Here is the tenth diary in my Expanding the National Parks System series. Last time I got sunburned while walking the beaches of Florida, this week I turn north to the Peach State, Georgia. Georgia has 3.8% of its area owned by the feds, which is 29th in the country. Currently Georgia has three national monuments, two national forests, 10 wildlife refuges and 10 other historic sites. As with the other states, I propose to add more monuments to the tally.
Here is the tenth diary in my Expanding the National Parks System series. Last time I got sunburned while walking the beaches of Florida, this week I turn north to the Peach State, Georgia. Georgia has 3.8% of its area owned by the feds, which is 29th in the country. Currently Georgia has three national monuments, two national forests, 10 wildlife refuges and 10 other historic sites. As with the other states, I propose to add more monuments to the tally.
Georgia
Total Area 59 425 sq miles
Land Area 57 906 sq miles
Water Area 1 519 sq miles
Coastline 100 sq miles
Additional monuments-4
NATIONAL MONUMENTS-3
* Fort Frederica Established 1936 Covers 284 acres
Named after Frederick Louis , Prince of Wales, who was the heir to the English throne at the time, the fort was built to protect Georgia, then a newly formed buffer colony, from the Spanish, who owned Florida. the fort was called Frederica to distinguish it from Fort Prince Frederick in South Carolina. The surrounding town, also called Frederica, was built by James Oglethorpe, who founded Georgia in 1733. After defeating the Spanish in battles in 1742, the fort was abandoned in 1749 and left to fall into ruin, the town itself was abandoned about 10 years later. the site of the fort was documented as studied as part of the Works Progress Administration, and the site was set aside as a monument in 1936. Excavations uncovered the site of the town, and portions of the fort. Nearly 300000 visitors visited the fort in 2011.
* Fort Pulaski Established 1924 Covers 5623 acres
Built in 1847 to defend Savannah, Pulaski, named after Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pulaski, was seized by Georgia at the start of the Civil War and saw time as a Confederate post. the walls of the fort were 11 feet thick and thought to be impenetrable. the advent of rifle cannon made brick forts of Pulaski's type obsolete. Union forces captured Pulaski in April 1862 after shelling the fort and tearing huge holes in its walls. the fort under Union control closed off Savannah to the South and became a stop on the Underground Railroad. After the Civil War the fort began to fall into disrepair, and was only saved when Calvin Coolidge declared it a national monument in 1924. The CCC repaired the fort during the Depression. More than 400000 vistors visited the monument in 2011.
* Ocmulgee Established 1934 covers 702 acres
Located within the limits of Macon, Georgia, Ocmulgee, which means 'bubbling waters' in Hitchiti, protects large earthen mounds built by ancient Native Americans over 10000 years. Excavations of the mounds began in 1933 with the Works Progress Administration, and continued until 1942. the area was declared a monument in 1934, and was designated a traditional Cultural Property in 1997, the first such property to be designated East of the Mississippi.Nearly 125000 people visited in 2011.
NATIONAL FORESTS-2
* Chattahoochee Established 1936 Covers 750 145 acres
The Larger of Georgia's two national forests, Chattahooche is located in northern Georgia and is divided into three districts- Chattooga River, which covers 254000 acres, Blue Ridge- 357000 acres, and Conasuga River, 139000 acres. the forest contains 10 wilderness areas as well as the starting point of the Appalachian Trial, which ends in Maine. Chattahooche is managed with Oconee as a single unit.
* Oconee Established 1959 Covers 116 232 acres
The younger and smaller of Georgia's national forests, Oconee was established by President Eisenhower in 1959.Located in between Macon and Athens, Oconee is managed as a single unit with Chattahooche.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-10
* Banks Lake Established 1985 Covers 4049 acres
Created in 1985 to protect Banks Lake, a naturally occurring Pocosin (a sink created by ancient tidal action), the refuge was bought from the E D Rivers family who tried to develop the area in the 1920s and threatened to drain the lake in the 1970s before the Nature Conservancy bought the land in 1980. the Conservancy then sold it to the NWS. Banks Lake is managed by the Okefenokee WR, and sees 20000 visitors a year.
