Exciting news for nature lovers in our county. Douglas County has accepted 85 new acres for conservation. More details here:
****DOUGLAS COUNTY ACCEPTS DONATION OF 85 ACRES FOR PERMANENT CONSERVATION****
Douglas County officially became the owner of “The Boot” Nature Preserve, 85 acres of forest land, with the recent signing of the deed. The land was donated to Douglas County by the Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land which received it in 2014 for conservation purposes. Douglas County agreed to keep “The Boot” as a nature preserve. The value of the property is estimated to be $3.15 million.
The preserve hosts the confluence of Bear Creek and Little Bear Creek, forming a large and rocky stream surrounded by hardwood forest. The creek then flows into the Bear Creek Reservoir. Douglas County intends to develop a trail system through the property for the enjoyment of the public, and the property will be kept in its natural state. Several miles of trails are already in place.
Trust President Eric Nelson stated “The Mission for the Trust is simply to permanently conserve land for public benefit. Sometimes it is to protect wildlife habitat or water quality in a certain area. Sometimes it is to preserve historical or archaeological value of a certain land. Often it is simply to provide green space or park land for the greater public benefit. We donated 85 acres of land to Douglas County for this purpose. This was a great public/private partnership in which our Trust saw an opportunity to put a piece of land in the hands of a County government which has great plans to create beautiful space for public use.”
Douglas County District 3 Commissioner Mike Mulcare headed up the effort for Douglas County to receive the land donation. He noted that “this new property touches three core factors: outdoor recreation, open space/habitat protection, and economic development. It is a low-cost means to preserve our uniqueness that, in turn, can help us represent our County as a quality of life/green haven in the metro Atlanta area. So many other counties have lost this ability, and once it is gone, it is nearly impossible to regain.”
The Trust was founded in 2012 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to responding to the need for preservation of undeveloped or restorable land. STPAL has over 9,000 acres of natural land across 23 properties in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, and relies on public support in the form of conservation endowment fees, grants, and financial contributions from individuals and community groups. All properties administered by the Trust are required to have permanent conservation protection status via deed restrictions. It is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission which recognizes organizations that meet rigorous quality standards.
