2,300 acres protected along the Altamaha River
Beard’s Bluff, an ecologically significant 2,335-acre tract along the Altamaha River, has been permanently conserved. In 2021, Georgia Conservancy partnered with Georgia-Alabama Land Trust (GALT) to apply for funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), enabling the conservation and habitat restoration of Beard’s Bluff. WREP supports eligible partners to “target and leverage resources to address high-priority wetland protection, restoration, and enhancement activities and improve wildlife on eligible lands.”
With WREP funding now secured, Beard’s Bluff has been protected through a perpetual conservation easement, with plans in place for the restoration of longleaf pine and gopher tortoise habitats on the property. The Beard’s Bluff tract, which is located in Long County, is identified by the Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) as a high-priority site and landscape for conservation, and the property is adjacent to a 3,800-acre tract recently protected by GALT, The Conservation Fund, and Fort Stewart.
Additionally, Beard’s Bluff will serve as a learning hub for McIntosh S.E.E.D., a local non-profit that provides community members with education and training in sustainable land management practices and wetland habitat restoration.
The protection and restoration of Beard’s Bluff and its future as a community resource is another example of the complex nature of conservation deals. And, like many other outcomes before, this conservation success required several partners, a varied background of expertise, and a healthy dose of patience to succeed. The Georgia Conservancy is proud to have secured protection of Beard’s Bluff, and we congratulate the many partners who made this success possible. We are excited for what’s to come!