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natural resources and
scenic beauty of the mountains and foothills
of North Georgia.
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Our Conservation Program
The Mountain Conservation Trust of Georgia works with caring landowners to protect habitat, waterways, scenic views, farmlands, and historically significant sites through voluntary conservation agreements.
A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust which permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation value. Landowners who voluntarily enter into conservation easement agreements continue to privately own and manage their property and may receive significant state, federal, and estate tax advantages. Conservation easements offer great flexibility and are customized to the specific needs of each landowner.
MCTGA is an accredited 501(c)3 land trust that provides assistance with the utilization of conservation easements to permanently protect the natural and scenic resources of North Georgia.
The charitable contributions of our membership have enabled us to place more than 2,000 acres in permanent protection. MCTGA’s recent efforts have included:
- Developing a strategic conservation plan focused on the Etowah River Watershed in partnership with the Nature Conservancy’s Etowah Land Prioritization Project in the Southeast American Rivers to Faucets Initiative
- Conserving 540 acres along the Etowah River in Cherokee County
- Partnering with private and public agencies to expand the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area through the acquisition of 469 acres
- Providing assistance with the protection of the historic Valley View Farm in Bartow County through the placement of a 70 acre conservation easement
- Expanding the boundary of the Burnt Mt. Preserve through the placement of an additional conservation easement
- Participating in a Pilot Etowah Watershed Mitigation Project that identifies priorities for aquatic resource restoration and protection to offset unavoidable impacts from new infrastructure and development
- Partnering with Georgia DNR and Trust for Public Land to connect National Forests and State Wildlife Management Areas including McGraw Ford and Dawson Forest
- Participating with Cherokee County Land Conservation Planning to identify and protect important resources within the municipalities and unincorporated areas of the County
- Leading Pickens County Conservation initiatives to involve citizen input and compiling data for presentation to the Planning Commission & assisting with advance planning for the 2013 Land Use Plan update
- Assisting as a member of the Etowah River Task Force with the planning and implementation of a Blue Way, or series of canoe/kayak access points, and important watershed protection buffers through conservation easements along the Etowah River between the City of Canton, Forsyth, Dawson, and Cherokee Counties
MCTGA is currently providing assistance to willing land owners to permanently protect their lands through conservation easements in the following counties:
| Cherokee | Dawson | Fannin | Forsyth |
| Gilmer | Hall | Pickens | White |
