An enduring reverence, Georgia's Department of Natural Resources, 2015

<<Growing up in rural Georgia, I

spent most of my life outdoors.

From working in the fields tending

crops to hunting and fishing in

the nearby woods and streams, I

developed an enduring reverence

for the plants and animals of

the natural world. This early

relationship with nature shaped

my attitude about the importance

of preserving the environment.

I believe every citizen has both

the privilege and responsibility to

take care of the abundant natural

resources with which our state is

blessed. "

-Jimmy Carter

eorgia's epartment of N atural
l~ esources

t.5. 1970, Governor Jimmy Carter took
office and immediately undertook a massive reorganization of all state agencies to improve efficiency and services. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was one of three "super agencies" created in 1972. With the assistance of Joe Tanner, the first DNR Commissioner, Carter consolidated 38 agencies into one, featuring four primary divisions: Parks and Recreation, Earth and Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Game and Fish. Although DNR can trace its origins back to earlier programs such as state parks and wildlife resources (game and fish) commissions and departments, the agency formed in 1972 was the foundation for Georgia 's modern DNR.
DNR's establishment came on the heels of the national environmental movement of the 1960s as human impacts on the natural world brought to light the dangers of industrial pollution and other harmful actions. A nationwide discourse began, resulting in the introduction of laws that would help minimize these impacts to the environment. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

of 1969, among other laws, would help shape the young state agency.
The origins of the modern DNR can be traced to 1911 , when the state began efforts to manage hunting and fishing practices. With more than one hundred years of natural and cultural resource management, DNR has forged a legacy of cleaner water and air, sophisticated management of Georgia's wildlife, an appreciation of the state 's past, and one of the best protected coastlines in the United States.
This illustrated booklet explores the ongms of DNR and its six divisions, the major figures that influenced the agency's evolution, and the important programs and policies that make Georgia a leader in natural and cultural resource management. The history ofDNR is a proud legacy of environmental and cultural resource management, a success story that can be shared by all Georgians .

Introduction 1

Preamble

Institutions, like countries, possess distinct cu ltures. One important factor in the development of an institutional culture is its core values. Often these values are not explicitly articulated, but instead are shared by members of the institution in a quiet, more implicit way. Although these values may be impl icit, they are an important factor in shaping both an institution's history and its goals, as well as the strategies it deploys to reach those goal s.
Winston Churchill reported ly once said that "we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give," and if I were to identify the single most important shared value that defines the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, it would be an eth ic of

service. A focus on servi ce has very deep roots in the department's culture, going all the way back to the earliest days of the antecedent agencies in the early 20th century. Indeed, it is such an important part of what the depa rtment does that one hardly ever hears it mentioned out loud- service simply underlies virtually everything that we do, always there, always our institutional lodestar.
This small volume tries to capture something of DNR's most important leaders and achievements within that context of service. It owes its genesis to a casual conversation between myself and former Commissioner Lonice Barrett in which we realized that no overview of

th e agency and its achievements had ever been attempted- and th at it wa s high time to do so. The Georgia Natural Resources Foundation underwrote its production . I hope that as you read about the nearextirpation of wild turkey and the hard work that went in to the recovery of the species, or the monumental efforts it has taken to clean up our rivers and protect our wonderful marshes, or the preservation of our unique historic resources and match less archaeological sites, you will come away with a clearer understanding of just how important that lodestar of service has been to the agency 's successes.
Dr. David Crass
Director, Historic Preservation Division 2015

.,... WRD Staff Conducting Wetlands Survey on Coast

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2 PREAMBLE 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 GEORGIA'S ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS
6 DNR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND KEY LEGISLATIVE MOMENTS
8 WILDLIFE RESOURCES DIVISION

22 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION
Origins: The Georgia Water Quality Control Board Early History: The Cleaning of the Rivers The Creation of EPD EPD Today: Air Quality and Water Wars
26 COASTAL RESOURCES DIVISION

Origins: The Age of Conservation Early History: The Beginnings of Game and Fish

Origins: Game and Fish Commission Early History: The Coastal Fisheries Office

Management Evolution: From Game Wardens to Wildlife Rangers The Creation ofWRD WRDToday DNR Icon: Charlie Elliott

Evolution:The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act The Creation of CRD CRD Today: A Focus on Sustainability
30 HISTORIC PRESERVATION DIVISION

Outdoor Georgia

Origins: The Georgia Historical Commission

16 LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION 18 PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC
SITES DIVISION

The State Historic Preservation Office Early History: The Historic Preservation Section The Creation of HPD Evolution: A Focus on Local Communities

Origins: Georgia's Forest Parks Early History: Parks and the Civilian Conservation Corps

HPD Today: Leading the Way Archaeology on DNR Lands: Spring Place Mission

Evolution: Historic Sites and Park Development The Creation of Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division Today

36 DNR COMMISSIONERS 37 CONCLUSION

''

..--.- ---...,: ..

...
~

f.\ccomr;)llodatir.1g t ne growth and prosperity we all enjoy while protecting

tile environment is a responsibility we all share, and partnerships are critical

for a prosperous future. The Department of Natural Resources interds to

be responsivooAGi..responsib le as we make wise decisiqns fo rthe common

. '

.

I ;

.

good, working to protect and conserve Georgia's 6atural and cultural

resources for future generations.

.... -Former DNR Comm.issiro:n,;e.rI,No.el Ho''lcomb ' :' ;

Table of Contents 3

President Calvin I (left) hunting on Sape o
Island in 1927

Nongame Biologist Tim Keyes on Sapelo Island. Photo courtesy of Diane Kirkland. ~

'l
Charting the Development of Df R: An Organizational Overview

Historic Preservat ion

Coast al Resou rces

Parks, Recreati on and Hist oric Sites

Wildlife and Law Enforcement

1 9 2 4- 1931

-

Environmental Protecti on

Tidewater

Resources

Commissioner, Game and Fish

Commission

1943 Coastal Fisheries
Office, Game and Fish
Commiss ion

1972 Coastal (Marine) Fisheries Office, Game and Fish
Division

Coastal Resources Division

1994
Historic Preservation Division

1911 Department of Game and Fish

....



1931 Game and Fish
Commiss ion

1937

1943

Division of Game and Fish

Wi ldlife,

Comm ission

Department of

Natu ral Resources

1972 Game and Fish Division

1993 Division

Key Legislative Acts

1933 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) 1935 Works Progress Administration (WPA) 1937 Pitman-Robe rtson Act

1950 Dingei i-Johnson Act
(Sport Fish Restoration Act)

1957 Georgia Wate r Quality Co nt rol'
Act

1957 Georgia Water Quality Control Act 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) 1967 Georgia Air Qua lity Control Act 1968 Georgia Surface Mining Act

1978 Georgia Coastal Zone Management Act

1979 Georgia Hazardous Waste Management Act
1980 Georgia Historic Preservation Act

\

' ' " I feel there is still an important need for public education and public understanding in the area of natural resources. I think, for example, that

1969 National Environmental Po licy Act (NEPAl 1972 Georgia Groundwater Use Act 1972 Federal Clean Water Act

\

it is absolutely essential for the hunter and the fisherman to understand

that the quality of the land and the quality of the water are probably more

important to him as a hunter or a fisherman than anything else:'

\

' ' - DNR Commissioner Joe Tanner

\

6

2013 Law Enforcement
Di vision
\
0
G\1
7

Origins: The Age of

Conservation

.... Director George Bagby with son Tommy in 1968.

