Lost Corner Preserve Now Park for Sandy Springs (GA)

SANDY SPRINGS, GA, 11/18/2008 – The City of Sandy Springs, working with The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit land conservation organization, the Sandy Springs Conservancy, and the Georgia Land Conservation Program (GLCP) – which provided grant funding from the state of Georgia – has acquired a 22-acre site for conservation in the city of Sandy Springs.

The land, known as “Lost Corner Preserve,” is located almost entirely within 2,000 feet of the Chattahoochee River and is home to native perennials and pristine specimen hardwoods-some of which are 200 years old. Lost Corner is largely undeveloped except for a modest craftsman style bungalow. It was the vision and commitment of Ms. Margaret “Peggy” Miles, the lifetime resident of the land, to permanently protect this resource for the community as green space. She donated generously to the cause to ensure that her vision would become a reality.

“Protection of the Lost Corner Preserve is the kind of partnership effort we envision through the Georgia Land Conservation Program. State and local government, the landowner, and the private sector are all contributing to create what will be a wonderful new park and preserve,” said Governor Sonny Perdue.

The site also will provide much-needed passive park space in a highly-developed portion of the community.

“Conserving this site will give the city a wonderful, passive recreation space, with trails for walking, open space for relaxing, and natural areas where both children and adults can learn more about native Georgia,” said Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos.

The acquisition of this tract for conservation by The Trust for Public Land was made possible in large part through the generosity of the former landowner, who wishes to remain anonymous.

“We were very pleased to have helped the landowner accomplish her three goals: to live out her years in her home on the property, to ensure the permanent preservation of its remarkable ecosystem, and to give city residents an opportunity to enjoy her land after her death,” said Helen Tapp, TPL’s Georgia Director. “This is also a terrific example of the power of partnership between the City, State, landowner and the generous citizen and corporate community”.

Funding for the Lost Corner acquisition came from three sources:

• the City of Sandy Springs contributed 50 percent, or $416,000;
• a Georgia Land Conservation Program (GLCP) grant of $250,000;
• TPL and the Sandy Springs Conservancy (SSC) fundraised for the balance of $167,334 and the former landowner sold the property at a deeply discounted rate.

“We are particularly pleased about the new partnership that this project has forged between TPL and the City of Sandy Springs,” said Tapp. The City and TPL recently worked together to create a Greenprint, or long-term plan for the city’s parks, open space and recreation network.

“The Sandy Springs Conservancy is honored to have partnered with TPL, the City and State in conserving this beautiful piece of land, and is delighted to now see the realization of the generous landowner’s wishes” said Joey Mason, Chair of the Board of the Sandy Springs Conservancy.

The Trust for Public Land, a national, private, nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1972, protects land for people to enjoy as parks, greenways, community gardens, urban playgrounds, and wilderness. Across the nation, TPL has completed more than 3,500 projects in 46 states and saved more than 2.3 million acres of land. In Georgia alone, TPL has preserved more than 19,500 acres valued at over $200 million dollars, including 55 sites in the Chattahoochee River Corridor.

The GLCP is managed by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) and projects are approved by the Georgia Land Conservation Council. The program offers competitive grants and low-interest loans for land or conservation easement acquisitions. Tax incentives are also available for donations and discounted sales of conservation lands or conservation easements. Since the program’s inception, 121 grants, loans and tax credit projects protecting 90,908 acres have been approved. Governor Perdue introduced the Georgia Land Conservation Act to encourage the long-term conservation and protection of the state’s natural, cultural and historic resources in the 2005 session of the General Assembly. The Georgia Land Conservation Act passed with broad bipartisan support and Governor Perdue signed it into law on April 14, 2005. Applications and more information about the program are available at www.glcp.ga.gov.

Established in 2001 as a non-profit organization, the Sandy Springs Conservancy Inc. works to advance parks and greenspace development and identify opportunities for land conservation. We raise funds and bring volunteers to these projects in the Sandy Springs Community. We are dedicated to creating, conserving, connecting parks and greenspace in Sandy Springs.