TPL-Georgia Receives $20K Grant

Atlanta, GA, 1/10/03:The Georgia office of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) has received a $20,000 donation from The UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of UPS. The gift bolsters TPL’s effort to buy park land in urban Atlanta as part of its “CitySpaces” program – an initiative aimed at conserving land for active and passive recreation within urban Atlanta and in DeKalb and Fulton counties.

“There is tremendous enthusiasm for expanding parks and preserving open space in Atlanta and DeKalb County,” TPL-Georgia Director Russ Marane says, “but government alone can’t provide the resources to acquire more land. The business and nonprofit communities must work to create more places for people to enjoy the outdoors. The UPS Foundation gift is going to help TPL complete the acquisitions of desperately needed land for parks and open space.”

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its support will clearly make an impact on social and environmental issues. In 2001, The UPS Foundation distributed more than $40 million worldwide, with $4.8 million going to local charities.

“UPS and its employees have always been committed to serving the communities where we live and work,” says UPS Foundation President Evern Cooper. “UPS’s support of the Trust for Public Land signifies our shared focus and commitment to create healthier, vibrant urban areas.”

About TPL: Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land specializes in conservation real estate — applying its expertise in negotiations, public finance, and law to protect land for people to enjoy as parks, greenways, community gardens, urban playgrounds, and wilderness. Across the nation, TPL has saved more than 1.4 million acres of land. In Georgia, TPL has helped protect land throughout the state – including nearly 70 miles along the Chattahoochee River. It has also conserved land on Georgia’s coast and rivers, and in urban centers.