At the end of the 19th century, Georgia's wildlife was in peril. In 1895, Arthur Woody, who would become Georgia's first U.S. Forest Ranger in 1918,witnessed his father killing the last deer in the Georgia Mounta ins. It is hard to imagine a time when the state's deer population was near extinction, but it was a reality for many of the state's native species. Wild turkeys, white -tailed deer, passenger pigeons, and black bears were among the animals whose numbers were dwindling. Poor farming practices, clear cutting of forests, and unregulated hunting were all contributing factors to the state's wildlife crisis.
Wildlife Resources Conservation Center; 2006 ...,

Nationally, conservation of the country's natural resources was a growing concern during the 19th century. The Sierra Club was established in 1892 and in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt formed the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Roosevelt named Gifford Pinchot the first Chief Forester of the USFS, and Pinchot, considered the father of American Conservation, brought his"wise use"approach to natural resource management to the agency. John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club, also influenced the national approach to conservation, with the more protective policy of setting up national preserves. Consequently, the USFS began acquiring land in north Georgia in 1912, which would become the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

Early History: The Beginnings of Game and Fish Management

In 1911, Georgia established the

Department of Game and Fish, whose

primary mission was to enact and enforce

game protection laws. Jesse Mercer was

appointed the first commissioner, and

he quickly oversaw the implementation

of hunting fees: $1 for a county license,

$3 for a statewide license, and $15

for a non-resident license.

These fees financed the

department's

game

protection fund, and

out of this fund, the new

county game wardens

were paid $3 a day and

a percentage of the

county fines collected.

Considered the state's

first organized law

enforcement program,

This type of county game .. warden badge was used from 1943-1972.

"No real sportsman will catch more fish in a day than he, his party, or
his family can comfortably and pleasantly consume. He will, too, put undersized fish back into the water, that they may mature and furnish an equal bit of sport for those who are to come after him:'
-From Fish in' In Georgia, Department of Game and Fish, 1930

the game warden force grew to over 2,000 deputy wardens in two years. From 1914 to 1915, they fined 125 people with game and fish crimes like hunting without permission, selling wild turkey, and hunting doves over bait. In 1919, the wardens' responsibilities grew when the Department instituted the state's first boating laws, requiring boat licenses and fishing licenses for non-commercial fishers.
In 1924, Governor Clifford Walker appointed the second commissioner, Peter S. Twitty. Twitty worked quickly to make the Department more efficient by establishing a Game and Fish Board, appointing a Director of Education and Conservation, and reorganizing the game wardens. He instituted the first statewide game survey, an unscientific study, but one that showed an improvement in the populations of dove, quail, squirrel, and turkeys, whose numbers remained
staggeringly low. He is credited with the initial restocking of deer in the North Georgia mountains, at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area that was established in 1928, and the opening of the state's first fish hatchery near Rome, the Summerville Hatchery. The hatchery produced 250,000 rainbow trout in 1928, its first year of operation.

Under Governor Richard B. Russell, the Department of Game and Fish was reorganized as part of the governor 's efforts to streamline state government. In 1931, Russell abolished the Game and Fish Board and brought the commissioner under his office. Renamed the Game and Fish Commission, the department then eliminated the county game wardens, replacing them with state game wardens and deputy game wardens. The distribution of the fines garnered from game and fish violations were changed as well, with half going to the Game and Fish Commission, and half going to the counties where the fines originated. Under the next commissioner, Zack D. Cravey, the Game and Fish Commission oversaw the restocking of over 5 million fish in the state's rivers and lakes through the 1930s. New hatcheries were built through federal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Ranger Jesse Smith with two unidentified boys, ca. 1930s. ..

Wildlife Resources Division 9

Evolution: From Game Wardens to Wildlife Rangers

The conservation movement that

began in the late 19th century

continued to evolve in the 1930s and

1940s with the influential writings

of Aldo Leopold and his ideas about

environmental ethics.

Leopold

espoused the philosophy that the natural world and everything in it should be considered a part of the

Aldo Leopold an influential ecologist, studying a bobwhite quail specimen in late 1930s.

human community. One of the

founders of wildlife management

also introduced uniforms for the

science, Leopold 's ideas moved past

rangers and emphasized service,

the human dominance over nature

management, and professional

ideals of Theodore Roosevelt and

development

over

policing.

Gifford Pinchot to a "new attitude-

Zack Cravey succeeded Elliott as

an intelligent humility toward Man's

commissioner in 1940, and continued

place in nature."

public outreach efforts by requiring

public schools to include conservation

As Leopold's ideas gained popularity

education in their curriculums.

through the 1940s, the Game and Fish

Commission began developing an

When Governor Ellis Arnall was

increasingly professional staff focused

elected in 1943, the Division ofWildlife

on public outreach and conservation

and Department of Natural Resources

education. The pivotal figure in the

was reorganized into the Game

department at that time was Charles

and Fish Commission, which was

"Charlie" Elliott who

governed by an 11 -member

became commissioner This logo was used from board. Charlie Elliott was

of the first incarnation 1943-1972.

again called to serve, this time

of the DNR, formed

as the director, and he brought

in 1937.

The

1937 DNR was

a

combination

of newly formed

divisions including

STATE
GAME &FISH
COMMISSION

with him a renewed focus on professionalism, outreach, and education. Elliott found funding for programs, such as
the statewide game survey,

Wildlife, Forestry,

trapping and restocking

Geology, and State

and hired

Parks, Historic Sites

Commission's

and

Monuments.

biologists by

Elliott himself had a

using

federal

degree in Forestry and

funds through

had been an outdoor

the

Pittman -

writer since 1926.

Robertson Act

He instituted game

of 1937. The

management and law

Pittman-Robertson

enforcement training

Act, also known as

for the game wardens,

the Federal Aid in

who Elliott renamed

Wildlife Restoration

"wildlife rangers." Elliott

Act, authorizes the U.S.

Jack Crockford developer of the CapChur tranquilizer gun, was a key figure in the state's deer restoration program.
Secretary of the Interior to distribute to each state a portion of the 11 % of the firearms and ammunition sales excise tax collected . With this funding aid, the Game and Fish Commission accumulated revenue of almost $300,000 by the late 1940s, and the state's hunting and fishing industry was valued at $52 million. The state agency was clearly on a path to success.
During the mid-20th century the department concentrated on game restoration, and the first director of the 1950s, Fulton Lovell, particularly focused on the state's deer restocking program. One key staff member, Jack Crockford, led the charge for the program, with the goal of creating a balanced deer population across the state. Crockford and staff biologist Jim Jenkins collaborated with University of Georgia veterinarian Dr. Frank Hayes and UGA pharmacist Dr. Sheldon Feurtto perfect a tranquilizer gun dart to assist in the capture and relocation of deer. The dart, called the Cap-Chur gun, is still used today as a safe means to immobilize the large animals. During this period, deer were brought in from Texas, Wisconsin , and from Ossabaw and Blackbeard islands on the Georgia coast. The program was so successful that current deer populations are over 1.2 million .

10

By the end of the 19S0s, the commission saw a marked increase in revenue to support their programs. With the increase of license fees ($2.2S for a hunting license, and $1 .2S for a fishing license). $700,000 was collected in 19S9. Another half a million dollars was allocated to the department from federal fund programs, like the Pittman -Robertson Act. Fish restocking programs gained ground during the 1960s with the addition of hatcheries and a

substantial increase in state funding under Governor Carl Sanders to the Game and Fish Commission . Georgia's hatcheries were at the forefront of fishery management in the country. The striped bass restocking program began in 1966 with the introduction of 20,000 fingerling stripers into Lake Seminole. The introduction of striped bass was designed to help manage fish populations, and
to promote game fishing.

