Jan. 5—A proposal to more than double the number of visitors to Cumberland Island National Seashore and bring about other changes has drawn mixed opinions.

Many business owners and elected officials, as well as at least one environmental group, support the proposal by the National Park Service (NPS) to increase the number of visitors from 300 to 700 visitors a day. The period to comment on the plan ended Dec. 30.

Others are recommending a more conservative approach.

Megan Desrosiers, president and CEO of One Hundred Miles, said her organization differs from most other environmental groups regarding the proposal to allow as many as 700 visitors a day to the barrier island, accessible only by boat.

She said there would only be a few times a year when visitation would peak on the island, but there are concerns.

"However, as the plan states, the additional visitors could pose a threat to the quality of the resources at Cumberland Island National Seashore — specifically the wildlife populations and the habitats that support them," she said.

The plan lacks enough specificity regarding enforcement, management and monitoring strategies to protect habitats of sensitive and endangered species on the island, she said.

"Shorebird populations will be the most threatened of all wildlife populations on the island," Desrosiers said. "In particular, the nesting shorebirds on the south end of Cumberland are especially vulnerable to the actions of visitors arriving on the island by private vessel to spend a day at the beach."

Increased visitation to the island, however, would provide "an invaluable opportunity for visitors to better understand the significance of Georgia's predominantly undeveloped coast," she said.

The Center for a Sustainable Coast said reports cited by the National Park Service to explain the proposed plan "don't support increasing the limit to 700 a day."

"To the contrary, those reports support leaving visitor limits at the existing level or maybe increasing the limit from 300 to 400 visitors per day. But before increasing the ferry capacity, NPS must collect data regarding the number of visitors who don't arrive by ferry," said lawyer Jon Schwartz, the organization's co-founder and director.

There is no adequate explanation for why the visitor capacity needs to be increased. He questioned why other options, including increasing the number of daily visitors to 400, weren't offered.

"Even if the increased visitor capacity doesn't violate the Endangered Species Act, the boat landing zone proposed for the south end of the island is incompatible with preserving the seashore's unique fauna because it will increase boat traffic in an area used by manatees," he said.

Visitors should also be informed where the wilderness area is located, especially if a plan to rent ebikes on the island is approved.

Steve Weinkle, a Camden County resident who created a petition opposing a spaceport in Camden County, called the visitor use management plan a "build it and hope they will come scheme."

He said less than 60,000 people visit Cumberland Island every year, though more than 100,000 could visit if the demand was there throughout the year. He said the plan is presented in the same context as an amusement park's plan to introduce new attractions.

"The only cognizable difference is whereas a Disney World can profit by charging more for a shorter wait-time and can seasonally adjust personnel costs, the NPS's mandate to preserve the primitive characteristics of a national resource committed to all future generations of American citizens is apparently too burdensome for administrators," Weinkle said.

He said 50 years after its congressional birth, "Cumberland Island National Seashore's management doesn't seem to understand its identity or purpose."

Weinkle pointed out that the cost for a day at the beach for a family of four, including two middle school-age children, is $160. If they chose to go on the Land & Legacies motorized tour of the island, the day trip would cost $450. The combined cost for a family of six to camp for three nights at Sea Camp is $312.

He said the cost to visit the island creates a "repeat visitor barrier."

"The cheapest way to visit Cumberland Island in 2023 will be to travel in your private boat landing on South End Beach," he said. "There are no pay stations on South End Beach but signs imploring visitors to pay entry fees online at pay.gov will be posted."

The Georgia Conservancy expressed concerns about the increase in daily visitors, saying it would "represent a significant change in Island management and has the potential to strain NPS human resources and impact the island's natural resources, especially in the Wilderness area. We ask the NPS to provide need-based data for an increase in daily ferry visitors before such changes are proposed."

The proposed increase in bicycle access could have a significant impact on the island's understory and sand dunes.

"We are particularly concerned about the potential for additional e-bikes and e-bike rentals on the island, and their impact on island resources and visitor experience, particularly in the Wilderness area and the proposed extended beach-use area between Sea Camp and Stafford Beach. The Georgia Conservancy encourages the NPS to consider a lower daily limit, or a limit specific to e-bikes, and to consider maintaining the current beach bike access areas."