Brumbelow Must Go

Cumberland Island National Seashore has seen its share of dirty dealings. The most blatant was the 2004 backdoor legislation that removed wilderness designation from portions of the island—marking the first time wilderness has ever been removed from the National Wilderness Preservation System. The sneaky deal brokered by Representative Jack Kingston and wealthy Carneige heirs on Cumberland Island violated thirty years of public input overwhelmingly in favor of keeping Cumberland Island wild.

However, Cumberland Island mismanagement has sunk to an all-time low under Superintendent Jerre Brumbelow. Under his watch, an illegal building was constructed on land that belonged to the American people. The structure was constructed--with Brumbelow's approval--in an attempt to extend retained rights on Cumberland Island for another wealthy island resident. Inmate labor from the local sheriff's department was used illegally to construct the building. And permits for the building and an adjacent dock have not been located. Criminal investigations are under way by the Georgia Department of Investigations. Superintendent Brumbelow's boss has already resigned.

And yet, Brumbelow remains superintendent of Cumberland Island. The National Park Service has not dismissed or transferred Brumbelow, despite his shady dealings with the sheriff's department and his authorization of a blatantly illegal private structure on publicly owned land.

The South's most pristine national seashore is being corrupted by the dirty dealings of Brumbelow and his cronies. The National Park Service needs to restore its integrity on Cumberland by showing Brumbelow the door. The National Seashore--and the 50,000 annual visitors who cherish this wild island--deserve better.

-W.H.