Georgia Conservancy Inc

THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY IS A STATEWIDE, MEMBER-SUPPORTED ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION. GEORGIA CONSERVANCY RECOGNIZES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT, THE ECONOMY AND EQUITY. SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1967,

THRIVING COMMUNITIES GOAL: POSITION GEORGIA'S COMMUNITIES TO BE MORE RESILIENT TO ECOLOGICAL, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND ECONOMIC STRESSES. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: - PARTNERING WITH ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORITY, WE PROVIDED CONSULTATION AND PLANNING SERVICES ON AN INNOVATIVE REVITALIZATION PROJECT-FOCUSED ON WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, WALKABILITY AND HOUSING DIVERSITY- IN NORTHWEST ATLANTA, THE FORMER BOWEN HOMES SITE. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.

ENGAGED GEORGIANS GOAL: CREATE STEWARDS AND FOSTER APPRECIATION BY CONNECTING ALL GEORGIANS TO OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: - CONTINUING OUR SHIFT TO CONTINUE OUTREACH DURING THE ONGOING PANDEMIC, GEORGIA CONSERVANCY HOSTED 26 VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS DURING FY21 ON VARIOUS TOPICS VIA FACEBOOK LIVE AND ZOOM WITH A TOTAL VIEWING PARTICIPATION OF 23,380 INDIVIDUALS. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.

HEALTHY NATURAL SYSTEMS GOAL: PROTECT AND RESTORE GEORGIA'S NATURAL SYSTEMS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: - WE COMPLETED OUR ANALYSIS OF LAND COVER TRENDS OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS TO HELP ASSESS FUTURE NEEDS FOR RESOURCE PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABILITY, A PROJECT KNOWN AS GEORGIA NOW AND FOREVER. OUR WORK IDENTIFIED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SPECIFIC LAND COVER TYPES, THEIR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.

ADVOCACY - THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY CONTINUES OUTREACH REGARDING PROPOSED MINING ALONG TRAIL RIDGE NEAR THE OKEFENOKEE, WHICH THREATENS THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF THIS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. - DURING GEORGIA'S 2020 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE MONITORED OR TRACKED 20 PIECES OF LEGISLATION. - THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY REMAINS PART OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM OF THE GEORGIA OUTDOOR STEWARDSHIP COALITION WHICH LED ADVOCACY EFFORTS FOR THE GEORGIA OUTDOOR STEWARDSHIP AMENDMENT WHICH WON 83% OF THE VOTE IN NOVEMBER 2018. WE WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO GUIDE THE RULEMAKING PROCESS COMPLETED BY THE STATE IN 2019, AND WE SERVE AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR COMMUNITIES LOOKING TO APPLY FOR GRANTS SINCE THEN. COASTAL GEORGIA - OUR COASTAL PROGRAM REMAINS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE THREAT OF MINING NEAR THE OKEFENOKEE SWAMP, DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY UNDER OUR LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM. GIVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR ALTERATIONS TO THE SWAMP'S HYDROLOGY TO IMPACT THE ST. MARYS RIVER, THE CONCERN IS SIGNIFICANT FOR GEORGIA'S COASTAL COMMUNITIES, HUMAN AND NATURAL. - FOR OVER FORTY YEARS THE SHORE PROTECTION ACT (SPA) HAS SERVED AS LANDMARK LEGISLATION, ENSURING PROTECTION OF THE SAND-SHARING SYSTEM (DUNES, BEACHES, SHOALS, AND SANDBARS) IN GEORGIA FROM ADVERSE IMPACTS FROM HUMAN ACTIVITY. IN THE 2019 GEORGIA LEGISLATIVE SESSION, HOUSE BILL (HB) 445 AMENDED THE SHORE PROTECTION ACT TO REDEFINE AND CLARIFY THE SHORE'S JURISDICTIONAL LINE. THE GEORGIA CONSERVANCY CONTINUES TO MONITOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CHANGE AND SUPPORT RIGOROUS APPLICATION OF SPA TO PRESERVE THE COAST'S ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY.