Georgia Land Trust Answers Questions about Johnson’s Crook

Executive Director Katherine Eddins talks to guests about the plans for Johnson’s Crook.

The Georgia Land Trust (GLT) held a town hall meeting on June 4, 2014 to inform the community and officials about plans to conserve its approximately 1800 acres at Johnson’s Crook in Dade County, Georgia.

The Land Trust’s mission is to preserve and protect land for present and future generations, a mission it has been on for the past 20 years. The Land Trust has protected over a quarter of a million acres, primarily with conservation easements. A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement between a land owner and a land trust that permanently protects land from development, surface mining and other practices that would significantly harm the land and its natural areas. The Georgia Land Trust and its affiliates hold over 700 conservation easements, making it the largest land Trust in the Southeast.

Katherine Eddins, executive director of the Land Trust, explained to the participants at the meeting that GLT took on Johnson’s Crook as a protection project because of its ecological and historical significance. In addition to being a filter for clean drinking water, Johnson’s Crook contains important ecological features such as caves, rare plants and habitat for a variety of wildlife.

Eddins explained that for approximately three years, the Land Trust has been working with partners such as banks, a bankruptcy trustee and the Southeast Cave Conservancy on the acquisition and stewardship of the land. When the Land Trust completes its acquisition and conservation effort, plans are to work with an individual or organization who will own the land and will permanently protect the land with a conservation easement.

The Georgia Land Trust will continue to be involved in the stewardship of Johnson’s Crook and will insure that the land is never turned into a development or subdivision. The land trust plans to have periodic meetings to update interested parties. Updates will emailed and posted on the website (http://www.galandtrust.org) and the Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/AlabamaGeorgiaLandTrust).

Eddins also explained that if anyone has questions about Johnson’s Crook or conservation easements to please call the Land Trust office at 256-447-1006.

 

The Ducks are Coming to the Terrapin!

Breaking News! The Ducks are coming on May 10th! The Alabama Land Trust is sponsoring a Duck Derby to raise awareness and funds. By adopting a duck, participants will help us focus on the importance of clean drinking water, after all we are in the same bath tub.  Adopters will also raise funds for interactive signs along Terrapin Creek. The Terrapin is part of the Coosa River basin and helps provide clean drinking water, recreational fishing and canoeing for Central and Northeast Alabama.

The owner of the fastest duck will win a kayak. Adoptions begin at 10 am. Come join us for FREE hot dogs and listen to The Gypsy Begonias. That’s Saturday May 10th at the Terrapin Outdoor Center at 4114 County Road 175 in Cherokee County near Piedmont, AL. Come and help us give a quack about the Creek!

For more information, call 256-447-1006 or email tdaulton@allandtrust.org. Check for updates on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AlabamaGeorgiaLandTrust and on twitter @ALTGLTlandtrust.

 

It’s a Bio Blitz!

Eastern Fence Lizard

BIO BLITZ is coming to the Choccolocco Creek Watershed April 30! A Bio Blitz is a 24 hour event where scientists and citizens come together to identify all the living species within a set boundary as a means to gather information on the biodiversity of a certain area. Biodiversity is a crucial element to a healthy habitat for all of us.

A biodiverse community can better withstand environmental changes and impacts, can support greater numbers of predator and prey species, and support a better fishing and gaming community! By the end of the Blitz we will have created a “snapshot” of the speices at the Munford School campus.

We need volunteers to help us identify, catch and measure critters of every shape and form. To help call Christy Claes at 256-454-6347 or email her at cclaes@allandtrust.org.  

 

Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust Achieves National Recognition

The Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust (CVLT) has achieved land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.  CVLT is now one of only 254 land trusts from across the country that are currently accredited. Accredited land trusts are authorized to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent. The seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation.

“The Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust’s accredited status demonstrates our commitment to permanent land conservation that benefits the entire Chattahoochee Valley community,” says CVLT Board Member John Turner. “We will be celebrating our 14^th anniversary this year and this honor is the culmination of all those years of hard work and dedication.”

The Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust’s purpose is to preserve and protect land for present and future generations in the Chattahoochee River basin. Founded in 1999, CVLT now conserves over 25,000 acres in conservation easements, including four miles along the new white water park area in downtown Columbus. Staff and Board members team with land owners and the community to be a perpetual steward of local resources. CVLT is also an affiliate of Georgia Land Trust, Alabama Land Trust and the Chattowah Open Land Trust. Together, the four entities protect over 250,000 acres across three states.

