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Land Conservation Program
Land Protected by ALT
Athens Land Trust currently holds conservation easements protecting 2,892 acres in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Franklin, Habersham, Jones, Oconee, Stephens, Towns, Walton, and Wilkes Counties. This land consists of working family farmland and forest, wetlands, neighborhood open space, and scenic vistas.
 ALT works with landowners to protect forests, river and stream corridors,
wetlands and other ecologically rich areas, working farmland, and scenic areas
in and surrounding Athens-Clarke County. Protecting natural areas sustains critical
ecosystem products such as clean air and water, wildlife habitat, biodiversity,
water supply and productive soils. These "natural commodities" provide
a wide array of benefits to humans and wildlife and create the foundation for
environmental and economic sustainability. ALT currently protects 2,892 acres
of land through conservation easements - a common land protection tool.
A
conservation easement is a legal agreement between a property owner and a land
trust that restricts the type and amount of development allowed on the owner's
property. The restrictions outlined in the easement are negotiated between the
property owner and the land trust and generally allow for the continued existing
use of the property. Since the landowner continues to own the property, he/she
maintains the rights of occupancy, privacy and transferability - the property
owner can sell or transfer the property at any time. Once the restrictions in
the easement are final, the easement becomes part of the property deed, permanently
protecting the conservation values. To read more about conservation easements,
see Frequently Asked Questions about Conservation
Easements.
Land trusts have been extraordinarily successful and are
playing a larger role in the field of land and natural resource protection. In
fact, more than 47 million acres are protected by land trusts,
according to the 2005 National Land
Trust Census.
Athens Land Trust’s Ongoing Conservation Easement Projects:
Athens Land Trust is currently working on several new Conservation Easement Projects including 1000+ acres in Jeff Davis County with working forests and river frontage, 700+ acres of forests in Jones County, and 600+ acres of land within the Oconee National Forest in Jones County, allowing for hunting and a few home sites with limited development. Two more new projects we are working on are 60+ acres of farmland with river frontage and wetland resources in Madison County and a 40 acre tract of farmland in Oconee county.
For more information please contact Conservation Director
Laura Hall at 706-613-0122 or email her at conservation@athenslandtrust.org.
Conservation Easements held by the Athens Land Trust Scroll down for a complete list of easements with photos and descriptions.
Click on the easement
name on the map for information about that easement.
|  Breedlove
Farm: Fifty-seven acres of prime Oconee County farmland are now permanently
preserved as farmland with a conservation easement. ALT received a grant from
the Natural Resources Conservation Service (a division of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture) as well as Oconee County Greenspace funds, to purchase the conservation
easement from the owners of the farm. The owners also donated a portion of the
value of the easement. The tract is part of a 200-acre, fourth-generation family
farm that includes a pecan grove, historic farmhouse, and outbuildings.
The
conservation easement on this farm protects a small stream and wetland, a scenic
hay field and grove of pecan trees. The owners of the Breedlove Farm have worked
with the Natural Resource Conservation Service to fence the cattle out of the
streams and this farm was recognized as the top protection priority by the Oconee
County Partnership for Farmland Protection (OPFP). This particular combination
of federal, state, and local funds to purchase the agricultural conservation easement
was a first for the State of Georgia. The easement is the result of years of effort
by OPFP and hopefully will be the beginning of an active farmland preservation
movement in Oconee County, which has some of the best agricultural soils in the
state and a viable farming community. back
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| Powers/Breedlove: The Powers/Breedlove family of Oconee County has conserved an additional 76 acres of their historic family farm located on Colham Ferry Road. Great-grandson Will Powers is currently growing organic produce and rearing livestock including cattle for ‘grass fed beef’. The additional acreage was protected with funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Oconee County SPLOST program, and a donation of the Powers family. |
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|  Bowden
Park: Bowden Park is a conservation subdivision located two miles west of
downtown Athens. ALT holds an easement that protects 17 acres of hardwoods and
old fields. This area of the subdivision has been used for years as a passive
recreation park. The easement protects land around a pond that the neighborhood
uses for fishing and picnicking. An unimproved trail around the lake also provides
walking and birding opportunities.
