April 24, 2008
Contact:
Vanessa Vaughan, The Conservation Fund, 703.908.5809, vvaughan@conservationfund.org
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. - Governor Sonny Perdue joined The Conservation Fund, Decatur County and conservation leaders on the banks of Lake Seminole to announce funding for the second phase of acquisition at Silver Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Decatur County near Bainbridge.
"As good stewards of our natural resources, it is vital that we seek to conserve the natural beauty of our state and the recreational opportunities it affords to all of our citizens and visitors," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "This is possible because of generous partners who have joined with us in recognizing that conservation is a worthy and necessary cause, and I thank them for their support."
The second phase of acquisition will include approximately 2,594 acres at a cost of $10.8 million. He also announced that the property would be open to the public on August 1, 2008, with public hunting opening with the start of small game season on August 15, 2008.
In December 2007, Governor Perdue announced the state's plans to purchase the 8,430-acre property from The Conservation Fund in phases for a cost of approximately $38.6 million. The first phase of acquisition included 3,790 acres at a cost of $19.8 million and included $15 million from the Georgia Land Conservation Program.
The second phase of acquisition funding includes $3.75 million from the Woodruff Foundation, $3 million from Decatur County, $2 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and $1 million from a partnership between Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the Longleaf Legacy Program. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) expects to have the remaining funding needed to complete the second phase later this spring.
"The combined efforts of the multiple levels of public and private partners made this a success and is an example for other local governments to follow," said Rex Boner, vice president and southeast representative for The Conservation Fund. "Because of the Governor's leadership, IP's patience and cooperation and Decatur County's recognition of this property as an important resource to their community, this historic property will be open to local residents and to all citizens of Georgia for the first time and for generations to come."
The Conservation Fund purchased this property from International Paper (IP), which had managed it as part of a private forestry research site for more than 50 years. Only a handful of these types of research sites exist across the country. It features numerous critical habitats identified in Georgia's State Wildlife Action Plan. Most prominently, Silver Lake contains one of the finest examples of a mature longleaf pine forest. This highly imperiled habitat type supports a host of threatened and endangered wildlife including red-cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise. It also provides valuable habitat for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, and the declining northern bobwhite quail.
"International Paper is deeply honored to join Governor Perdue in celebrating the establishment of the Dr. Sharon G. Haines Memorial hiking trail on the Silver Lake Tract today," said David Liebetreu, vice president, Global Sourcing. "Sharon's presence continues to be missed since her untimely passing last summer. She was a valued, trusted and respected leader within our company, throughout our industry and in the conservation community. The memorial is a great tribute to her, and people throughout the state and beyond can now share in the stewardship of a longleaf pine forest and wiregrass ecosystem, a truly special place in the forest."
A key to the collaborative funding for the second phase of acquisition of the Silver Lake WMA was the interest of Decatur County in conserving this unique property and providing recreational opportunities for their residents. The Decatur County funding is the result of a $3 million low-interest loan that the Georgia Land Conservation Program approved earlier today.
"This property is a tremendous asset for the people of Decatur County and all Georgians," said Decatur County Board of Commissioners Chairman Palmer Rich. "We are excited to be one of the collaborative funding partners to conserve this unique property for today and future generations and look forward to the increased outdoor recreational opportunities it will provide."
DNR expects to complete the acquisition of the Silver Lake WMA by early 2009. The final phase will include additional funds from the Woodruff Foundation. In addition, DNR has applied for a Forest Legacy Program grant from the U.S. Forest Service. If awarded, this grant would be administered through the Georgia Forestry Commission.
"In today's world of iPod and Myspace, it is becoming increasingly rare for people to spend time outside and connect with nature,” says Sandy Tucker of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Adding Silver Lake to Georgia's public wild places provides more opportunities for Georgians to connect with nature – whether it's hunting quail, turkey, deer or waterfowl; or bird watching and hiking."
With the purchase of the Silver Lake project, The Conservation Fund reached a significant milestone: the protection of 6 million acres across the country since its founding in 1985. The Silver Lake project illustrates the Fund’s ability to work with diverse interests and leverage the power of partnerships. In just two decades, the charity has become one of the nation’s foremost conservation organizations, recognized as America’s top environmental nonprofit by both the American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Navigator, as well as prominent publications such as Forbes and Money magazines. Working with public and private partners, the Fund’s land conservation achievements range from the country’s largest parks and refuges to its smallest historic places and sacred sites.
Conserve Georgia is a statewide multi-agency marketing and public education effort aimed at promoting the conservation of energy, land and water; the prevention of litter; and the promotion of recycling. Conserve Georgia's website - conservegeorgia.org is a portal to Georgia's conservation programs. If anyone or any organization wants to know how they can conserve the state's natural resources, they can go to conservegeorgia.org and easily access all of Georgia's conservation programs and information.
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