha River, which feeds
the coastal marshes, the nursery for crabs. He bluntly told us that we
were not doing our job, and he was dead right. I was so impressed by
his forthrightness and courage that I knew that I had to meet him. Fortunately,
James decided to devote his life to making things better for our coastal
marshes, swamps and wetlands by becoming the Altamaha Riverkeeper, and
I have had the great pleasure of getting to know him.
When I think of James, the image that comes to mind is a photograph
that was taken recently of him standing in front of a giant cypress tree
in an Altamaha Swamp. He mirrors the strength and steadfastness of the
tree itself and shows by his demeanor that he cannot be moved once he
plants his feet. I have been amazed by the guts that James has shown
in doing his job. He fears no one but respects everyone. James knows
that too often those charged with the protection of the environment are
unduly influenced by power and privilege. But James understands that
someone has to call their hand and act if the Altamaha River, the Ocmulgee
River and the Oconee River and the coastal marshes are to survive. He
does not flatter wealth or cringe before power, believing as did Teddy
Roosevelt that the natural world "cannot speak for itself, so we
will."
For so long, we have depended on James. We knew that if anyone tried
to mess with the Altamaha River, he do all in his power to stop them.
Through the years, he has brought them in one by one, sometimes by agreement,
sometimes by court decree and sometimes by the scuff of the neck, tracking
them by plane, by boat, by automobile and on foot. But he has kept the
faith. Now, as James enters a new and rewarding phase of his life, gliding
along the Altamaha and through his beloved swamps in his boat, camera
in hand, we must resolve to continue his work. Our greatest tribute to
our dear friend is to be, as he has been, the last sentinel at the gate
when attacks come against the Altamaha, as surely they will. But because
of James, we will be ready.
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News Stories on James Holland's upcoming retirement
Founder of Altamaha Riverkeeper
Retires.
(pdf) The Darien News | 2-19-10
Altamaha Riverkeeper founder to retire
By S. HEATHER DUNCAN | Macon.com | 2-19-10
Altamaha Riverkeeper retiring 10-year
post
But James Holland will still be involved with the river, photographing
its beauty.
By Teresa Stepzinski | Jacksonville.com |
2-21-10
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