Continuing the “green” theme from this week, the Georgia Conservancy released its annual impact report this week. Fresh off naming Governor Deal as the state’s Distinguished Conservationist at their major fundraiser in October, the report is a breakdown of what the group has accomplished over the last year and what’s ahead.
Robert Ramsay, president of the Georgia Conservancy, opened the report with a note about a peculiar natural event that attracted the attention of millions of people. “For one day in August 2017 it seemed like the entire nation descended upon a narrow strip of America from coast to coast to experience a once-in-a-generation opportunity. A total solar eclipse brought together millions of strangers to witness one of the planet’s greatest natural phenomena. As I sat watching the jaw-dropping solar eclipse in my hometown of Toccoa, Georgia, it was a reminder of the beautiful power of the natural world to bring together people from all walks of life and from all political persuasions,” said Ramsay.
From their first project in the 1960’s, a $200,000 purchase of Panola Mountain, the Georgia Conservancy has been the premier conservation organization in the state. This past year, they spent more 570 hours at the Capitol. One item they worked on was an increase in the state’s hunting and fishing license fees. It was the first increase for the fee since 1992 and will bring in approximately $9 million per year for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
They also were recognized by a joint resolution of the House and Senate for their 50 years of service. SR 289 recognized Georgia Conservancy Day at the capitol and highlighted a number of their contributions to the state.
The report also noted some of their accomplishments related to sustainability and land conservation. Since 2009, the Conservancy has taught more than 1,600 students in a Good Urbanism class and this past year, engaged with 52 different communities in 16 different counties. They also presented to 5 different statewide conferences – including to the Georgia Planning Association, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Mining Association.
Landowners in 23 different counties inquired with the Conservancy regarding land conservation. Together with their partners, they helped to conserve 12,500 acres. In the fall of last year, they held the first Georgia Conservation Summit in Macon. Their hope is to promote a “culture of conservation” in Georgia and top items at the summit included their Gopher Tortoise Initiative and the Savannah River Clean Water Fund – two very different items but both of which fall under their purview.
Part of that mission of promoting the culture of conservation involves getting Georgians out into the wild and developing a love for the outdoors. To that end, the Conservancy offers a number of what they “Stewardship Trips” where they take people to different places, sometimes for pure fun and sometimes for volunteering clearing trails or cleaning up. In 2017, nearly 2,000 people participated in a stewardship trip. As they say, “Our goal is simple: Create a connection between some of Georgia’s most underutilized, stunning natural places and the people we need to help us protect them..”
To see the full report: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/573a164662cd94560721d9a7/t/5a207361ec212d686c94fd54/1512076134283/ImpactReport17+-sm.pdf