Wildlife Resources Division 11

The Creation of WRD

Beverly Clement was the first Biologists Larry Smith and Jim female fisheries biologist hired Nix with striped bass, 1971. by the commission, 1969.

Becky Marshall and Jim Couch edited educational productions for DNR, 1990-2010

Nongame Biologist Thomas Floyd on a prescribed burn at Tallulah Gorge State Park.

The Game and Fish Division, the predecessor to the Wildlife Resources Division, was created in 1972 under Governor Carter's and new DNR Commissioner Joe Tanner 's reorganization of 38 agencies into one DNR . In 1973, the Board of Natural Resources was estab lished to assume all responsibi liti es of the former Game and Fish Commission . Jack Crockford became the director of the Game and Fish Division, overseeing the Law Enforcement Unit and the Technical Services Unit, which housed Game

Management, Fisheries Management, and Marine Fisheries.
Commissioner Joe Tanner continued the legacy of increasing professionalization within the Game and Fish Division . Game wardens were re named conservation rangers, and a program identifying one outstanding ranger every year was established . Tanner ensured that sufficient law enforcement training was provided for every conservation ranger and that each was provided with a fourwheel drive vehicle. The conservation rangers took to the skies in the mid 1970s, when the DNR aviation unit was introduced to help track people involved in illegal night hunting.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the wild turkey restoration program gained traction after studies showed a staggeringly low count of the birds throughout the state. As a result, the numbers increased from approximately 18,000 turkeys to over 300,000 today. Additionally, after decades of protection, by the 1970s bear population s had rebounded, and hunting was opened to help control population growth . The first bear hunting season was held in 1979.

Today, the passion for fishing in Georgia is alive and well, and much of this is owed to the standardized sa mpling program initiated in the 1980s. A variety of fish species have been part of the restocking program, including walleye, bass, striper, trout, lake sturgeon, crappie, catfish, and shad. Additionally, American alligators have been protected through DNR 's game management program, to such an extent that their numbers increased to 100,000 in the early 2000s, leading to the first opening of al lig ator hunting season in 2003.

In 1993, the Game and Fish Division was

renamed the Wildlife Resources Division

(WRD). and this new name signaled a

broader, more inclusive approach to

wildlife management. One program

that' reflects this more expansive wildlife

management outlook was the nongame

conservation

species

program,

established in 1998. This program

works to conserve the native diversity

of nongame animals, rare plants, and

natural habitats through ed ucation,

research, and management. The

program has made great impacts on sea

turtles, waterbirds, marine mammals,

and small mammal populations

through habitat management, species

restoration, law enforcement, and

species monitoring and surveys.

~ Geo rgia Hunter Edu cati o n M anu al, 1970
12

WRD Today
With the creation of the Law Enforcement Division in 2013, WRD no longer includes the responsibilities of the conservation rangers and the enfo rcement of game and fish laws. WRD today continues its focus on conserving, enhancing, and promoting Geo rg ia's w ildli fe resources, including game and nongame animals, fish and protected plants. WRD contains three sections : Game Management, Fisheries Management, and Nongame Conservation . The Game Management Section manages one million acres of land contained in 90 Wildlife Management Areas for hunting, fishing, wi ldlife enhancement, bird watching, hiking,

camping and conservation education. The Fisheries Management Section manage s 500,000 acres of lakes, 12,000 miles of warm water streams, and 4,000 miles of trout streams to provide high quality sport fishing . The Nongame Conservation Section conserves and protects nongame wildlife and plants and their habitats through public education, research and management. With more than a century of game and fish management, WRD remains a vital component of DNR and for Georg ia ns who enjoy the outdoors.

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~ DNR manages over 400 properties throughout the state, covering more than 1 million acres.
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DNR 's mission was described by

Commissioner Joe Tanner:

"To provide the ultimate in outdoor

activities for all Georgians while at

the same time ensuring the proper

use and control of the environment

efficiently and economically."

Wildlife Resources Division 13

Charlie Elliott
Born in Covington, Georgia in 1906, Charles "Charlie" Elliott is a critical figure in DNR's history. He not only served as the first Director of State Parks, but as the Commissioner of Natural Resources in 1941, and the first Director of the Game and Fish Commission. Elliott was an advocate for the professionalization of wildlife resource management and instituted policies and programs that affected the entire state.
His influence extended from official roles in state government. to his writings on the environment and the natural world . He was a noted outdoor writer, serving as the editor of Outdoor Georgia (see opposite page). published by the Division of Wildlife, during the 1940s, and he was the Southeastern Field Editor for Outdoor Life magazine from

1950 until his death in 2000. Elliott also helped initiate the Appalachian Trail project in Georgia and was involved in choosing the trail route.
Ed Dodd, the creator of the Mark Trail comic strip, based his title character after Charlie Elliott's adventurous life, creating an early environmentalist role model for generations of young Americans. DNR's Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, located in Mansfield, Georg ia, continues Elliott's commitment to environmental education and is a tribute to the Elliott's lifel ong career.
In his writings, Elliott deftly conveyed the joy, mystery, and peace of the outdoor experience, inspiring others to explore the state's wild and beautiful environment.

"The star strewn nights, when we slept with the music of running waters in our ears; the nights we sat beside blazing campfires, listening to the wind move through the darkened pine forest; the pleasing mixed aroma of frying pan and coffee pot; and those hours adrift on gentle currents in a world which might have been born in the solitudes amillion years ago- those things are never known in crowded bars or city parks, or on the crowded beaches:'
-Charlie Elliott, writing about his 14-doy canoe trip down the Suwannee River in the July 1940 edition of Outdoor Georgia

W OLV ES, COUGARS AND OT~ER PREDATORS ONCE KEPT T~EM IN
GOOD BALANCE BY BRINGIN G DOWN WEAK AND DISEASED AHIMI\LS .. .
14

1/.._ 'If"" a
POTENTIAL KILLER?

Till ~\ H ll ~ llll lll \111111 1
', ' .

Trot J;VEIIF GUN wit.. the
peet th LOADED GUN!

l" ,,, ,t.l . l ~. l
....,,,,,,...,
A GOOD SPORTSMAN
KNOWS
and
OBSERVES
th c
GAME LAWS

The Law Enforcement Division (LED) was created in 2013 by moving the game wardens or rangers, now called Conservation Rangers, and their programs, into one organization. LED is responsible for protecting Georgia's wildlife populations by enforcing laws, rules and regulations pertaining to game and nongame animals, threatened and endangered plants and animals, exotic animals, boating safety, litter and waste control, and natural resource issues. LED is also responsib le for administering the

state's hunter education and boating safety programs. LED contains an Honor Guard, K-9 Unit, Aviation Unit, and specialty teams such as the Body Recovery Team, a unit that provides personnel and equipment to recover bodies from natural disasters nationwide. LED's history is rooted in the early game wardens that were established in 191 1 in the Department of Game and Fish

as the state's first law enforcement organization . This history is detailed in the previous section, the Wildlife Resources Division, and these photos help illustrate the game wardens and conservation rangers over time.

Arthur Woody USFS Ranger, ca . 1940. ~
T Wildlife Rangers, ca. 1930- 1950

.... Wildl ife Rangers, ca . 1930- 1950.

