Franklin County gets grant to continue sea turtle friendly lighting program

Franklin County has secured funding to help increase turtle friendly lighting at local beaches.

Franklin County has one of the larger sea turtle nesting populations on the Gulf Coast – every year hundreds of turtles dig nests on beaches from St. Vincent Island to Bald Point.

Sea turtles can be disoriented by house lights and the county has a rule requiring turtle safe lighting on homes along the beach.

Franklin county will receive about 65 thousand dollars this year through a federal grant to hire a part-time code enforcement officer for 6 months to visit some of the homes and businesses and offer assistance in bringing their outdoor lighting into compliance with county rules.

Last year the program helped bring 47 homes and businesses on St. George Island into compliance with county rules.

The money will also help pay for a pamphlet, a website, and public service announcements to educate people about the impacts of man-made light on nesting sea turtles.

This will be the third year of the grant – so far it has provided nearly 160 thousand dollars to encourage turtle safe lighting near turtle nesting beaches .

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