Over 30 Acres Added to the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area

The Trust for Public Land today announced the addition of 31.5 acres to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The new addition to the popular Bowman’s Island unit of the National Recreation Area will allow for increased riverfront access for kayakers, hikers, and anglers. This project is funded through the Land and Water Conservation program and is part of a decades-long partnership between the National Recreation Area and The Trust for Public Land and is part of The Trust for Public Land’s Chattahoochee RiverLands program.

“The Trust for Public Land’s work along the Chattahoochee River has transformed Atlanta,” said George Dusenbury, Georgia State Director for The Trust for Public Land, “Not only are we working with the National Park Service to expand the park, we are exploring ways to add new amenities like camping, additional trails and access points for kayaks and canoes.”

The Chattahoochee National Recreation Area is an integral part of the Atlanta Metro Area’s outdoor access and outdoor recreation economy. It is one of the only National Park rivers running through a major metropolitan area. The Trust for Public Land has worked to leverage public and private funding to add 1,000 acres to the National Recreation Area over 25 years.

The Trust for Public Land is leveraging its decades of land protection along the Chattahoochee River to create a 100-mile greenway from Buford Dam and the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in the north to Chattahoochee Bend State Park to the south.  The Chattahoochee RiverLands Master Plan, created in partnership with the Atlanta Regional Commission, City of Atlanta, Cobb County and dozens of stakeholders, will be complete in April.  Its goal is to change the way that residents travel and recreate within the region.

“The James Creek land acquisition helps preserve one of the few remaining natural areas along the 48-miles of the Chattahoochee River protected by the National Park Service,” said Chip Bradley, chief of facilities, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. “The benefits realized by this partnership with TPL will enhance the experience for the 3 million visitors who recreate at the park and contribute $180 million to local economies annually.”

The land, which is now owned by The National Park Service, and will be stewarded to meet community needs for generations to come. This new acquisition was funded by The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF is funded through a small fraction of offshore oil and gas drilling revenues and does not use taxpayer dollars.  Congressional support for this acquisition and for the Chattahoochee River overall has been key to securing LWCF funding.  Representative Woodall and former Senator Isakson were particularly supportive.

“The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been a wonderful tool for preserving Georgia’s natural beauty, especially in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA),” said Congressman Woodall. “This federal investment is the culmination of the hard work the National Park Service, the Trust for Public Land, the Atlanta Regional Commission, and other state and local partners have undertaken to ensure the CRNRA continues to serve more than 2.7 million visitors each year and remains a unique resource of immense ecological and economic value to the Seventh District and our state.”

The Trust for Public Land is continuing to work throughout Georgia to protect land and create parks which help build local economies while providing neighbors with a place to play outside and protecting invaluable ecosystems.

####
 

About The Trust for Public Land

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live within a 10-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.