Origins: Georgia's Forest Parks

In 1872, Congress established Yellowstone

Indian Springs and Vog el were the first Forest

National Park, the first of its kind in the country,

Parks created in 1927; however, because

and placed it under the management of the

the management goals of the State Board

Department of the Interior. The National Park

of Forestry were not consistent with the

Service (NPS) was established in 1916, and in

park management ideals of protection and

1921, the states themselves began discussing

aesthetics, the Georgia State Parks System

establis hing state parks. The idea for parks

was established in 1931 , reorganizing the

supported the natural and wildlife resources

State Board of Forestry into the Department

conservation ideas of the time. With the

of Forestry and Geological Development,

growing availability of affordable automobiles,

under the State Parks Division. Four other

parks became widely available to a growing

forest parks were added at this time: Santo

portion of citizens.The first parks established by

Domingo (Boys Estate), Alexander H.

the state of Georgia were called "Forest Parks;'

Stephens, Chehaw, and Pine Mountain.

because they were under the management of

the State Board of Forestry.

.,.. Indian Springs State Park during the CCC era .

Early History:
Parks and
the Civilian
Conservation
Corps
Shortly after the 1931 state parks reorganization, park development increased dramatically with the aid of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). a federal public work relief program that provided young men with jobs in the conservation and development of public lands. From 1933 to 1942, the NPS provided oversight and professional design by architects and landscape architects to state parks. The NPS also acquired land adjacent to established state parks for development, later deeding the parks back to the state. This was the case in Georgia when the federal government purchased acreage 'adjacent to both F.D. Roosevelt State Park and A.H. Stephens State Park. A completely separate park was also purchased by the federal government at that time, and would eventually become Hard Labor Creek State Park.
Federal invo lvement helped Georgia's parks grow from 500 to 5,000 acres between 1933 and 1935. This progress was clearly reflected in the department's annual revenues, which rose from $88 in 1933 to almost $400 in 1936. All of this development and activity led to the creation of the Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Monuments in 1937. This division was under the newly

18

Hard Labor Creek State Park's CCC Camp baseball team, ca . 7940.

created Department of Natural Resources, a short-lived predecessor to the modern DNR. The division was divided into three sections: Development, History, and Planning, and during the New Deal era of the CCC and Works Progress Administration (WPA), the NPS had an office in the division to facilitate collaboration with park development. The Georgia General Assembly defined a park as "any land which by reason of natural features, scenic beauty, with or without historical, archaeological, or scientific buildings or objects thereon, possesses distinctive, innate or potential physical, intellectual, creative, social or other recreational or educational value or interest:'
Charlie Elliott was the division's first director. During his tenure the division hired its first historian, Charles G. King. In its first annual report, the parks system reported a revenue of nearly $12,000. The revenue was collected through recreation fees, which, in 1939, included: renting a cabin to sleep six people for $20 a week; renting a boat for $1 a day; renting a badm inton court for 20 cents an hour; soaking in the mineral baths at Indian Springs

for $2; and purchasing breakfast for SO cents or lunch or dinner for $1 .25.
Late in the 1930s, five tracts tracts of land were added to the park system: Cloudland Canyon, Black Rock Mountain, Ko lomoki Mounds, Magno lia Springs, and Jefferson Davis Memorial State Park. Cloud land Canyon State Park, located in northwest Georgia, was chosen as a park because of the scenic, natural setting of the canyon, while Black Rock Mountain State Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northeast Georg ia was selected for its dramatic dark granite sheer cliffs. The first park dedicated for its prehistoric value, Kolomoki Mounds in southwest Georgia, is one of the largest Woodland Indian sites in the southeast. Magnolia Springs is located on the Coastal Plain and was acquired in 1939 mainly for the large clear springs. Later, Camp Lawton, an important Civil War archaeological site, was discovered at the park. The last park dedicated at the end of the 1930s was Jefferson Davis Memorial Park, located in Irwin County, marking the site where

Jefferson Davis was arrested and taken prisoner at the end of the Civil War.
At the close of the CCC period in 1942, Georgia had 35 CCC camps. Some of these became state parks, having been developed by the CCC through various construction projects, building camps, cabins, shelters, roads, and trails. Pine Mountain (now Franklin D. Roosevelt [FOR) State Park), Chehaw (now a county park), Little Ocmulgee, and Fort Mountain were all developed by the CCC. The WPA was also involved in the con struction of a few parks, including the museum atJefferson Davis Memorial State Park and the group camp facilities at FOR State Park.

Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division 19

Evolution: Historic Sites and Park Development

Segregation and State Parks

The Y:un Ct:tndc l"mk i:t locntcd in th(' tity uf Swainl'lboro. (;curJ.,:'in in Em;tnucl County
orr licor.:ia ll iJ,:"hwny :\'o. &i, nne! u. s.
llhthw.-)' :\o. 7'. Thi s j,;, in the o!tlcs t tmtt of our $l at e.
Ern:un1,1 County b('in~ formccl in 1812. and namecl fvt (:(1\'Crnor D:wicl Emnnuel. Thi~ i:-~ nn outstmulinJ,: :J:riculhuc ccnlcr, thicf procluct:c bcinJ! cotl"m, con1. nnd mwn l :store~.
Y:un Grnndc h:t5 n lx-autiful _ wimmin~
pcol. concc:osion buildinJ,:". bathhou::;C', and
pi<-nif' area.

l.ineoln State Pad\ i~ loc:1ted nc:r llillcn. Gcoi'J::in in J cnki n:o~ County on GeotJ.!i:l ll is:h w:w i\o. li.
This park i:s cltl the bonk ~ of the f:uuous
Ruckhc:ul Creek. 1'hc fndliti<!\ al thi s tmrk con~ist (I( a tracl
inJ:' to:o:t , <":t fc, l:trgc picnic !II'C:'l, swimmin:: :uul hikinJ,! ai'C:t, ,,Ju s a Jllay~ro\mtl where nmrw kind~ of b;1ll ":lm~Jt may he pl:l}ed .
Tl;is is n b{'au tiful 52-:ttrc 1mrk that is Joc:1tccl in the middle of m:lny trees hunu with mo~~- A good Jllate for the (:\mily to enjoy
the ou t-of-doo r:c.

Negro stat e park brochure, circa 1955.....
After the CCC period of park development in Georgia, historic sites gained greater attention with the establishment of the Georgia Historical Commission in 1951. The Georgia Historical Commission was designed to promote and increase the knowledge and understanding of the state's history. The commission set to work immediately, starting with commemorating the Civil War centennial by placing over 600 historical markers throughout the state. The commission also acquired 19 historical sites, which included significant historic and prehistoric landmarks such as New Echota, the capital of the Cherokee nationr-Etowah Indian Mounds, and Fort McAllister.

The 1960s and 1970s continued to see an increase in park development, with the addition of several more parks after 1965. These included Blackburn State Park, Richmond Hill, and Skid away Island State Park near Savannah. In 1967, the first golf course was constructed in one of the parks, a nine-hole course at Hard Labor Creek State Park. Most of this type of recreational development, like golf courses and lodges, was spurred by forces outside the Parks Division to increase revenue and help keep the parks relevant to families looking for vacation options.

John Lloyd At kinson, a vetera n Tuskegee airman, was the first Africa n America n park superi ntendent for t he state of Georgia. In 1950, he leased land in Bartow County fro m t he U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wit h the intent ion of developi ng it into a park like American Beach in Flori da, but the cou nty would not give hi m a perm it to operate it as an Africa n American pa rk. Govern or Herm an Talmadge is credited with opening the park, named George Washington Carver State Park, afte r he hea rd t he protests of returnin g Africa n American veterans from World War II about the absence of recreati onal facilities for blacks. Atki nso n, as t he park's first superintendent, oversaw t he park'sdevelopment, and was succeeded, in 1958 by Clarence Benham, fath er of Robert Benham, the state's first African American justice on the Supreme Court of Georgia.
Benham emphasized the park's significance for Georgia's African Americans, and John Atkinson's son, Charles, noted, "This is the park where Ray Charles and Little Richard visited a.nd performed, Andrew Young and his family learned to water ski, and where Mrs. Coretta Scott-King and her family remember many weekend outings with Ebenezer Baptist Church :' Other African American state parks during segregation included Lincoln State Park in Millen, Veterans Memorial State Park in Cordele, and Yam Grande State Park in Emanuel County. Integration led to the merging of George Washington Carver State Park with Red Top Mountain State Park. The last superintendent of George Washington Carver State Park was Samuel Nathan, who then became the first African American superintendent of Richmond Hill State Park.

