Historic and scenic Lost Mountain in Cobb County, Ga., has been permanently protected, The Trust for Public Land, Georgia Piedmont Land Trust (GPLT) and Athens Land Trust (ALT) announced today. During the Civil War, Lost Mountain served as the southwesterly anchor of a ten-mile Confederate defensive line against Union troops marching toward Atlanta preceding the battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Confederate earthworks remain on the property.

The family of Raymond M. Reed of Cobb County conveyed title of 152 acres in metropolitan Atlanta through a charitable donation and a discounted sale to GPLT. The conveyance was facilitated by The Trust for Public Land. A conservation easement permanently restricting development on the property will be held by ALT.

“Acquiring this beautiful property through the years was a gratifying experience. Preserving this Lost Mountain property for public use and appreciation is a most satisfying experience for myself and my children. We are glad it will be enjoyed by many Cobb County families for years to come,” said Raymond M. Reed.

Raymond M. Reed is a prominent attorney and community leader in Cobb County, previously serving in the Georgia General Assembly House of Representatives. Mr. Reed and his wife, Mary, are residents of Smyrna, where he has lived for over 96 years. Pieces of the property were first acquired by Mr. Reed in the 1960s.

“Lost Mountain will remain a historic and natural treasure for people to enjoy and learn from,” said Curt Soper, The Trust for Public Land’s Georgia state director. “The chance to conserve this much land in such a heavily developed and suburban setting doesn’t come along very often.”

“Preserving the important cultural and historical features of Lost Mountain is consistent with our mission and commitment to the Piedmont region and specifically in Cobb County,” said Rebecca Spitler, GPLT board president.

The protection of the property concludes over 2 years of efforts by Debora Reed Hudson, Patricia Reed Carter, and Ray Reed, Jr. (Mr. Reed’s 3 children), Quito Anderson (an attorney with the law firm of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan), and partners.

“I am thrilled that we have finally found a way to protect this important piece of property,” said Helen Goreham, Cobb County commissioner. “The property’s historic and environmental resources will now be available for this and future generations. This is an example of government and non-profit organizations working with private property owners to improve quality-of-life and preserve our heritage for all the citizens of Cobb County.”

“Georgia Piedmont Land Trust will work to develop limited public access to Lost Mountain for hiking, nature observation, and historical interpretation,” said Spitler.

The Trust for Public Land partnered with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to secure funding for the discounted purchase price through a Civil War Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant, administered by the National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program and awarded through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF is a federal conservation program and its funding is generated from a portion of revenues paid by oil and gas companies to drill in offshore federal waters, rather than from taxpayer dollars. U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson and U.S. Representative Phil Gingrey supported the project and support the ABPP.

“I have been pleased to work with the Trust for Public Land and the Georgia Piedmont Land Trust to preserve this historic and scenic green space for many years,” said Senator Isakson. “I was happy to again support their application for this grant and am delighted that their efforts have come to fruition.”

Mostly forested, Lost Mountain preserves habitat for diverse species, including the uncommon dwarf Ohio buckeye and running cedar.

Founded in 1972, The Trust for Public Land is the leading nonprofit working to conserve land for people. Operating from more than 30 offices nationwide, The Trust for Public Land has protected more than three million acres from the inner city to the wilderness and helped generate more than $34 billion in public funds for conservation. Nearly ten million people live within a ten-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. www.tpl.org

The Georgia Piedmont Land Trust is a Georgia non-profit conservation organization, committed to the preservation of open and greenspace, lands with historical and archeological importance, and working lands in the Piedmont region of Georgia. www.gplt.org

Athens Land Trust is an accredited land trust that holds conservation easements protecting 8,123 acres of land in 20 Georgia Counties. These protected lands include river corridors, forests, wetlands, farmland, riparian areas, public greenspace, and historic sites. www.athenslandtrust.org

For additional information contact:

Matthew Shaffer, The Trust for Public Land, 415-800-5214, Matthew.Shaffer@tpl.org

Carol Hassell, Georgia Piedmont Land Trust, 404-374-1961, Chassell@gplt.org

GPLT’s Mary Kistner Nature Center Woodland Gardens on Garden Tour  

The Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Association’s annual garden tour on Saturday, May 18, 10:00 am – 5 pm, includes the woodland gardens at the Kistner Center in Snellville. This hidden gem of Gwinnett County on a 50-acre one-time farm owned by the Georgia Piedmont Land Trust (GPLT) offers a unique learning opportunity. An informational tour will reveal garden design by a local well-known artist and nature enthusiast and will emphasize the value of selecting native plants and the effect of installing invasive nonnatives. Restoration and refocusing began in 2012 as a GCMGA grant project. Join us to Mary’s Secret Garden. Advance tickets and the full tour description are available from GCMGA at www.gwinnettmastergardeners.com  at $15 until May 10th or available from any GCMGA member through May 17th.  Tickets will be $20 the day of the tour, available at any garden except McDaniel Farms.

Georgia Piedmont Land Trust Partners (GPLT) with

Georgia Native Plant Society (GNPS)

Spring 2013 Edition is now available

GPLT & GNPS partner to debut a series of informational sheets for homeowners about the value and benefits of planting native plants in residential landscapes -- and the problems created by nonnative invasive plants. We call it "Simply Native."

Stream Cleanups

a Pictorial

Fresh Harvest Delivered.  

Sound Like an Ideal Concept?  

