Georgia Conservancy FYE 2016 Impact Report 1 A Georgia where People and the Environment thrive. Our Mission Is To Protect & Conserve Georgia’s Natural Resources Through Advocacy, Engagement & Collaboration. WHAT WE DO The Georgia Conservancy’s five programmatic areas work throughout the state to advance our mission and conserve Georgia’s land and water. The Georgia Conservancy is a statewide, member-supported conservation organization. Our work for environmental advocacy, land conservation, coastal protection, sustainable ADVOCACY SUSTAINABLE LAND COASTAL STEWARDSHIP growth and outdoor stewardship recognizes the connection between the environment, the GROWTH CONSERVATION GEORGIA TRIPS economy and our quality of life. 2 3 Letter from the president OUROUR GOALS GOALS FOR FOR THE THE FUTURE FUTURE As we approach the Georgia Conservancy’s 50th Anniversary in 2017 and settle into our new offices in a resurgent Downtown Atlanta, it is natural to reflect upon the many ways that the Georgia Conservancy has played a role in advancing a culture of conservation in this state. Whenever we set foot on the deserted beaches of Cumberland Protect,Protect, conserve, conserve, and andrestore restore Island, or explore the bottomland forests of the lower Altamaha River, or take a stroll down a vibrant main street in 1 1 one of our small towns, we are reminded of the collaborative vision and tremendous efforts that it took to conserve Georgia’sGeorgia’s land, land, water, water, and and these incredible precious places. This history has not only laid the foundation for our ongoing efforts during the last 12 months, its inspiration biodiversity.biodiversity. also remains very present in our programmatic work in land conservation, advocacy, sustainable growth and stewardship trips. Many of our early successes in land conservation, starting the late 1960s, are now public properties such as Sweetwater Creek State Park and Panola Mountain –well-known destinations of hundreds of thousands of people seeking respite and recreation every year. Though the model for large-scale conservation at the Georgia Conservancy has shifted much of its focus to the conservation and restoration of private lands through conservation easements PromotePromote and andimplement implement sustainable sustainable and other mechanisms, our efforts still include support for the addition of ecologically-rich lands into the public 2 2 realm. In 2015, through the collaborative advocacy efforts of the Georgia Conservancy and many partner groups, practicespractices throughout throughout Georgia. Georgia. the State acquired 4,000-acre Altama Plantation in Glynn County – a tract that will restore connectivity to other conservation corridors on our coast and along the lower Altamaha River, as well as provide recreation opportunities as a state Wildlife Management Area. Our advocacy efforts at the State Capitol during the 2016 legislative session continued to forward the vision that our founders had for the organization in 1967. By being proactive, engaging and willing to listen to all sides RemainRemain Georgia’s Georgia’s leading leading of an issue, our advocacy team successfully pushed for a moratorium on petroleum pipelines in our state until 3 3 measures are secured that can ensure our state’s natural resources remain protected. Our approach to private land conservationconservation organization. organization. conservation led us to pursue and successfully advocate for an extension of the state’s land conservation tax credit program, providing for thousands of Georgia landowners a strong financial incentive to restore or conserve their lands. During the 20th Anniversary of our Blueprints for Successful Communities, this past year, the work of our Sustainable Growth program was very much in the spotlight. A fun and successful 2015 ecoBenefete honored our long and fruitful partnership with Georgia Tech’s College of Architecture, showcasing the more than 30 Blueprints AcquireAcquire the resourcesthe resources needed needed for for studios on which we have collaborated. It was also an opportunity to share the leadership and innovative work that 4 4 the Georgia Conservancy is providing in the areas of school siting, Good Urbanism, and rural town resiliency and long-termlong-term financial financial viability. viability. sustainability. It’s no wonder that for many, their introduction to the Georgia Conservancy is through our Stewardship Trips program. Since 1967, we’ve led trips across Georgia to not only expose people to the wonders of our outdoors, but to inspire active advocates for the protection of our lands and waters. During the last year, we’ve taken more than 1,000 adventurers onto our rivers, into our mountains and out to our barrier islands. And through our Stewardship Trips program, we continued our decades of stewardship of Cumberland Island