The Town of Kiawah Island’s Environmental Committee met on Wednesday, April 10th, to discuss proposed changes to the Town’s Dog Leash Ordinance (16.502). The proposed changes were initiated by several concerns from the community, especially from the Town’s volunteer shorebird stewardship team, regarding the disturbance of red knot flocks by off-leash dogs.
Driving factors for this recommendation have been the earlier presence of large numbers of red knots (a federally protected bird species) on our beaches beginning in early March, and the loss of bird nesting habitat east of the Ocean Course Golf Clubhouse, as a result of recent storms and rain events.
It is important to note that the Town is not contemplating the elimination of the mile-long no-leash zone from the Beach Club to the Ocean Course.
The two proposed changes that have captured interest of Kiawah’s dog-loving community include:
- For the seasonal dog use area, the off-leash dates would be reduced by two weeks each year. The current ordinance requires that leashes be used starting on March 16. The proposed changes would require leashes beginning on March 1. This reduction in the off-leash period would reduce disturbance to red knots and allow time for the red knots to gain the strength needed for their further migration to the arctic.
- The Dog Use Area (which allows dogs off leash year-round) between the Beach Club and the Ocean Course Clubhouse would be shortened to 1,000 yards in length and the remaining eastern portion would be converted to a Seasonal Dog Use Area to protect nesting shorebirds. The new Seasonal Dog Use Area would require dogs to be on their leash from March 1 to October 31.
For background, red knots are long-distance migrants, and disturbing them while they feed, or rest can have a significant detrimental impact on their survival. Up to 40 percent of the entire Eastern population of red knots relies on the Kiawah beach to rest and refuel during their spring migration.
With the concerns raised by community members, a subcommittee of the Environmental Committee was formed to examine the situation and make recommendations to the full committee. The subcommittee reviewed ordinances from other beachfront communities, scientific studies regarding the impact of dogs on shorebird flight distance, and shorebird feeding and nesting patterns. The subcommittee developed the proposed changes, which were presented to the full Environmental Committee on April 10.
The proposal has already sparked significant public interest, with many community members attending the April 10th Environmental Committee meeting to voice their opinions and seek clarifications for and against these changes. The Town Council and Town staff are keenly aware of the importance that many dog owners place on allowing their dogs to run freely while also upholding our commitment to environmental responsibility.
Last week, Town staff, Council Member Madeleine Kaye, and Mayor Pro Tempore Dr. Michael Heidingsfelder met to discuss the proposed ordinance changes further. During this discussion, there was consensus that the subcommittee should assess the proposed changes further and gather additional input from the community and concerned residents. This process should provide additional time for new ideas and create more options to protect our shorebirds, while not limiting the beach for our residents more than necessary.
As a reminder, the Environmental Committee, as an advisory body, does not make the final decisions; these are made by the Town Council. Until the Environmental Committee has compiled more information and has further recommendations, the ordinance will not advance to the Town Council for any amendments. If there are recommendations from the Environmental Committee to Town Council, absolutely no changes to the ordinance will be implemented until the proposed amended ordinance is discussed and voted upon by the Town Council at a public meeting.
In the meantime, the Town welcomes comments or suggestions to TOKI Town Assistant Biologist Aaron Given at agiven@kiawahisland.org.