20

The Creation of Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division

The Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division was created in 1973, shortly after the establishment of DNR in 1972, and the dissolution of the Georgia Historical Commission. Henry D. "Hank" Struble, a long time parks employee who served as director from 1972 to 1985, increased the specialization in parks staff structure by creating a Recreation and Programming Unit. This unit included the Historic Preservation Lab, the Exhibit Shop, and the Historical Marker Program, formerly of the Georgia Historical Commission. From 1978 until 1994, the division housed the State Historic Preservation Office, which became the Historic Preservation Division in 1994.

Economic downturns during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s occurred, affecting the Parks Division's budgets and personnel. Privatization efforts, designed to make the parks more efficient, dismantled the division's in-house specialty construction crews, sign and trail construction crews, and historic preservation specialists, by the 1990s. In more recent years, the economic recession of the 2000s forced some parks to turn management over to local authorities, and further streamline staff. Despite these obstacles, the division and staff maintained a strong ethos in regards to the many parks and historic sites they manage, resulting in a steady and growing popularity among the public.

Henry "Hank" Struble, Parks Director, 1972- 1985. ...,

Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division Today

Under the leadership of director Becky Kelley, the Parks and Historic Sites Division continues its mission to protect Georgia's natural beauty and historic integrity while providing
opportunities for public enjoyment and education. Unique facilities, like yurts, eco-

lodges, and a backcountry lodge, the Hike Inn, have been introduced in some of the parks and help keep the public engaged in the parks system. The most recent park, Don Carter State Park in Hall County, was dedicated in 2014 and named after long-time DNR board member Don
Carter who specialized in overseeing

the agency's land acquisitions. The division has gained national acclaim as a finalist for the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence on Park and Recreation Management in 2007, 2009, and 2015.
Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site ...,.

Origins: The Georgia Water Quality Control Board

During the late 1960s, a biologist with the state of Georgia recalls what he observed as he floated down the Front River in Savannah:

"I almost gave up when I saw the condition of the river. It was a horror, especially in contrast to Savannah's beautiful skyline. All the church spires; the lovely European feeling. But along the banks were black slicks oozing out toward the center of the river. The water changed color several times in a distance of half a mile. When one large riverfront industry discharged its wastes, fish would jump out of the water to get away."

It is hard to imagine the waters near Savannah in such a state, but it was only SO years ago that these conditions existed . The environmental protections put in place since that time have resurrected waterways throughout the state.
The Georgia Water Quality Control Act passed in 1957-Georgia was one of the first states to enact such legislation. The act declared that the water resources of the state would be used prudently for the maximum benefit of the people, and placed the responsibility for the qual ity and quantity of the state's water on the state of Georgia. The creation of the act was probably spurred, in part, by two fish kills that took place in the Altamaha River near Jesup in 1954 as a result of a major cellulose fiber manufacturer dumping its untreated industrial wastes directly into the Altamaha. Although passage of the act was an important milestone, there was no designated authority in place to tackle the

"I knew Rock Howard. We didn't always agree but he was always persistent in doing what was best for the people of Georgia. And of all the people I've ever known or met he's the perfect example of apublic servant."
- President Jimmy Carter to Mrs. Howard, after his passing in 1977.

many pollution problems the state's waters faced.
A state analysis of the Game and Fish Commission in 1964 states "Both the freshwater and saltwater fisheries of Georgia have been severely damaged by both industrial and municipal wastes, and thousands of pounds of game fish were killed by pollution during the past year." The state of the waters was dire, resulting in the

closure of approximately 47,000 acres of shellfish -producing areas because of bacterial pollution. A call for the General Assembly to strengthen water pollution control laws and to create some type of authority to penalize pollution offenders led to the establishment of the Georgia Water Quality Control Board in 1964.

22

J. Leonard Ledbetter ....
"We put together the water quality program, and we looked specifically at Lanier because of all of its poultry processing, and there were problems there with water quality. We got that started, to get it treated. We looked at the Chattahoochee, below Atlanta. We looked at the river below Dalton, because all the carpet mills-they were dumping all the dye waste right into the rivers. We looked at Savannah Harbor, the Chattahoochee below Columbus, the Savannah below Augusta. And our team would go in and spend amonth sampling. And often, Iwas with them, many times. In Savannah, the first study we did was in the summer of 1967, and we were somewhat shocked ourselves, to learn the only thing we could find living in the Savannah Harbor were worms in the mud in the harbor:'
-f. Leonard Ledbetter

The Creation
of EPD
In 1967 the General Assembly passed the Georgia Air Quality Act to control dust, smoke, sulfur dioxide and the open burning of wastes, and on its heels came the Georgia Surface Mining Act of 1968. The Federal Clean Water Act passed in 1972, the same year EPD was created under the newly organized Department of Natural Resources. Rock Howard was EPD's first director, and now oversaw five sections: Water Quality Control, Water Supply, Air Quality Control (formerly in Department of Public Health). Solid Waste Management (Also formerly in Department of Public Health), and Land Reclamation. At the beginning of EPD, the division had 213 employees and an annual budget of $4.3 million. In 1974, J. Leonard Ledbetter replaced Howard as division director, a role he carried out until he was appointed DNR commissioner by Governor Joe Frank Harris in 1983.

With Commissioner Joe Tanner, Ledbetter worked to set up "onestop" environmenta l permitting in the state, essentially leading the country in streamlining permitting and giving Georgia an advantage over other states for attracting new businesses. By the end of the 1970s, EPD had issued air quality compliance schedules to 750 industries. Beginning in the 1970s, EPD began the long-term monitoring of 40 sites representing all of the state's major river basins. Just a decade later, all the monitored sites oxygen levels, a sign of the overall health of the water and its inhabitants, had been brought back to the desired standards for maintaining a healthy aquatic community, reflecting the EPD mandated improvements in wastewater treatment by industries and municipalities.
One of the original 1972 DNR divisions was the Earth and Water Division, also called the Geologic and Water Resources Division. Its responsibilities included the management of the state's earth and mineral resources and conducting water resources surveys for surface water and groundwater. The division identified changes in groundwater

levels and monitored wells. The state's Geologic Survey was housed in this division, and conducted geologic research and mapping across the state. The division's responsibilities were dissolved into EPD by the end of 1978.
During the 1980s, Georgia led the nation in many environmental efforts, including becoming the first state to eliminate land disposal of hazardous waste and the first state to issue or deny permits to all existing hazardous waste facilities. Many state environmental laws continued to be passed that decade, including the Georgia Hazardous Waste Management Act, Georgia Well Water Standards Act, and the Georgia Groundwater Use and Water Quality Control Act. Ledbetter continued to serve as both EPD director and DNR commissioner, part of his agreement with Governor Harris when he took on the role of DNR commissioner, from 1983 to 1990. After his retirement, the two positions were separated again, and Harold Reheis became director of EPD.

