A Note From 'Environment Georgia'. . . .

From Jennette Gayer:

On any given early morning, at points along the Chattahoochee River, you’ll find kayakers quietly dipping their paddles into the river, runners making their way along river paths lined with trees and dog walkers strolling through one of the many connected parks, listening to ducks, birds and — quiet.

The proximity of the park and undeveloped land segments to metropolitan Atlanta is part of what makes the Chattahoochee Greenway so precious. It gives all of us a chance to get out away from bumper-to-bumper traffic and sprawl of concrete skyscrapers and freeways. The river also provides drinking water to 70% of Atlanta.

Yet, waterfront pockets surrounded by the Chattahoochee Recreation Area remain in private hands and are prime targets for developers.

Will you stand with us to protect this vital greenspace from sprawl by making a special year-end gift to Environment Georgia?

In 1964, lawmakers created the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect our parks from development, with $900 million set aside each year to buy and preserve lands and waters across the country.

Congress has only fully funded the program once, but in 2012, we saw the most drastic, reckless cut yet: House leaders moved to slash a full 93% of the Fund — a shocking move, even for the most anti-environmental Congress in recent memory, and a slap in the face to the millions of us who care about our greenspace.

The result: We risk loosing parts of the Greenway along the Chattahoochee that could be added to the national park system, to sprawl. We can’t let this happen.

Thanks to your action and support in recent years, we still managed to protect important acreage in Georgia from development, including 500 acres in the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests.

With full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, we can protect more special places, including the Chattahoochee Greenway.

So, when Congress reconvenes in a few days, we want to be ready — with new research, new advocacy, more grassroots action and a powerful drive to reverse House leaders’ drastic cuts to the Fund.
But believe me: The developers won't back down without a fight. So we’ve set a goal of raising $10,000 for this campaign by December 31.
In 2012, we also won historic action to reduce our oil dependence, protect our rivers and save our shores from oil drilling.
Now it’s time to join forces again, on behalf of one of the few remaining bastions of undeveloped green space in Atlanta.
As you reflect on what we’ve accomplished, as you think about the challenges we face, and as you consider your year-end giving choices, I hope you’ll agree: We can, we must and we will win this fight. But I need you on our side to make it happen.

Thanks for being with us.

Jennette Gayer
Environment Georgia Advocate