* Blackbeard Island Established 1924 Covers 5618 acres
the Oldest of Georgia's 10 WRs, the refuge was named after the infamous pirate Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach, who, according to legend, buried his treasure on or near Blackbeard island, although no evidence has surfaced to confirm the legend. the land was bought at auction in 1800 for timber, but was set aside as a preserve in 1924 and as a wildlife refuge in 1940. 3000 acres was set aside as wilderness in 1975, and 140000 people visited the refuge in 2004. the Refuge is one of 7 refuges in the Savannah Coastal Refuges complex.
* Bond Swamp Established 1989 Covers 6500 acres
Set aside to protect the floodplain of the Ocmulgee River, Bond Swamp is part of the Ocmulgee Heritage Greenway, which protects the river and its surroundings. Over 200 species of birds live in the refuge, and local mammals include black bears, bobcats and white-tailed deer. Bond Swamp is managed by Piedmont WR.
* Eufaula Established 1964 Covers 11184 acres(in AL and GA) Budgets $718000
Straddling the Georgia -Alabama border, Eufaula protects habitat for bald eagles, alligators and peregrine falcons. most of the refuge, about 8000 acres, is in Alabama, the remainder is in Georgia. 325000 people visited the refuge in 2005.
* Harris Neck Established 1962 Covers 2762 acres
Created from an abandoned military airfield in 1962, Harris Neck, named after William Thomas Harris, who owned the area in the 1850s, is part of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. The refuge is home to thousands of herons and egrets.
* Okefenokee Established 1937 Covers 402000 acres (in GA and FL) Budget $1,451,000
Lying mostly in Georgia, the Okefenokee, protects most of the Okefenokee Swamp, which extends into Florida. the refuge is the largest in the state by a wide margin, with no other refuge covering more than 50000 acres. 350000 acres of the refuge is classed as wilderness. The approved boundary for the refuge is 519000 acres, meaning the refuge will eventually cover the entire swamp, plus surrounding areas. The Refuge manages Banks Lake WR, and sees over 400000 visitors a year.
* Piedmont Established 1939 Covers 35000 acres
The second largest WR in the state, Piedmont was created out of abandoned farms and degraded areas during the Depression. thanks to better soil practices and planting of trees the area has returned to a forest state. more than 200 species of bird live in the refuge, including the red cockaded woodpecker. the efuge is also home to 32 cemeteries, some dating back to the Revolutionary War. some are marked and well-kept others are just a small number of grave stones. Piedmont manages Bond Swamp WR.
* Savannah Established 1927 Covers 29175 acres(in GA and SC) Budget $3,582,000
The largest of the seven refuges in the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex, Savannah straddles the border between Georgia and South Carolina, slightly more than half the refuge , 15000 acres, lies in South Carolina, the rest lies in Georgia. First established 1927 and consisting of over 2300 acres, purchases over the years have increased Savannah's size to the current 29000 acres. Local animals include alligators, Great Horned owls, bald eagles and manatees. in 2004 130000 people visited the refuge.
* Wassaw Established 1969 Covers 10053 acres
Located on a barrier island off the coast, Wassaw is mostly salt mash, although it also has dunes beaches and forests.The remains of the Spanish-American War -era fort Fort Morgan can be found on the northern end of Wassaw Beach. Local animals include loggerhead turtles, alligators, pipping plovers, and wood storks. 20000 people visit the refuge each year.
