The Nature Conservancy closed on several land deals near Columbus and Fort Benning in 2011, helping the conservation organization protect more than 300,000 acres in Georgia.
In a recent statement, the organization said 7,496 acres were purchased near Columbus and Fort Benning in Talbot and Marion counties to push its total number of protected acres to 304,352. The land is prime Chattahoochee Fall Line habitat for rare species including the gopher tortoise, the state’s official reptile. The tract also features longleaf pine and other rare plants.
The land faces threats from development and mining, said Michele Elmore, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Chattahoochee Fall Line Project.
“This specific tract features beautiful longleaf pine trees of varying ages and serves as a refuge for the gopher tortoise, which is listed as endangered in Georgia,” Elmore said.
The real beneficiaries of The Nature Conservancy’s work are the people of Georgia, said Mark Williams, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
“Protected lands improve our quality of life and support a sustainable economy,” he said.
The land, located east of Fort Benning off Highway 96, was purchased at fair market value from a private landowner. Funding for the property included $18.3 million from the Department of Defense and a $250,000 contribution from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a sum it received from the Walmart Acres for American program.
Now owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, the land is currently not open to the public. The property will ultimately be transferred to a public or private entity for long-term protection and possibly public access.
Mark Abner, the Conservancy’s executive director in Georgia, said the conservation organization has always been working behind the scenes to make sure the most special places in the state remain for future generations.
“With this 300,000-acre milestone, we are proud to look back on the many places our organization and its supporters have helped protect,” he said.
Working in 50 states and 30 countries, the conservation organization plays various roles in land deals. Some land is bought outright by the Conservancy and transferred to partners, while other properties are retained by the Conservancy and managed as preserves.
The Conservancy has protected land from the Chattahoochee National Forest to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the lands are open for hiking, fishing, birdwatching and hunting through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and other public and private entities.
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