National Seashore by restoring all 50 miles of this island’s trails, utilizing more than 450 volunteers during the course of eight months. We are proud of the work that we’ve put forth during this last year, and as you learn more about these efforts, keep in mind that our mission will continue into the next 50 years. We are excited about where this journey through Georgia will take us! Robert Ramsay, President 4 5 ADVOCACY IN fyE2016 The Georgia ASSISTED IN PASSING LEGISLATION TO PLACE A TEMPORARY Conservancy has a long MORATORIUM ON PETROLEUM PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION history of advocating 550+ hours at the capitol for the protection and ADVOCATED FOR SUCCESSFUL EXTENSION OF LAND CONSERVATION TAX CREDIT FOR 5 YEARS conservation of Georgia’s MORE THAN 50 PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT WOULD IMPACT natural resources at the GEORGIA’S NATURAL RESOURCES WERE TRACKED local, state and federal levels. The Georgia Conservancy has a long history of advocating for the protection and conservation of Georgia’s natural resources at the local, state and federal levels. Our advocacy team has decades of experience in state politics and is dedicated to using the political process to help protect our state’s precious natural resources. We’re at the state capitol every day of the legislative session pushing for conservation- minded bills and fighting against legislation that would roll back advancements we’ve already made. The Georgia Conservancy’s advocacy work doesn’t stop at the capitol steps. We’re working year-round on key issues such as transportation, energy, water resources, land conservation and development to make Georgia a place where people and the environment thrive. If you have any questions about our Advocacy Program or would like to learn more, please contact Advocacy Director Leah Dixon at ldixon@ gaconservancy.org. 6 7 SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN fyE2016 The Georgia Conservancy’s mission is to protect Georgia’s natural 22 WEEKS ENGAGED A COMMUNITY THROUGH A PRESENTATION EVERY OTHER WEEK OF THE YEAR resources. But in today’s world, that 52 WEEKS means more than just protecting MAYORS INVOLVED IN A PILOT critical lands and habitats from 3 ‘MAYOR’S CLINIC FOR COMMUNITY DESIGN’ development. It also requires that 4 NATIONAL PRESENTATIONS (SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL NATIONAL CONFERENCE, NATIONAL MAIN STREET CONFERENCE, NEW PARTNERS FOR SMART GROWTH, AND THE INSTITUTE FOR built spaces - our cities, towns and TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS) neighborhoods - grow and develop GOOD URBANISM CLASSES 8 AND MORE THAN 200 participants in a more sustainable fashion. The bottom line: Better planning helps the environment, enabling communities to grow while using fewer resources and disturbing less open space. The Georgia Conservancy’s Sustainable Growth program works to foster smart, sustainable development across the state through the following initiatives: - Blueprints for Successful Communities - Good Urbanism - School Siting Workshops - Small Town Sustainability If you have any questions about our Sustainable Growth Program or would like to learn more, please contact Program Director Katherine Moore at [email protected]. 8 9 LAND CONSERVATION IN fyE2016 Georgia is richly blessed with natural facilitated landowner outreach resources and a varied landscape of DESIGNATED AS along 83 MILES OF RIVER HIGH PRIORITY spectacular beauty, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the stately pine fielded landowner inquiries from 34 Georgia counties forests of the Coastal Plain and the CONSERVED WITH acres CONSERVATION EASEMENTS barrier islands and sweeping marshes 7,843 of our coast. We also have abundant GLYNN 4,000 CALHOUN 953 PULASKI 1,220 water in our 14 river basins. WAYNE 250 CAMDEN 1,420 With the population of our state at 10 million, development is putting more pressure on our rivers and streams, and poses a threat to our biodiversity. The Georgia Conservancy believes that land conservation is a key to protecting our water resources, our plants and animals, and our citizens. It is for that reason that we have made land conservation a cornerstone of our work. In 2015, the Georgia Conservancy helped to protect nearly 28,000 acres of land in Georgia, bringing our five-year Land Conservation Initiative total to almost 54,000 acres protected. If you have any questions about our Sustainable Growth Program or would like to learn more, please contact Coastal Director Charles McMillan at [email protected]. 10 11 COASTAL gEORGIA IN fyE2016 Georgia’s coast stretches for nearly 100 miles and features some of 61 miles OF COASTAL RIVERS PADDLED the nation’s most pristine beaches, CONSERVED WITH CONSERVATION 5,670 acres EASEMENTS IN COASTAL COUNTIES remote salt marshes and protected