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Helping Coastal Communities Protect Open Space The University of Georgia Sea Grant Program launched a NEMO effort in 2000 focused on the state’s rapidly developing coastal communities. After participating in the National NEMO Network’s Open Space Planning Boot Camp, Coastal Georgia NEMO added an open space planning component to their educational program. The program presented open space planning materials at several regional and statewide conferences, such as the Georgia Planning Association, the Alliance for Quality Growth, the Georgia Quality Growth Partnership, the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals and the Coastal Georgia Advisory Council. Two coastal counties received targeted assistance in open space planning, with tremendous results. In Bryan County, the GA NEMO program worked in collaboration with the county greenspace planner to present an open space workshop to the Board of Commissioners. The presentation included definitions of open space, options for protection and how to conduct a resource inventory. The County then conducted a resource inventory that was incorporated into the county’s application to the Georgia Community Greenspace Program, from which it received $200,000 in funding to purchase property or easements for permanent protection. The County formed a citizen advisory group to help identify land protection priorities and incorporate them into the County’s Open Space Plan. Areas identified for protection included farmland, river banks, parks, buffer zones, freshwater (isolated) wetlands and areas within the 100-year floodplain. The County set a goal to permanently protect 20,734 acres of land. The GA NEMO program also partnered with the St. Simons Land Trust to hold a workshop on conservation easements for community planners, local governments, assessors, appraisers and others in Glynn County. The county set land protection priorities and developed an open space decision matrix to help guide the focus on priority parcels. County funds were used to purchase several properties for open space protection, including 65 acres along the Altamaha River and 13 acres on St. Simons Island. The County is also working with the St. Simons Land Trust to permanently preserve county park lands and sub-division open space set-asides. |
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