Our newest partnership with Fresh Harvest Delivered is at the heart of healthy living. more...

Hay freshly cut on Kistner Center Pastures.

 We have fresh square-baled horse-quality hay (fescue-bermuda mix) available.

Continued in breaking news...

Easy Shopping at Buck Jones Nursery's Online Store to Continue: You Win; GPLT Benefits.

Buck Jones Nursery continues its winning deal: shop at the BJN online store (http://www.costore.com/buckjones), get a discount, create a landscape you can be proud of, and support GPLT's conservation work.  Details on fall planting needs coming soon.

Our members, gardeners and GPLT all win:

• Visit the Buck Jones Nursery online store to buy plants and supplies. Enter the code GPLT001 at checkout and receive 10 percent savings on your purchases.
• GPLT will receive 5 percent of these purchases as a donation from Buck Jones.
• Find a link to useful information and hints about plants and landscape products at the BJN blog, www.gardenershelpinggardeners.com.

For BJN, the partnership marks a year-long celebration of 40 years of success as a locally owned nursery.

GPLT and Buck Jones, located at 689 Grayson-New Hope Road in Grayson, have established a strong pattern of collaboration over the past couple years, seeking to encourage gardeners to plant native. 

Note: Buck Jones Nursery sells both natives and plants not native to the Georgia Piedmont.  However, Christian Roberson, Nursery Manager, notes that BJN strives to educate the industry about the habits and environmental impacts of exotic/invasive plants.

GPLT refurbishes Kistner Center garden with Gwinnett County Master Gardener Grant.

Next volunteer opportunities in the Fall.

The Georgia Piedmont Land Trust recently was awarded a grant from the Gwinnett County Master Gardeners to refurbish a garden at GPLT’s Mary Kistner Nature Center in Snellville. Continued in breaking news...

Counting On The Beauty Of Trees

Ask a resident in the Georgia Piedmont to describe a desirable natural environment, and he or she will likely mention trees at the top of the list of features.  The Georgia Piedmont Land Trust values the trees on properties under our protection for the ecological services they provide – cleaning air, slowing runoff, providing protection and habitat, and more – as well as for the beauty they offer.

With an Urban & Community Forestry grant administered by the Georgia Forestry Commission, GPLT  more 

Current News About Land Conservation

"Tax Reform" Legislation Passes: Changes to Georgia's Conservation Income Tax Credit Program Included. Continued in breaking news...

Majorities of Republicans and Democrats – 300 Cosponsors – Urge House Passage of Conservation Tax Incentive. Continued in breaking news...

A New One For The Birds

Among recent improvements at the Mary Kistner Nature Center is a new bluebird box, thanks to a donation by Gwinnett Master Gardener Becky Wolary.

Becky's donation includes a metal mounting pole, a raccoon baffle and a box sized for bluebirds with a squirrel-proof reinforced entry hole. While bluebirds in the area now have a fancy new home to investigate, the installation provides an example of how to add bluebird boxes to any home landscape, yet ensure proper predator protection.

The new box and mounting replaces a badly damaged and weathered old box that had been attached to a metal pipe. 

Spotlight on Native Plants

Shady or Sunny - What's The Right (Native) Plant?
Sponsored by Buck Jones Nursery, Grayson

Walter Reeves, the Georgia Gardener, and Dr. Wilf Nicholls, director of the Botanical Garden of Georgia, played to a packed house at GPLT's Speaker Series Event at the Mary Kistner Center. Saturday, February 18th, was a gray, misty day outside the Center, but the presentations were alight with the beauty of plant selections that shine in the sunshine (Walter's focus) or light up a shady garden (Wilf handled this area). As the demand grows for native perennials, shrubs and trees, more varieties are becoming available. Buck Jones Nursery, the event sponsor, provided a selection of native plants for viewing and for sale.  More...

IN THE FIELD & IN THE CAMERA LENS

As communities and governments struggle to redefine funding priorities, the reality outside is that spring has re-energized the Georgia Piedmont landscape.  People reaffirm the importance of protected green spaces by turning out everywhere to walk and hike in those peaceful places, or help with cleanup efforts.  Is there better affirmation of how crucial open space is in our lives?

Crossvine in bloom high up in a tree attracts a wonderful variety of pollinators.

The Georgia Piedmont Land Trust protects over 1,000 acres of green and open spaces in locations that are close to many neighborhoods – perhaps including yours – providing all the benefits of trees, improved water quality and wildlife habitat. 

A colony of young toad shade trillium and a mature example in bloom. Bees, beetles and small flies pollinate these slow-growing spring plants.

As we conduct regular visits to these properties, GPLT volunteer Hank Ohme helps capture the ephemeral beauty and rhythm of the spring season in the woods.  These images remind us that the Georgia Piedmont is biologically diverse, interlinked in a web of life that may persist next door or adjacent to where we live, whether we’re aware of it or not.

Halberd-Leaf Yellow Violet sports its spring bloom, while Sumac’s fruit remains from winter.

Across The Meadow

A Scene at the Mary Kistner Nature Center painted by Steve Logan and donated to GPLT

Kistner Center benefits from natural resources report
An important program was made possible in part by an Urban & Community Forestry grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission. more...

GPLT Introduces a “new” approach to residential landscapes
GPLT also launched a program designed to raise awareness among homeowners of the important part they can play in sustaining biodiversity -- more...

Visit our Other Useful Resources for educational documents and the Georgia Forestry Commission website for Tree Care Tips.