Watchdog

Wild Cumberland

Home groundScottdale, GA

Find themwildcumberland.org ↗

Right nowCumberland Island National Seashore: Land exchanges could allow homes on protected island how the sponsors score on public lands

The origin

How they started

Wild Cumberland says it is “dedicated to protecting the wilderness, native species, and the ecology of Cumberland Island,” and that its purpose is “to help educate the public and hold decision-makers accountable.” Its board includes Carol Ruckdeschel, a naturalist who has lived on the island for more than 40 years.

How they run

Small and lean

We don’t hold a detailed federal filing for this group. Groups this size often file the short form or run below the IRS reporting line, so there’s no budget or crew to show here, and that’s no knock: some of the sharpest local defense in the country runs this way.

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Their ground

The places they defend

On the ground · Comments close Oct 16 · 5 days leftCumberland Island National Seashore

Opposes all four proposed land exchanges, saying maps, acreage and valuations have never been disclosed and the homesites sit next to Wilderness and Potential Wilderness; held a September 30, 2026 virtual town hall ahead of the October 16 comment deadline

Who’s defending it

See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.

Where and what

Works onwilderness · Cumberland Island · land exchanges

Active inGeorgia

Who writes the rules where they work

The Georgia congressional delegation averages 48 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard

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Ways in