Protecting Natural and Scenic Lands in the Camden County Area

	A SCENIC WOODS ROAD IN NORTH CAMDEN COUNTY, NEAR 3R FISH CAMP

The Camden County Land Trust, Incorporated  is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that works to preserve natural areas, scenic lands, and historic and archaeological sites in the Camden County area.  The Land Trust works for the conservation of land for many reasons.  Protecting lands along waterways preserves water quality and the natural integrity of our rivers and streams.  Conservation of wildlife habitat provides for the continued abundance of our wildlife.  Preservation of scenic areas and greenspace improves the quality of life for residents as well as attracting visitors to an area of natural beauty.  Finally, protection of our historic and archaeological sites protects our rich cultural heritage to pass on to future generations. 

Camden County Land Trust works for land conservation mostly by working with landowners.  The landowners we work with are good stewards of their property and want future generations to be able to enjoy and appreciate the outdoor environment.  They want to protect our rivers, our wildlife, and our cultural heritage- protections benefiting everyone.  The primary means the Land Trust uses for land conservation is the conservation easement.  Conservation easements are an important tool for land protection and we have devoted a page of our website explaining how they provide landowners with the assurance that their land will continue to be managed according to their wishes after they are gone, often providing the landowner with significant tax benefits in the process. 

Camden County and its neighboring counties are in particular need  of land conservation because of their rapid growth.  This rapid growth means that much of Camden County's land is subject to poorly planned development and sprawl.  We believe that our work is urgent in order conserve remaining natural areas and water quality before most of our land and clean waters are lost to poor development. 

Although Camden County Land Trust may work with governmental agencies, we are not a part of any government.  Instead, we rely upon membership contributions and donations for our continued operation. 

Camden County contains or is bordered by large portions of several important rivers: the St. Marys, the Satilla, the Little Satilla, and Crooked River.  In addition, our County is blessed with many smaller creeks, streams and wetlands.  Unfortunately, poor development and poor forestry practices may harm these treasured resources.  Poor development practices may cause soil erosion, cloud waterways with silt and eventually allow the runoff of lawn, household, and automotive chemicals into our waterways.  Poor forestry practices may leave cutover river bottomlands, destroying important habitat for wildlife and contaminating waterways with herbicides.  To conserve our rivers and other wetlands and protect their water quality against these threats, Camden County Land Trust is working for their conservation by protecting the lands along our waterways, providing protective corridors against degrading and harmful activities.

The Land Trust is particularly interested in the Satilla River and has made the Satilla's conservation a priority.  The Satilla flows through or along Camden County for about 70 miles.  It is a beautifully scenic blackwater river of much historical importance which supports abundant fish and wildlife.  On its banks and bordering lands are wonderful natural areas and important historical and archaeological sites.  To protect this outstanding river, the Land Trust  is partnering with the Satilla Riverkeeper to preserve a corridor of land along the Satilla and its tributaries.  Conservation of this corridor will protect fish and wildlife and preserve water quality.  It will allow the river to continue to support both recreational and commercial fishing and all the other activities that depend upon a clean and healthy river, such as swimming and boating, for many more generations.  Doug Tarver, a board member of Satilla Riverkeeper, is spearheading the effort for that organization.  He has written more about the conservation of land along the Satilla which can be seen on their website by following this Satilla Corridor link. 

A site of national importance that is another priority of the Land Trust for protection is Grover Island.  This island, our nation's first forest preserve, is in danger of being lost to development and is in urgent need of protection.  We have devoted a page of our website to this initiative.  

If you would like to support our work, please follow the "Join CCLT" link to go to our membership page.  If you have any questions about conservation of lands or conservation easements in southeast Georgia, please contact us at the Camden County Land Trust at cclt@camdencountylandtrust.org.

Visitors Since February 13, 2005

Content Last Updated February 2, 2006