EPD Today: Air Quality and Water Wars

. --... ,

-

7

A biologist examining the outflow from Dalton's waste treatment plant. Outdoors in Georgia, 1973. ...._

Dyes from Dalton 's carpet mills flowed untreated into Conasauga River for decades prior to EPD's regulations. Outdoors in Georgia, 1973. ...._

Reheis served as director from 1991 to 2003 , and during those years, the division foc used on air quality control and controlling emissions of more then 400 toxic chemica ls from more than 600 industries. Carol Couch, the f irst female director of EPD, and the first scientist to se rve as director, was appointed by Governor Sonny Purdue in 2003 . During these yea rs, EPD oversaw the completion of the state's first comprehensive statewide drought management plan,

and the State of Georgia 's Environment, essentially an environmental report card, was published in 2009, detailing the enormous progress the state has achieved since the 1970s, and also all the hard work still to come.
The ongoing water dispute between Georgia, Florida, and Alabama continues to be a concern for the state, and as a result, Governor Nathan Deal appointed Jud Turner, the Director of EPD, as the state's first water czar. This conflict has

endured since 1990 over the water use of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin and the Alabama -CoosaTallapoosa River Basin . Indeed, as Leonard Ledbetter points, out, water will continue to be a challenge for the state and EPD as the population grows and urban areas become increasingly developed. With a mission to protect and restore Georgia's environment and to ensure the state has clean air, water, and land, EPD's efforts will continue to be vital for the future of Georgia.

The Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P2AD): 1993-2010
Established in 1993 as a division within DNR, the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division was designed by Governor Zell Miller to help Georgians find ways to reduce solid and hazardous waste, emissions, and releases of pollutants into the air, water, and land. The division was dissolved into EPD in 2010, but during its operation, P2AD provided valuable technical and grant assistance to both companies and individuals looking to make a difference in their waste output.

Environmental Protection Division 2s

Origins: Game
and Fish
Commission
"In the remaining years of the twentieth century, the importance of Georgia's coast will increase even more in the eyes of the state and nation. This is my opinion and the opinion of the best minds in economics, science, and planning. As important as it is today, tomorrow our coast will be more important."
-Governor George Busbee, 1978
The first coastal area management conducted by the state of Georgia was through the appointment of a Tidewater Commissioner in 1924 within the Game and Fish Commission, an early predecessor to the modern Wildlife Resources Division. The Tidewater Commissioner was only in place until 1931, and it was not until 1940, when Charlie Elliott, director of the Wildlife Division within the 1937 iteration of the DNR, wrote an article for Outdoor Georgia about the need to support the expansion of seafood production and saltwater fishing, that coastal resource management began to take hold in Georgia. In 1943, the Department of Natural Resources was dissolved and the Game and Fish Commission was created. As its first commissioner, Elliott appointed Joe Mitchell, formerly the director of the Wildlife Division, as supervisor of the newly formed Coastal Fisheries Office.
~
GEORGIA
ATE GAME & r1 SH
co MMISSI ON

Early History : The Coastal Fisheries Office

During its early years, the Coastal Fisheries Office's mission was to manage the commercial fishing industry. The shrimp industry was, and has remained, one of the state's most important commercial fishing businesses, and was an early focus for the office's management of coastal waters. Oysters were also a concern during the early years, as oysters were being harvested out of polluted waters and then sold for consumption. In 1948, the Coastal Fisheries Office, headquartered in Savannah and Brunswick, represented about 8 percent of the Game and Fish budget, comparable to the 7 percent allocated to the fish hatcheries.
The Dingeii-Johnson Act, also known as the Sport Fish Restoration Act of 19SO, was a pivotal piece of legislation for the country as a whole, and fueled Georgia's own fisheries management programs by providing considerable funding for the support of fisheries management. The Dingeii-Johnson Act authorized the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance for state fish restoration and management plans and projects. With the help of this extra funding, during the 19SOs and 1960s, the Coastal Fisheries Office concentrated its

efforts on sport fish restocking and fishing licensing. Much of this early work was overseen by Coastal Fisheries Office supervisor David Gould, who had a long career with DNR beginning in 19SO. After his retirement in 1980, Gould became Executive Director of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
A 1964 state review was conducted of the Game and Fish Commission, calling for more support of the Marine Fishery program . Specifically, the review pointed to the need for a qualified laboratory staff and modern equipment, improved law enforcement, a modern marine laboratory, and a marine fisheries resources rehabilitation program. "As part of the over-all game and fish long-range planning program, special emphasis should be given to the marine fisheries resource needs as a prelude to the acquisition of lands and facilities to assure an orderly, planned development program to overcome the effects of long years of neglect:' This review signaled a growing urgency to properly address coastal resources management, a concern that led to pivotal legislation, the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act.

Evolution: The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act

David Gould, early Coastal Fisheries Office Executive Director, circa 1950. .._
26

The passage of the 1970 Coastal Marshlands Protection Act is one of the most significant legislative acts in Georgia's environmental record, and defines much of the history of the Coastal Resources Division (CRD). The act was born out of the State Water Quality Control Board 's fight against

a powerful corporation seeking to mine along the coast. The Kerr-McGee Corporation applied for a permit to mine phosphate in 1968, following two years of exploration along the Georgia coast.. The application raised an alarm for those in the state who knew of the ecological importance of Georgia's marshes. This

"I'd like to be remembered for the marshlands. That is a glorious thing that God has granted to mankind. You don't have to plow it. You don't have to water it. You don't have to fertilize it. You just go out there and get that good stuff to eat. And not many places on earth you can say that that happens in. Marine scientists now that say the Georgia marshlands are the most productive areas on earth, as far as the bounty of producers is concerned. I can go, when I've got to go to the next world, and think I did something for the aid of mankind. It was a battle when it was going, but it ended right."
- Reid Ha rris

Reid Harris (cente r right) .....
attention to the coast was due in part to Dr. Eugene Odum, a UGA biologist, and his brother Howard T. Odum, an ecologist. The Odums brought attention to the importance of the state's marshland ecosystem through their work at the UGA Marine Institute at Sapelo Island. Reid Harris, a state senator, wrote the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act in 1969, a year after he and Rock Howard of the Water Quality Co ntrol Board (predecessor to the Environmental Protection Division) ensured the passage of the Surface Mining Land Use Act, which placed controls on the manner in which mines were abandoned after the ore had been extracted . Harris saw that the push from a big industrial company like Kerr-McGee would not be contained by the Surface Mining Land Use Act alone, and knew that a mining operation of that scope would be devastating to t he coast.
In 1970, the Coasta l Marshland Protection Act was signed by Governor Lester Maddox, with advocates for the coast, including the influentia l Jane Hurt Yarn, petitioning the governor for the bill's passage. Not everyone at the time held a favorable view of the bill, especiall y developers with an interest in building along the coast. The law, and the oversight of construction permitting along the coast provided by the modern CRD, have had a lasting impact on the conservation of Georgia's coast. Significa ntly, the majority of the state's barrier islands are under state

or federal ownership and approximately 70 percent of Georgia's maritime forests have been preserved. The current CRD director, Spud Woodward, and his predecessors Susan Shipman and Duane Harris, are proud of the legacy of the Act

and the CRD's efforts in ensuring the Act 's measures are carried out. For, Woodward says, the coast "looks pretty much the way it did when we started;' and there aren't many states that can make a similar claim.

Jane Hurt Yarn, advoca te for th e passing of th e Marshla nd Pro tectio n A ct, use d her influence to o rga nize a mass ive letter-writing ca m paign to Govern or Maddox.
Jane Hurt Yarn's tireless work to promote the protection of Georgia's coast was her life long miss ion. It began when she and her husband bought Egg Island on the Altamaha River, which is now part of t he Wolf Island Nationa l Wild life Reserve. Yarn organized Georg ia's first fu ll-time envi ronmental lobbying groups, Save Our Vita l Enviro nme nt (SAVE), which was instrumenta l in securing the passage of the Coastal Marsh lands Protection Act.

