The Nature Conservancy Acquires 170 Acres in North Georgia, Protects Headwaters of the Etowah River

The Nature Conservancy Collaborates With Private Landowner and the Georgia Department of Transportation to Protect the Etowah River

Atlanta—In partnership with a private landowner, The Nature Conservancy has expanded its protection efforts in the Etowah River watershed by purchasing 170 acres of mountain land. A private inholding in the Chattahoochee National Forest, the newly acquired property is located in Lumpkin County, Ga., and encompasses five freshwater streams, including the headwaters of the biologically rich Etowah River.

“The natural diversity of north Georgia’s mountain land and freshwater rivers and streams is at risk of being irreversibly altered by the increasing pressures of development,” said Tavia McCuean, vice president and state director of The Nature Conservancy in Georgia. “Our continuing efforts to protect the Etowah River and its surrounding lands will serve to ensure the health and sustainability of this beautiful landscape for future generations.”

The purchase of the 170 acres is the final phase of a two-part land deal with property owner Dave Garwood. Acquiring this property ensures that the land will never be sub-divided or developed, thereby protecting the aquatic habitats in the Etowah River at this location and immediately downstream of the property from the degradation that could result from development.

“While I may have been the owner of the property, I feel that I was only given temporary custody of the land. At one time it was a Native American campground, and in more recent times, it was a place local people used for recreation,” said Dave Garwood. “This is my opportunity to relinquish my custodial duties and pass the land along to The Nature Conservancy to make sure it will be cared for and used for the public good.”

In February 2006, The Nature Conservancy purchased 299 acres from Garwood, which was recently transferred to the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) for the purpose of creating a mitigation bank. A mitigation bank is an aquatic resource, such as a stream or a wetland that is restored, established or enhanced to compensate for unavoidable impacts to other aquatic resources. The Nature Conservancy plans to transfer the recently acquired 170 acres to the Georgia DOT for the same purpose.

“We are excited about this new acquisition, and we welcome the opportunity to work with The Nature Conservancy to protect and preserve this part of the Etowah River,” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl. “Our Office of Environmental/Location will continue their work of restoring and enhancing streams and wetlands on this property to improve the quality of this fragile habitat.”

As both tracts of land acquired from Garwood are adjacent to the Chattahoochee National Forest, the Georgia DOT is discussing long-term management plans for the land with the Forest Service.

“The Etowah River is an invaluable natural resource that is among the most diverse small rivers in the nation,” said Mary Davis, regional aquatic ecologist for The Nature Conservancy. “We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with both private and public partners to ensure this resource remains healthy and abundant for years to come.”

About the Etowah River
The Etowah River watershed, located approximately an hour north of Atlanta, joins the Oostanaula River in Rome, Ga., to form the Coosa River which then flows west into Alabama. The Nature Conservancy is working in the upper portion of the Etowah basin above Lake Allatoona where the aquatic biological diversity is mostly intact. With more than 76 species of fish, including 17 rare or declining species, scientists have estimated that the Etowah River has more imperiled aquatic species than any other river system of its size in the southeastern United States.

The greatest threat to the river system is sprawling urban growth. The Nature Conservancy is working with local communities and other conservation partners to develop sustainable land use planning practices that would protect ecologically sensitive areas.