Tybee Takes Its Beach Replenishment Cause to the Web

Tybee’s Mayor has taken to the cyber airways in his fight to gain federal funding for replenishing the roughly 2.5 miles of beachfront on the island.

The town has posted a 10-minute video on YouTube.com, the enormously popular video-sharing site, starring Mayor Jason Buelterman.

"I’ve been surprised at the amount of response, particularly from the media," Buelterman said.

This YouTube lobbying effort was recently featured in the Washington, D.C. publication, The Hill, who’s readership consists of primarily political insiders.

Buelterman said he was inspired to try this approach by 1st District Republican Congressman Jack Kingston’s use of the Internet to get his message out.

Buelterman said that the YouTube spot was primarily an educational tool. "Unlike states with more extensive coastlines, there’s a learning curve about this issue," he said.

Currently, Tybee must request funding from the federal and state government for beach re-nourishment. The video features the top five reasons to fund this project.

To view the video, go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=5MTydJVT5mM.