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Conservation Lands From the Soque Current newsletter - Winter 2003
Greenspace is coming to Habersham County The notion of protecting greenspace has arisen fairly recently in American history in response to the rapid disappearance of natural lands in and around urbanizing areas. Many communities have realized that the benefits of simply keeping a portion of its lands in a natural state are critical for maintaining the services and the quality of life which a healthy environment provide. The State of Georgia took a bold step in planning for its future when it initiated a program by which counties experiencing a rapid rate of growth are eligible to receive a percentage of their ad valorem taxes that typically go into state coffers. Through this program, the state will grant this money to counties for the purpose of “permanently protecting greenspace.” The State of Georgia defines Greenspace as follows: “Permanently protected land and water, including agricultural and forestry lands, whose development rights have been severed from the property.” Many of the purposes for the protection of Greenspace acknowledge the importance of protecting waterways. Listed below are the nine purposes eligible for the protection of Greenspace:
For the last few months, the SRWA has worked hard to insure that Habersham County would develop its own “Community Greenspace Program” and complete its application to receive the $155,000 grant. Thanks to the help and enthusiasm of city officials from Clarkesville, Cornelia, Baldwin, Mount Airy and Demorest, the County agreed to participate in the program, to accept funds, and to cooperate with city officials in identifying preferred lands for protection. After several public meetings in which attendees were asked to rank their top priorities for land protection from the list described earlier, four priorities were chosen. Consensus was reached that lands that achieve water quality protection would receive the top priority. This priority would include land-types such as floodplains, and riparian buffers. Lands that allowed for passive use recreation (including pedestrian and wildlife corridors) would receive secondary priority. Properties that allowed for a combination of water quality protection and passive use recreation were acknowledged as preferential (see graph). Though the groundwork has been laid, the work has just begun for the SRWA as well as County and City officials. Greenspace, as a concept, can be a very scary thing to many individuals not familiar with the benefits of land-use planning and conservation. And though permanent land protection is negotiated only where there is a willing buyer and a willing seller, many also fear conservation tools will one day be used for condemnation purposes. In short, as Greenspace comes to Habersham County, it is imperative that we understand how it works, its opportunities and limitations, and educate the entire community of its importance. If you know of a civic group or organization that would like to have a presentation on Greenspace initiatives, or if you would personally like to get involved, call us at 754-9382. SRWA and Clarkesville Submit
Assistance Grant for Greenways
The word greenway was first
recognized in 1966. According to Merriam-Webster's 2002 Dictionary it is defined
as: The term “greenspace” refers to any lands that are kept in some kind of conservation use. An example would be the permanent protection of a forest, wetland, or even a farm. In contrast, a “greenway” is a corridor of undeveloped land in or near a city that is designed for recreational use. A simple trail through a wooded portion of a community would be considered a greenway. The two concepts are separate but equally important tools for conserving natural areas, and can often improve the connectivity that residents have to their natural surroundings. The City of Clarkesville and the SRWA have been discussing these two concepts vigorously for the last year and have found an excellent opportunity to begin to make these concepts take shape. On Wednesday, March 19th the two partners submitted an application to a little known program of the National Park Service. The program is entitled the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. In February, Richard Monroe, the Clarkesville City Manager, Tom O’bryant with the Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center, Chris Abbett with the National Park Service and Justin Ellis representing the Association, met to discuss how the National Park Service Program might assist the City in designing a greenway and recreational trails plan. If the assistance grant is awarded, the National Park Service would assist the City of Clarkesville and the Association by holding public meetings to get public input on a trail design, assess greenspace areas and trail design options, draw up a concept plan and maps, help market the idea to the general public, and assist in identifying funds that would allow for the creation of a trail system. This is the first time a project like this has been proposed in Habersham County. We expect projects of this kind to gain considerable support from the general community and build an awareness of the importance of resource protection. If this project receives assistance we anticipate beginning some preliminary discussions for this project this summer. Stay tuned! UPDATE - This grant has now been awarded. Application to the National Park Service 1. Project Title and Description This project strives to develop a master plan, funding strategy, and marketing approach for greenway and recreational trail development which would link the city’s residential, commercial and park areas. 2. Primary local sponsor and partner organizations
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