Company donates four marsh islands to state

ATLANTA - Conservationists worried about the future of Georgia&#39;s marsh hammocks have some good news today -- four of the low-lying islands have been donated to the state for preservation. <br> <br> The Sea Island Company of Glynn County says the islands -- called marsh hammocks -- are worth more than two million dollars. Governor Barnes announced the donation Wednesday morning. <br> <br> A national conservation group called Scenic America recently named the hammocks of Georgia&#39;s marshlands to a list of the nation&#39;s most endangered scenic places. <br> <br> The hammocks were once considered unsuitable for development because they&#39;re not proper islands. But as land has become more scarce along Georgia&#39;s coastline, the hammocks have been used for new multi-million-dollar homes and condos. <br> <br> The four hammocks donated today range in size from two-thirds of an acre to five acres. The Sea Island Company donated a 367-acre island called Carr&#39;s Island to the Nature Conservancy in 1996.