October 25, 2018
Urban cities make investments to save and protect green space
Brookhaven, Decatur, and Roswell receive $21.2 million to conserve 89 acres
Historically, land tells a story. It helps shape the people and communities it supports. It supplies pure drinking water, healthy food, and clean air. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Coastal Plains, Georgia has five geographic regions that are vastly different. There are specific plants and animals that depend on their particular region for survival. This is why it is important we leave the land better than we found it.
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) strives to conserve and protect Georgia’s natural resources by offering land conservation loans. Eligible land conservation projects qualify for a reduced interest rate and must result in the permanent protection of conservation land. The city of Roswell, the Decatur Public Facilities Authority, and the city of Brookhaven are taking advantage of this financing.
GEFA awarded the city of Roswell two Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loans totaling $4 million to acquire 34 acres of land known as the Seven Branches Property. This property provides a natural habitat in a dense urban area. Permanent conservation of this land will allow the city to promote passive recreation in the form of running, walking, and biking trails.
The Decatur Public Facilities Authority received an $11.5 million CWSRF loan to purchase approximately 22 acres of conservation land within a larger tract of property totaling 77 acres. The property previously belonged to the United Methodist Children’s Home. The conservation land will remain undeveloped and include low-impact walking trails open to the public.
The city of Brookhaven received a $5.7 million CWSRF loan to finance the acquisition of 33 acres of land. The property—adjacent DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK)—is one of the largest remaining tracts of urban forest in Metro Atlanta. This conservation loan also helps protect the watershed of Peachtree Creek. The land is publically accessible and has unpaved walking trails.
Through these land conservation projects, the cities of Brookhaven, Decatur, and Roswell are showing their commitment to quality of life, the environment, and future generations.