By Doug Alderson
Sept 15, 2025–It’s always good to gather with friends and Apalachicola Riverkeeper supporters throughout the Basin. On Friday, September 12, Cameron Baxley, our Riverkeeper, Georgia Ackerman and I met with long-time ARK supporters in Calhoun County. Of course, we gathered by the river, and what better spot than Neal Landing with its commanding view of our beloved Apalachicola River.
What impressed me was the diversity and commitment of the group. Some, like Chris Atkins, has Calhoun County roots that go way back, like the 1840s. I knew his grandfather, George, a passionate river protection advocate and historian, while I was working as a planner for the Apalachee Regional Planning Council in Blountstown in 1980 and 1981. Chris is helping to restore the historic Commerce Building in downtown Blountstown, an effort of which his grandfather would certainly be proud. Others in the group, such as Hester O’Rourke, moved here from Harlem almost 25 years ago. Bill Wallace and his daughter, Annie, were taking a break from their organic farm near Clarksville, while Brenda Stoltzfus described her peanut farm and dog rescue efforts. Travis and Karen MacClendon gave a glowing account of how they first met and their global birdwatching excursions.
What united the group was their concern and love for the river. We talked about recent victories to halt proposed oil drilling in the Basin and the current interest by the Army Corps of Engineers to reignite navigational dredging. Of note, Jim McClellan, a fifth-generation native of Calhoun County and chair of the Riparian County Stakeholders Coalition in the Apalachicola Basin, is spearheading efforts for basin counties to proactively address the dredging proposals. On September 2, the Calhoun County Commission unanimously adopted a resolution that rejects a return to full-scale dredging of the river. The resolution can be viewed at the bottom of this blog.
In a recent Tallahassee Democrat column about the proposed return to dredging, Jim described past work by the Corps as trying to “convert the Apalachicola from main street to interstate highway. What followed, to mix the metaphor, was a slow-motion train wreck.” He added: “We support navigation, and we believe it works best when it’s aligned with restoration and economic sustainability. That means using the river’s natural flows and a light hand for maintenance, an approach already reflected in the restoration work now gaining momentum across the region. …The Corps now faces a pivotal choice: become a partner in this locally led vision—or be a bureaucratic relic that communities must work around. One path leads to trust, progress, and shared success. The other drags us back into conflict and frustration. The Apalachicola River is more than a waterway. It’s a lifeline that connects our region. It deserves a future as rich as its past—and it’s time we navigate that future wisely, together.”
Our Calhoun County supporters agreed to thank their county commissioners for supporting the resolution, and all agreed that future meet and greets would be fun and beneficial for everyone involved.