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map | |
 Five
Acre Woods: This urban forest, which is home to large hardwood trees and
an important bird habitat, is located one mile north of downtown just off North
Ave. Five Acre Woods was purchased by Athens-Clarke County with Georgia Greenspace
funds and is a county park. In addition, the Athens Land Trust holds a conservation
easement on the tract to further ensure its protection as a natural park. The
Over The River Neighborhood has been working to remove exotic vegetation and replant
with rescued native plant species. There are walking trails through the park,
which is accessible to all.
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|  Kenney
Ridge: Three easements protect 38.6 acres in this western Athens-Clarke County
neighborhood. One easement protects 17 acres of mature upland hardwood forest,
with rock outcroppings and two springs that flow into the Middle Oconee River.
A second tract of 4.6 acres has magnificent hundred-year old oaks with old-field
and edge habitat. The third tract has 17 acres of mature hardwoods and some old
field habitat. This land serves as an important greenspace for the surrounding
neighborhood.
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|  Foxhall
Farms: Foxhall Farms is a small conservation subdivision located in northeastern
Athens-Clarke County. A conservation easement protects 11 acres of pine and hardwood
forest along this neighborhood. The forested area contains fruiting american beauty
berry, a good source of food for many birds. A walking trail is allowed in the
area protected by the conservation easement and this area is open to all neighborhood
residents.
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| Milford Hills: Milford Hills was the first conservation subdivision
ALT has helped protect. A conservation subdivision is a residential neighborhood
that incorporates greenspace for outdoor recreation and natural resource protection.
A conservation easement protects 23 acres of predominately hardwood forest in
the Milford Hills community in Athens-Clarke County. This mature forest buffers two streams that flow
into the North Oconee River and includes rock outcrops, waterfalls and a diverse
understory. This forest is open to all residents of the Milford Hills community. back
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 Boulevard:
An easement protects an undeveloped lot in the Boulevard Historic District of
Athens. After a tornado irreparably damaged a house on Boulevard, the owner donated
an easement on the lot for the establishment of a neighborhood park. The lot contains
an historic rock wall and provides intown greenspace for birds and small mammals.
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 Hatmaker:
This easement protects 29 acres of land in Athens-Clarke County, including a swamp, seeps, an oak-hickory
forest, stream corridors and pastureland. The easement was placed on the property
by the original owner and then sold to a conservation buyer, an individual interested
in buying land with protected conservation values.
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 Pinecrest: 30 acres of hardwoods and pines as part of Pinecrest
neighborhood in Athens-Clarke County.
Recently, UGA Landscape Architecture students assisted the Pinecrest Neighborhood Association with an outreach project in the neighborhood.
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 Langdale Farm: 63.6 acres of prime farmland in Athens-Clarke County protected through the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Athens-Clarke County Greenspace Acquisition Program funded by SPLOST. This conservation easement ensures that the land will be available for agricultural uses in perpetuity. NRCS provided 50% of the funds to purchase the easement, with Athens-Clarke County providing 25%, and the landowner, Mrs. George Langdale, donating 25%.
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 House Farm: 91.5 acres of Oconee County farmland is protected with 2 easements through the USDA NRCS Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program, with matching funds provided by Oconee County. The landowners, Rickey and Kay House, also donated 25% of the easements' value. Part of a 200-acre farm, the easement property is used by the House family for cattle and hay.
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 Mitchell Farm Receives First State Grant for Conservation: On December 1, 2006, the very first Georgia Land Conservation Porgram (GLCP) grants were announced by Governor Sonny Perdue. The highest-ranking recipient was an application prepared jointly by ALT, the Oconee Partnership for Farmland Protection, and Oconee County. The $467,000 grant was used to provide the 25% match to protect 190 acres of farmland owned by Sam Mitchell. Half of the funding was provided by the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program as well as a portion from Oconee County and a donation by Mr. Mitchell.
The permanent easement was dedicated on November 28th, 2007 with NRCS State Director James Tillman, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin, and Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis.