Each accredited land trust submitted extensive documentation and underwent a rigorous review. “Through accreditation land trusts conduct important planning and make their operations more efficient and strategic,” said Tammera Van Ryn. Executive Director of LTA’s Accreditation Commission. “Accredited organizations have engaged and trained citizen conservation leaders and improved systems for ensuring that their conservation work is permanent.”

Since its beginnings in July 1999, the Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust has made steady gains in organizational strength and in moving toward its mission of conserving land in beautiful southwest Georgia. Each year has seen growing interest by landowners in protecting their properties. Each new protected property ties into a broad effort to keep the Chattahoochee Valley area a tranquil, beautiful, and healthy environment for present and future generations. From the first easement, an urban site in north Columbus, to the present, CVLT has steadily expanded the breadth and effectiveness of its conservation efforts.

“A big thank you to the staff, board members, friends, and supporters for all of their hard work in making this accreditation possible,” said board member John Turner.

The Land Trust Alliance, of which Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust is a member, is a national conservation group that works to save the places people love by strengthening conservation
throughout America.

 

Land Trusts Earn Accreditation

The Georgia Land Trust (GLT), Alabama Land Trust (ALT), and The Chattowah Open Land Trust (COLT) have reached another huge milestone. The three entities have achieved land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.  The Land Trusts now join the 254 land trusts from across the country that are currently accredited. Accredited land trusts are authorized to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent. The seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation.

“Our work to achieve accredited status demonstrates our commitment to preserve forests and farm land for present and future generations,” says Katherine Eddins, Executive Director for GLT, ALT, and COLT.

“The accreditation process gave us a chance to focus on our internal operations and to make sure we were holding ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism.  There were long hours and rigorous work in the application process, but that’s the way it should be.  We’re in the business of trust, and the seal of accreditation is important in earning and keeping that trust,” says Executive Director Eddins.

Land conservation efforts began in 1994, the year Dr. Chip and Roberta Reed founded the Chattowah Open Land Trust (COLT). Their actions were in response to rapid urban development in north Georgia and suburban encroachment in northeast Alabama. In 1999, the COLT board of directors needed full-time staff and hired Katherine Eddins, an attorney and forester, to guide the growth and evolution of COLT. Katherine continues to serve in this capacity as the executive director of all three entities.

COLT had great deal of success and potential conservation donors started coming in from all parts of Alabama and Georgia. Georgia Land Trust and Alabama Land Trust became the conservation organizations serving this regional conservation effort. From just a hand full of easements in 1994, the three entities and its affiliates have grown to hold over 600 easements that preserve over 250,000 acres.

The Georgia Land Trust continues to carry the banner for COLT and its interest in protecting the beautiful ridges and valleys of northwest Georgia, but GLT also serves a broad conservation mission throughout the state.  From preservation of coastal marshes and the buffering of Ft. Stewart from encroachment, to ensuring agricultural lands of middle and southwest Georgia are available for production.

The Alabama Land Trust also protects land throughout the state, but a special project has been the preservation of Choccolocco Creek in Calhoun and Talladega Counties. Choccolocco Creek is one of the most bio-diverse tributaries of the Coosa River. The Alabama Land Trust has established a Conservation Corridor over the entire course of the stream, focusing on the lower, more populous part of the 500 square mile basin.

“A big thank you goes out to the staff and all of our supporters and friends who had a hand in making this possible,” said Executive Director Katherine Eddins.

Each accredited land trust submitted extensive documentation and underwent a rigorous review. “Through accreditation land trusts conduct important planning and make their operations more efficient and strategic,” said  LTA Accreditation Commission Executive Director Tammara Van
Ryn.  “Accredited organizations have engaged and trained citizen conservation leaders and improved systems for ensuring that their conservation work is permanent.”

The Land Trust Alliance, of which the Georgia Land Trust, Alabama Land Trust, and the Chattowah Open Land Trust are members,is a national conservation group that works to save the places people love by strengthening conservation throughout America.

 

Conservation Easement Tax Incentives In Jeopardy

Wetland in Laurens Co, GA

The conservation easement tax incentive is set to expire at the end of the year, but there are legislators and advocates who are trying to not only renew it, but make it permanent. 

Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced S.B. 526, the Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act, and Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced H.R. 2807, the Conservation Easement Incentive Act in the House.  Both bills are currently being debated in committees.

Since 2006,  the enhanced income tax deduction has allowed family farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners to get a significant tax benefit for donating a conservation easement on their land.  Conservation easements allow private landowners to permanently retire development rights to protect significant natural resources. The enhanced tax incentive opened the door to voluntary, landowner-led conservation on millions of acres of important wildlife habitat, farmland, and scenic open space across the country. A survey by the Land Trust Alliance showed that this incentive helped America’s 1,700 land trusts increase the pace of conservation by a third – to over a million acres a year. This year the Georgia Land Trust, the Alabama Land Trust and the Chattowah Open Land Trust will surpass the quarter of a million acre mark in total conservation.

The rapid loss of farmland in this country and the fragmentation of natural environments is alarming.   The United States is losing more than 2 million acres of fertile farm, ranch and forest land every year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  In fact, current rates and patterns of land consumption, if left unchecked, will result in wide-scale loss of the special natural places we need and love within the next 20 years.

Donating development rights to land – often a family‘s most valuable asset – requires careful planning and consideration. It often takes years from the initial conversations with a landowner before a conservation easement is executed. Landowners considering a such a commitment of their land should not be pressured by an artificial deadline, and many will never begin the process without the reassurance of a permanent incentive.

Tell your member of Congress how you feel. You can reach them by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.

 

Rare Salamander Spotted

With the help of an easement land owner, a rare species is spotted in north Georgia. Just today the rare green salamander was found by biologists.  Late this summer, the Land Trust coordinated with one of our easement donors to allow a team from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to conduct a study on the rare green salamander.  The species is known to live on the Cumberland Plateau and

Green Salamander

the northeast Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia. The study was to prove populations have grown and expanded, which by this finding proves they have. The salamander in the picture was located on Bogan Mountain earlier today.

The links below are from amphibiaweb and GA DNR wildlife pages for anyone interested in learning more about the range and habitat of this species.  Bogan Mountain is only about 30 minutes northeast of our Piedmont office just east of the Alabama – Georgia state line.

http://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/uploads/wildlife/nongame/pdf/accounts/amphibians/aneides_aeneus.pdf

http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Aneides&where-species=aeneus

 

What’s in Your Back Yard?

Ever wonder what rare or unusual plant or animal may be on your property? Land owners in Georgia have a new way to find out. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has launched a new website that allows you to search by county, just click on the map and you can find out what animals and plants are in your neck of the woods.

The information provided is extensive. The data base includes 1,425 plants, animals and natural communities such as hardwood forests, wetlands and grassy areas. Information can be saved in different data formats and sorted using spreadsheets and GIS software.

 For more information, click the link for the website. http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/2722

 

Hike the Headwaters of Choccolocco Creek

Choccolocco Creek

Mark your calendars for April 28th from 1pm – 5pm, the Choccolocco Creek Watershed Alliance will host a hike through the Choccolocco Creek Watershed. The trek will be lead by Jacksonville State University’s own Francine Hutchinson. She is the Assistant Herbarium Curator as well as a seasoned Ethno-botanist. She will bring a wealth of knowledge with her on our hike. Come prepared to learn some interesting things about the forest as well as the plant species that have been an important resource for hundreds of years.

Trailhead Location:  Dugger Mountain Rd within the Talladega National Forest.

Directions: From Piedmont, AL head East on Vigo Rd. for approximately 2.5 miles.

                         Turn right onto Hebble Hwy heading South towards Dugger Mountain.

                         Turn left onto Dugger Mountain Rd (also called CR 500), still heading South.

                         Stay on Dugger Mountain Road for approximately 1.5 miles as it bends through the Vigo  community  and enters Talladega National Forest (there will be a sign)

                         Once you enter Talladega National Forest, the trailhead will be another 1.5 miles.

                         The paved road becomes dirt and you will pass a “One Lane Bridge”sign.

                         Continue another 1/4 mile down Dugger Mountain Rd.

                         Look for the Dugger Wilderness sign on the right, at the tree-line.

                         Park along the side of the road.

Please Register for this free hiking event and bring a friend, water, snacks and your camera.

This will not be a difficult or fast-paced hike. To register or for  more information, go to www.choccoloccocreekalliance.org