* Wolf Island Established 1930 Covers 5126 acres
The third oldest refuge in the state. Wolf Island is 75% marsh. the refuge was classed as wilderness in 1975 and thus public access is very limited, with fishing being an exception.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-10
* Andersonville NHS Established 1970 Covers 514 acres
Set aside to preserve the Civil War Confederate POW camp, which housed 45000 Union prisoners during the war, of which 13000 died, from malnutrition,scurvy, and other diseases. the commander of the camp, Captain Wirz, was executed after the war for his actions in running the camp, which at times held 4 times it capacity of prisoners, which contributed to the very poor conditions in the camp. the site was donated the federal government in 1910 and declared a NHS in 1970. the Union men who died at the camp are buried in Andersonville National Cemetery. Almost 1.45 million people visited in 2011.
* Chattahoochee River NRA Established 1978 Covers 9791 acres
Protecting 19 sites between Atlanta and the Chattahoochee River, the recreational area was set aside by President Carter and sees more than 3 million visitors a year.
* Chattooga River Established 1974 Covers 15432 acres
Designated a Wild and Scenic river in 1974, Chattooga forms part of the Georgia-South Carolina Boundary. the river flows through the Chattahoochee NF as well as through the Ellicott Rock Wilderness, which lies in parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. most of the river is wild, about 40 miles.
* Chicamunga & Chattanooga Military Park Established 1890 Covers 9036 acres(TN and GA)
Protects the sites of the Battle of Chicamunga and the Chattanooga Campaign. This was the first military park set in the Us and became the model for Gettysburg, Vicksburg and Sliloh, who were created later that decade. Chicamunga lies in Georgia, while most of the park lies in Tennessee. the park was used as a training location for soldiers during the Spanish-American war. About 900000 people visited in 2011.
* Cumberland Island NS Established 1972 Covers 36415 acres
Protecting most of Cumberland island, one of the 'Sea islands' that stretch from Florida to North Carolina. About 10000 acres of the seashore are wilderness, and access to the island is limited to boats. about 40000 people visited in 2005.
* Grays Reefs NMS Established 1981 covers 14080 acres
Protects Grays Reef, one of the largest live bottom reefs in the Southeastern US. and is located almost 20 miles from Sapello Island, which is the closest part of the state to it. It is one of 13 marine sanctuaries in the country.
* Jimmy Carter NHS Established 1987 Covers 71 acres
Preserves sites associated with President Carter, including his old school campaign headquarters, and boyhood farm. his current residence, while technically part of the NHS, is closed to the public.95000 people visited the site in 2005.
* Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park Established 1917 Covers 2888 acres
Protects the battlefield of Kennesaw Mountain, which place in June-July 1864 as part of the Atlanta Campaign, The battle ended in a confederate victory and cost the lives of over 5000 men. First protected by the War Department in 1917, it was moved into the Park Service in 1933, along with all other military parks. 1 million people visited the park in 2005.
* Martin Luther King Jr NHS Established 1980 Covers 35 acres
Protects sites associated with Dr Martin Luther King Jr, including his home, church and grave site. In all 35 sites are included in the NHS, many of which played vital roles in the Civil Rights movement.. 600000 people visited the site in 2005.
* Sapelo Island Reserve Established 1976 Covers 6110 acres
One of the largest barrier islands in the state, the reserve covers about a third of the island, and is home to bald eagles, alligators, turtles, egrets and herons.
PROPOSED MONUMENTS-4
* Chattahoochee River
Upgrades Existing recreational area to monument status. Estimated area 10000 acres
* Georgia Coastal
Would protect coastal waters up to 20 miles offshore, including all islands, as well as open land up to 10 miles inland estimated area 2 million acres
* Okefenokee
Upgrades existing wildlife refugeto monument status, covering the entire swamp. Estimated area 440000 acres
* Oglethorpe
Sets aside the portion of the Oconoe forest in Oglethorpe county, as well as the church Oglethorpe is buried. Estimated area 5000 acres
And that completes my diary on Georgia. Next week I'm saying aloha to Hawaii, and seeing what the big Island has to offer. As always, comments, concerns and imput are welcome.