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 Jordan: A beautiful tract of land along the North Oconee
River in Athens-Clarke County has been permanently protected by a
conservation easement. Carl and Carmen Jordan
have placed an easement on 13 acres of sloping oak
and hickory forest with riparian areas in Athens-Clarke County. This land is surrounded by
subdivisions so it is especially important habitat to
have protected.
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Bryant: Clay Bryant donated a conservation easement
to protect 59 acres of forest and farmland in
Oconee County. The property has a small pond and
diverse habitat. This property has some diverse
sloped forest filled with many large hardwood trees
and native woodland species. The land is only a
couple of properties from the House Farm which
has 50 acres protected for farming. One of ALT's
goals is to connect greenspace for the benefit of
wildlife and water quality. We are currently
working with the UGA Land Use Clinic to map
existing greenspace and important natural
resources to target for protection.
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 Wiley: On September 24, 2008, 168 acres of farmland in Walton County were protected with an agricultural conservation easement. Since 1968, Dale Wiley has been farming the land that his grandparents bought as sharecroppers in 1919. The Wiley farm produces hay and cattle, and Dale works hard to protect the water quality of the creeks on the farm. There is a Revolutionary War-era grave on the property also. An easement protecting 50 acres was purchased with funds from the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Georgia Land Conservation Program. In addition, Dale donated an easement protecting the remaining 118 acres of the farm.
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 Hillsman Farm: The easement on the Hillsman Farm in Oconee County protects 30 acres of prime farmland that are part of the larger Hillsman tract. The farmland was protected with funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Oconee County. The landowner, Charles Hillsman, donated a fourth of the value of the easement.
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 Sheth: ALT's first easement in Barrow County protects 31.5 acres of beautiful wetlands, lake, and forest. The easement was donated by Dr. Jagdish Sheth of Barrow Holdings, LLC. The protected lake is important as a water supply for the city of Statham. |
 Burdett: This easement protects the 167-acre Burdett family farm, located just east of historic Washington in Wilkes County, along Upton Creek, a major tributary to the Savannah River. The farm has been in the Burdett family since the early 1800s, and contains the grave site of Revolutionary War veteran Abram Simon. The Burdett family placed the conservation easement on the farm with the goal of using ecological land and forestry management practices on the property that has previously been managed for loblolly pine in a more conventional manner. |
 Mt. Burton: Protecting 110 acres adjacent to the Chattahoochee National Forest, the Mt. Burton easement is ALT's first in Habersham County. The steeply sloping property includes
beautiful oak-pine forest, ferny glades, and masses of rhododendrons. The owners reserved the right to build two cabins on two small areas that were already disturbed. The property drains into Shoal Creek, a trout stream and local source of drinking water. |
| Hiawassee: Andrew Seng and partners have preserved 110 acres that encompass the northern portion of Berrong Mountain. This mature Oak-Hickory forest connects to the Appalachian Trail and slopes to important trout streams in the adjacent Wildlife Management Areas in the Oconee National Forest. The property is located in Towns County. |
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| Stephens: The Bronikowski family has conserved 120 acres of local farm and forest land along Little Toccoa Creek, an important trout stream. This land can be viewed from Mt Currahee and is within the Chattahoochee National Forest in Stephens County. |
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| Green: The Green family has conserved 1200 acres of their 3rd generation family land which has major streams flowing into the nearby Ocmulgee River. They will continue to manage their land for hunting and timber, while preserving the bottomland forest and native habitats. This easement is located in Jones County and fills a hole in the Chattahoochee –Oconee National Forest. |
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| Tallassee: An easement of 176 acres along the Middle Oconee River preserves amazing Oak-Hickory-Beech forest and areas where Native American artifacts have been found. The property has several pristine creeks, steep slopes, and mature forest, and is located in Athens-Clarke County. According to aerial photos from the 1930's, most of the protected area was forested at that time, which was rare for this area of Georgia. |
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 Sheth - Carnesville: This 64-acre oak-hickory forest is right off Interstate 85 just outside the small historic town of Carnesville, in Franklin County. The conservation easement allows very limited development and protects a substantial wetland with creeks and riparian buffers. The easement protects water quality and plant and animal resources. |
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