Coastal Resources Division 21

The Creation of the CRD

Biologist John Pafford about to sample fish.

Estuarine Fish Program biologists.

CRD staff with new sound limit signs, which mark where shrimpers were prohibited.

Divers Joe Vickery and

Biologist Susan Shipman

Biologist Henry Ansley about culling shrimp on the

to work o n artificial reefs.

Research Vessel Anna.

When the DNR was created in 1972, the Marine (also called Coastal) Fisheries Office remained under the Game and Fish Division. That same year, President Richard Nixon signed the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZM), encouraging states to work with their local governments and with the federal government to develop unified land and water use programs. In 1978, Governor George Busbee signed the Georgia Coastal Zone Management Act, and established an 18-member Coastal Zone Management Board to approve Coastal Zone Management grant applications, develop policies, and recommend guidelines for the wise management of coastal resources. The Georgia Coastal Management Act, coupled with the passage of the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act in 1970, signaled an official dedication to managing the state's coastal resources. The state's coastal interests, bookended by these two landmark legislative acts, led to the establishment of the Coastal Resources Division (CRD) in 1978.
Dr. Robert Reimold served as the division's fi rst director, overseeing the review of coastal construction applications, the management of commercially harvested seafood, and working with the Environmental Protection Division to ensure that the coastal waters were protected from pollution by restricting certain areas from fi shing. This work co ntinued under Bob Mahood who served as CRD's director from 1980 to 1983, and under Duane Harris, the division's first of three long-term division directors. A career DNR employee, Harris began working for the Office of Coastal Fisheries in 1970 while it was still housed und er the Game and Fish Commission . Harris di scovered the North Atlantic Right Whale ca lving grounds in 1979 while working as Chief of Fisheries. Because of his efforts to

call in a DNR filming crew that had just left the area, the mother whale and calf were filmed seven miles offshore. The recording of this significant moment proved important for the future study of the sea mammals, whose calving grounds remained unknown until that point.
CRD's commitm ent to coastal wildlife can also be seen through its efforts to protect sea turtle populations. Georgia was the first state to provide turtle excluder devices (TED) to shrimpers. TEDs are designed to prevent sea turtles from becoming trapped in the shrimper's nets. The devices became mandatory throughout the United States in 1987 and have been an important component of protecting sea turtles. Indeed, sea turtle population s, through the efforts of CRD and WRD, have enjoyed a resurgence in numbers. In 2015, over 2,300 nests were identified, up from an average of 1,000 nests in the early years of conservation.
In 1989, under Harris' direction, the division moved to the newly built Coastal Regional Headquarters in Brunswick, a regional DNR office, that houses not only CRD staff, but WRD (game and nongame programs), LED, and Parks and Histori c Sites staff who work with coastal resources. The interdivision co llaboration that is unique to coastal resources has been an important part of CRD's history, particularly when Georgia joined the federal Coastal Zone Manag ement Program, a program where DNR's divisions all participate to some degree. Georg ia joined the program in 1992. CRD developed a

management plan tailored specifically to the state, one that provided better guidance for Georgia than the national CZM plan . After Georgia became part of the federal CZM program, the state was able to receive federal funds in the form of Coastal Incentive Grants (CIG), a grant program funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheri c Administration (NOAA). The CIG Program has been an im portant resource to the state's co mmunities and universities, providing funding for important programs such as CRD's popular CoastFest, held annually since 1995 and drawing thousands of visitors to the coastal area .
With an educational background in marine and bird zoology, Susan Sh ip man became the CRD director in 2002. Anoth er longtime CRD employee, Shipman began at CRD in 1983 and worked as a research biologist and the Chief of Fisheries prior to becoming director. Shipman oversaw the continuation of regulations for the fishing community to promote a sustainable future for the commercial fishing industry. Under Shipman's leadership, CRD co ntinued efforts with the artificial reef program, whi ch started in 1970 to develop longterm fisherie s habitats. These include inshore and offshore artificial reefs, whi ch promote recreational fishing in the state. CRD has used sunken vessels, concrete cu lverts, battl e tanks, and even old subway cars to create these habitats.

28

CRD Today: A Focus on Sustainability

Right whales and calf. off Georgia coast. Photo Credit: NOAA.

DNR boat, George T. Bagby.

The CRD has been involved for more than 30 years with implementing and enforcing fishing regulations, construction permits, and other activities to help uphold the protective laws that have made the Georgia coast sustainable. As a result, legal cha llenges to environmental laws have escalated in the last 20 years for CRD staff, and continue to be a major focus for CRD. Although court challenges continue, the attitudes from the commercial fishing communities have completely turned around since CRD began work in the 1970s. Now, commercial fishing operations see the value in these regulations and sensible conservation has become an asset to the industry.
Under current CRD director Spud Woodward 's leadership, the division's responsibilities have grown to include several programs that promote the appreciation of coastal resources and ways to keep it sustainable, including events like Beach Week, CoastFest, and Coastal Day at the Captiol. The CRD remains a strong voice for Georgia in regional organizations like the Interstate Fishery Commission & Regional Fishery Management Council, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Today, Georgians can be proud of CRD'sefforts in many areas, including the restoration of the red drum and spotted sea trout fish populations, and the success of the protective measures taken to ensure the proliferation of the sea turtle. As it looks to the future, CRD is focused on developing an oyster farming program in the state in conjunction with

the University of Georgia, a longtime partner. This program has the potential to be an economic catalyst for the coast as consumer interest in local oysters grows.
The coast has maintained its integrity because of the hard work and laws that were passed decades ago, but the pressure for coastal area development continues. It is easy to take for granted that the coast will look as it does forever, but in reality, the hard work continues.
(Below and right) Coastline Georgia, Summer 1983. Coastline Georgia was published by CRD .

Coastal Resources Division 29

Origins: The Georgia Historical Commission

The Historic Preservation Division (HPD) is the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), a federal program that was established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The SHPO in Georgia has evolved over time, but its roots go back to the Georgia Historical Commission and Mary Gregory Jewett, the first State Historic Preservation Officer. After receiving a Bachelor's degree from the Unviersity of Georgia in Journalism, Jewett began her career in historic preservation as the Georgia Historical Commission's historian, which was in the office of the Secretary of State, Ben Fortson. Her father, C.E. Gregory, was the commission's first executive secretary, and was instrumental in getting

the commission established in 1951 . As the state's first historic preservation agency, the commission was created at a time when preservation efforts were beginning, and required both financial support and technical expertise.
Jewett succeeded her father as executive secretary, then director, of the Georgia Historical Commission in 1960. The commission had a 9-person board that included Lewis H. Larson, Jr., who became the first state archaeologist in 1972, and architectural historian William R. Mitchell. Besides overseeing the placement of 1,800 historical markers, Jewett was skilled at

approaching the legislature and locating funds to acquire and rehabilitate historic properties for the state, resulting in the addition of 20 historic sites to state property. These included New Echota, Traveler's Rest, Etowah Indian Mounds, and the last acquisition under her leadership, the Lapham-Patterson House in Thomasville.

liThe kind of job Mary Jewett has done in devising a system of preservation of the history of Georgia required more than just dedication to a task; it required a love for both Georgia and history. As with most pioneers, the significance of her accomplishments will be fully realized only when her own life and work are history. But we who know her appreciate now the priceless product of her vision, her perseverance, and her love:'
-Governor Jimmy Carter on the retirement of Mary Gregory Jewett in 1974

30

The State Historic Preservation Office

After the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966, Jewett turned the Georgia Historical Commission board into the National Register of Historic Places Review Board, a new program under the act that gave prestige to properties, as well as opportunities for funding rehabilitation projects. The act also provides the SHPO the opportunity to comment on federally permitted or funded projects that have the potential to affect historic properties, known as Section 106 or environmental review. Jewett used the power of this role to influence federal agencies to redesign projects to minimize impacts to historic sites, such as a sewer project going t hrough the historic Marietta Paper Mill ruins at Sope Creek on the Chattahoochee. Jim Morrison, executive director of the Georgia

Wildlife Federation, said in 1976 of Jewett's efforts for the Sope Creek historic site:
As a result, the Sope Creek Ruins were listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and the area was included in the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area.

