The Georgia Greenspace Program was created by the legislature in
2000. The state Department of Natural Resources adopted the
Georgia Greenspace Administrative Rules on July 26, 2000.

The final rules for the GGP help guide the DNR, Georgia
Greenspace Commission and the counties, cities and towns
eligible to take part in the program.

This is a great program. It can help us make sure we retain
enough green space to protect out natural resources. Of the nine
goals of the program, five affect water quality.

Greenspace as a single word is a new term. Mostly, it refers to
permanently protected land and water, including farm and
forested land, whose development rights have been severed from
the property.

The land must be in its undeveloped, natural state or developed
only to the extent consistent, or restored to the extent needed,
to meet one or more of the GGP goals to:

1. Protect water quality for rivers, streams and lakes.
2. Protect against floods.
3. Protect wetlands.
4. Reduce erosion by protecting steep slopes, areas with
   erodible soils and stream banks.
5. Protect riparian buffers and other areas such as marsh
   hammocks that serve as natural habitats and corridors for native
   plants and animals.
6. Protect scenic views.
7. Protect archaeological and historic resources.
8. Provide for recreation in the form of boating, hiking,
   camping, fishing, hunting, running, jogging, biking, walking,
   skating, birding, riding horses, observing or photographing
   nature, picnicking or just playing.
9. Connect existing or planned areas contributing to the
   goals.

The GGP is a voluntary, noncompetitive, county-based program. It
provides for awards of formula grants to eligible counties if
they develop and implement plans to permanently protect at least
20 percent of the county’s geographic area as undeveloped green
space that furthers one or more of the GGP goals.

Any Georgia county can submit a greenspace program for approval
if its population is at least 60,000 or its growth at least 800
people per year. A list of participating counties is on the GGP
Web page (www.state.ga.us/
dnr/greenspace).

If your county has already qualified and applied for GGP
funding, you can still get involved. There has to be a
Greenspace committee. And while the membership varies, it
usually includes interested citizens. All meetings should be
open to the public, too.

As the state’s population increases, so do the demands on our
natural resources. We can’t assume there will always be good
water quality. We must take steps to ensure it.

Water quality and conservation are critical issues for everyone
in Georgia. Active involvement of volunteers will be necessary
to ensure sustainable growth and a high quality of life. Get
involved, and enjoy improving your community.