Coastal Resources Division - Georgia DNR

10/22/2026

📢 Attention Commercial Fishermen:

⛽ The USDA has announced the Harvest Fuel Relief program which will include payments for commercial seafood harvesters.

📧Send an email to [email protected] with details of your fuel consumption.

For details, see the USDA press release https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/10/19/trump-administration-announces-8-billion-harvest-fuel-relief-program

10/16/2026

Explore a future with Georgia DNR!
Applications are open for the 2027 DNR Career Academy! Rising high school juniors and seniors can spend a week exploring Georgia, gaining hands-on experience and discovering careers they may not have considered before.
📅 July 18-24, 2027
📍 Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center and Jekyll 4-H Center
⏰ Apply by November 16, 2026!
From state parks and wildlife management areas to fish hatcheries and coastal destinations, students will get a firsthand look at careers in conservation law enforcement, wildlife and fisheries management, state park operations and more. They’ll also hear directly from DNR employees about their career journeys.
👉 Apply through the link in the comments!

10/08/2026

📊 Georgia's VESL Reporting platform is now live for the 14-Day October Red Snapper Season.

Anglers can now complete their account registrations on VESL for use during Georgia's 14-Day October Red Snapper Season. VESL, an electronic reporting platform developed by Bluefin Data LLC, is accessible through apps on iPhone and Android, as well as through the website. Before leaving on a fishing trip, each participating private angler must use VESL to declare the trip and receive a unique trip authorization code. That code must be available for inspection by law enforcement while fishing. Participation is open to private anglers with a valid Georgia recreational fishing license and Saltwater Information Program Permit, as well as appropriately permitted charter vessels and headboats.

ℹ️ Important information:
- Georgia's electronic reporting platform, VESL, required for use during the two-week red snapper harvest, is live and anglers can now complete new registrations.
- Private anglers must use VESL to authorize trips and report catches within 24 hours.
- Georgia's red snapper season runs Oct. 9–22, 2026, in South Atlantic federal waters.
- The daily bag limit is one red snapper per person. No minimum size.
- The pilot will test state-led data collection and could allow an additional December season.

🔗 Learn more at GeorgiaRedSnapper.org

09/25/2026

Please join us in keeping Sgt. Ben Cunningham's family, friends, and family in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve their loss. Ben was also a 2024 graduate of the DNR Leadership Academy, and was a funny, outgoing, quick-witted, and genuinely likeable man and public servant.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is deeply saddened to announce the sudden passing of Law Enforcement Division Sergeant Ben Cunningham, a 27-year veteran of the Department. Sergeant Cunningham passed away following a possible medical episode while on duty in Rome, Georgia, and participating in a Law Enforcement Division physical fitness program.

His career with DNR began with the Wildlife Resources Division in August 1999. He transferred to DNR Law Enforcement in December 2006, was promoted to Corporal in 2017 and to Sergeant in March 2021. Cunningham was an outstanding Game Warden and supervisor in the DNR Law Enforcement Division, most recently serving as Sergeant in Region I in northwest Georgia, where he supervised Game Wardens responsible for Walker, Dade, Chattooga and Floyd counties.

We are grateful for his years of dedication to this Department and will remember the mark he left on our DNR family.
The full press release can be found through the link in the comments.

09/23/2026

🎣 PUBLIC COMMENT OPEN: REEF/MIGRATORY FISH ENDORSEMENT

Georgia DNR’s Coastal Resources Division is seeking public comment on proposed saltwater fishing regulations that would implement a new Reef/Migratory Fish Endorsement for recreational anglers.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the annual endorsement would cost $10 for Georgia residents and $20 for nonresidents. Certain lifetime, honorary, discounted and disability license holders would be exempt from the fee but would still need to obtain the endorsement annually.

The endorsement would be required for licensed recreational anglers landing these species in Georgia:

🐟 Amberjack
🐟 Black sea bass
🐟 Cobia
🐟 Dolphin (mahi-mahi)
🐟 Gag grouper
🐟 King mackerel
🐟 Red porgy
🐟 Red snapper
🐟 Spanish mackerel

The endorsement is designed to help CRD better identify anglers participating in offshore fisheries and improve the accuracy and timeliness of recreational fishing data.

The proposed rules also establish a framework for electronic trip reporting. Mandatory reporting for endorsement holders is planned to begin in 2028, with reports submitted electronically within 24 hours of completing a trip.

📅 Public comments will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 30, 2026.

📧 [email protected]
📬 Julie Califf, Coastal Resources Division
One Conservation Way
Brunswick, GA 31520

Emailed comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Mailed comments must be postmarked by Oct. 30. More info at https://coastalgadnr.org/News/260923ReefEndorsement

09/23/2026

🎉 The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Division is now accepting applications for Coastal Incentive Grants (CIGs) that support the goals of the Georgia Coastal Management Program (GCMP).

ℹ️ Since 1998, the GCMP has provided federal financial assistance to eligible applicants to help balance economic development along Georgia’s coast with the protection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources.

🔗 For more information, please visit https://CoastalGaDNR.org/CIG/application

09/22/2026

🎣 Georgia’s red snapper season is set for Oct. 9–22!

Georgia has received a federal Exempted Fishing Permit giving participating recreational anglers 14 days to harvest red snapper in South Atlantic federal waters.

Here’s what anglers need to know:

🔴 Season: Oct. 9–22, 2026
🐟 Bag limit: 1 red snapper per person, per day
📱 Private anglers must use the VESL app to declare their trip before leaving the dock and receive a trip authorization code.
⏱️ Trip reports are required and must be completed within 24 hours of the trip’s departure time.

The season is part of a pilot project testing a new state-led system for collecting recreational red snapper data. What we learn from Georgia anglers this fall will help inform future management of the fishery.

And there could be more fishing ahead: After the October season, Georgia DNR and NMFS will review harvest data to determine whether an additional season can be held in December.

More information about registration, VESL and participation visit the official CRD EFP website at GeorgiaRedSnapper.com.

09/22/2026

It's hurricane season! As storms pick up along our coast, now is a great time to learn more about flooding.

Have you ever wondered what "Storm Surge" or "Compound Flooding" means? Want to learn more about what the Coastal Resources Division is doing in regard to flooding? Click the link below to check out The Georgia Flood Literacy Project! This interactive story map takes users through our Flood Literacy Project, showcasing the outreach CRD has done to inform communities of their flood risk, while also demystifying terms used to refer to flooding events.

To check out The Georgia Flood Literacy Project, click this link! https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/81e3b6033cf544fb9b14c23890680215

If you have any questions about flooding on the Georgia coast, please reach out to [email protected]

08/28/2026

ℹ️ Registration is now open for the 15th annual Gage Ochsner Kids Fishing & Water Safety event.

🔗 Visit aquatic.chathamcounty.org for

08/27/2026

Applicants Wanted for Georgia's Coastal Advisory Council!

The Coastal Resources Division (CRD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking qualified applicants to serve on a committee that advises CRD's Georgia Coastal Management Program (GCMP).

The Coastal Advisory Council provides input and advice to GCMP staff in the development of programs and projects to guide the conservation and management of natural, cultural, and historic resources within the coastal area. The Council also provides insight into setting the annual Coastal Incentive Grant theme, which has provided more than $29 million in grant funds to nearly 500 projects during the past 29 years.

Current vacancies include:
1 Scientific Research Organization
1 State Government/Regional Commission