Paul Bolster, Author of Saving the Georgia Coast

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Carter Museum Theater
Atlanta, GA

Fifty years ago, Georgia chose how it would use the natural environment of its coast. The General Assembly passed the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act in 1970, and, surprisingly, Lester Maddox, a governor who had built a conservative reputation by defending segregation, signed it into law. In “Saving the Georgia Coast,” Paul Bolster narrates the politics of the times and brings to life the political leaders and the coalition of advocates who led Georgia to pass the most comprehensive protection of marshlands along the Atlantic seaboard.