View of So p e Creek mill ruins . ...._

Early History: The Historic Preservation

Section

Lewis Larson , lo ng -tim e Stat e Archaeo lo gist fo r Geo rgia . ...._

With Governor Jimmy Carter's creation of DNR in 1972, the Georgia Historical Commission was dissolved and the operation of state-owned historic sites was placed under the Parks and Historic Sites Division, while the SHPO, called the Historic Preservation Section (HPS), was placed under DNR'sOffice of Planning and Research . During this transition, momentum built for a citizen's historic preservation group to form out of a concern over the dissolution of the Georgia Historical Commission and from the state releasing several of its historic sites due to budget cuts. Jewett had been overseeing annual statewide preservation conferences from 1969 to 1973; these conferences were critical to the formation of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, one of the country's largest non-profit preservation organizations. Jewett was the Trust's first president and she focused on strengthening historic preservation's identity in the state.
From 1969 to 1978, the HPS's organization began taking shape, with staff positions added in architectural history, survey, and environmental review. Architectural historian William Mitchell directed the Historic Sites Survey program for the section, which was mandated through the National Historic Preservation Act. Don Klima began the office's first environmental review (Section 106 review required by the National Historic Preservation Act) program. Meanwhile, the historic preservation

movement in the state was reaching a critical mass. The proposed demolition of the historic Fox Theater in Atlanta spurred outcry from the public and engaged Atlantans in a preservation advocacy effort not seen before.
Lewis H. Larson, Jr., became Georgia's first state archaeologist in 1972, having served on the National Register of Historic Places Review Board for the Georgia Historical Commission prior to this appointment. Larson had spent years practicing archaeology in the state, having investigated the Etowah Indians Mounds and the Sapelo Ring Complex in the 1950s. The position was enacted into state law through the passage of Act Number 706, which called for the protection, preservation, and investigation of archaeological sites, antiquities, and artifacts on state-owned lands. It was Larson, along with Mary Jewett, who met with Governor Carter about the possibility of moving historic preservation into DNR, uniting the state's management of cultural resources and natural resources. Larson was a strong advocate for historic resources through the Section 106 review process, seeing this as an effective vehicle for helping protect significant properties.

The Creation of HPD

In 1978 the HPS was placed under the Parks, Recreation, and Historic Sites Division of DNR, with David M. Sherman as section chief, who succeeded the short term of Jackson O'Neil Lamb. Sherman worked with Lewis Larson to bui ld a strong environmenta l review program within the Historic Preservation Section. There was significant resistance from federal and state agencies to the SHPO asking them to take historic properties into account in their project plans. Larson and Sherman fought hard to make sure the law was being followed, and with their resolve, agencies have since become responsible parties in the Section 106 review process.

One of the earliest landmark projects where the SHPO and th e Office of the State Archaeologist voiced concerns and demanded agency cooperation to consider historic properties was the Metropolitan At lanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) construction project of the late 1970s. A massive undertaking, both in track and train station construction, the Section 106 review process enabled archaeological sites to be identified and investigated, and the designs of the MARTA stations, located in historic neighborhoods in Atlanta, were adapted based on SHPO comment to be compatible with their surroundings.

From 1978 to 1994, the HPS with in DNR was guided by Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Lyon, chief of the HPS. These years saw a growth of the HPS within state government, which eventua lly led to the creation of the Historic Preservation Division (HPD) in 1994.

Evolution: A Focus on Local Communities

Much of what made the HPS so successful and helped it achieve division status within DNR was its close relationship with local commu nities throughout the state. In 1978, the Regional Preservation Planners program began, with two areas of the state represented with preservation planners, the Middle Flint and Northeast Georgia regions. By 1980, the program had expanded to include 14 planners throughout the state, all helping to connect loca l commu nities with the programs and benefits offered by the SHPO in Atlanta. These planners assisted local communities with nom inating their properties to the National Reg ister of Historic Places, provided technical expertise with preservation planning, and helped coordinate the Certified Loca l Government (CLG) program that originated in the 1980 amendment of the National Histo ric Preservation Act. The CLG program in Georg ia has become one of the strongest in the country, resulting in the creation of 141 loca l historic districts and the awarding of $800,000 worth of federa l CLG grants to these com munities from 2001 to 2010 alone.
This community-based approach extended to the Nationa l Register of Historic Places progra m, which boasts over 80,000 properties listed in the state as of 2015. It was always important to Lyons and her staff that local com munities play an important ro le in determining what was significa nt in their locales: "I'm a firm believer that the stre ngth and rationale for the preservation program is how it helps communities:' No longer were on ly the grand, arch itect-designed mansions considered the only significant buildings in the state, but the homes and businesses of the working and middle classes were as well. Historic working class neighborhoods (or districts), bungalows, shotgun houses, and country stores, along with formally designed residences, could be deemed worthy of preservation.
Georgia was a national leader in the movement to recognize historic African American resources, with its first publication, Historic Black Resources, pub lished in 1984. One of the largest historic African American historic districts in the state, Pleasant Hill in Macon, was listed on the National Register just two years later. The Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network (GAAHPN)

The Historic Preservation Section Staff, 1976. .....

was establi shed in 1989 to help support and recognize efforts to identify, preserve, and rehabilitate African American historic resources across the state. Jeanne Cyriaque, the African American Programs Coordinator

for HPD since 2000, has led the program in gaining national recognition for her work regarding Rosenwald Schools and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor along Georgia's coast.

Shotgun Houses in Pleasant Hill, an African American community, Macon. .....

HPD Today: Leading the Way
The strength of HPD's programs, many of them nationally recognized, and quality of the staff, have gained the division a continued recognition and support for the state's historic preservation program. Landmark programs, many the first of their kind in the country, emerged out of the office and contributed to a strong preservation network and ethos for Georgia. HPD has made significant progress conducting a statewide architectural survey, recording buildings in 140 counties, and spurring the growth of local historic preservation organizations across the state.
After 16 years, Dr. Liz Lyon retired from HPD, and was succeeded by Mark Edwards in 1994. The first half of the 1990s brought with it the publication of HPD's Georgia's Living Places, a comprehensive resource for identifying historic buildings and landscapes in Georgia, and the establishment of the Centennial Farm Program, which has recognized nearly 500 historic farms throughout the state. Under Director Dr.W. Ray Luce, Dr. Richard Cloues continued the division's ground breaking work through his study of mid-20th century ranch houses in Georgia, the first of its kind.

Archaeology on DNR Lands: Spring Place Mission

In 1999, HPD archaeologists, partnering with UGA and the USFS, identified the remai ns of the Spring Place Mission, a late-18th century Moravian settlement established on Cherokee Chief James Vann's land. The su rvey resulted in the identification of God 's Acre, a cemetery contain ing the burials of Dawnee, a 12-year old Cherokee gi rl of nob le lineage, noted botan ist Anna Rosina Gambold, referred to by the Cherokee as "Mother Gambold," and a Cherokee chief. Ultimately the discovery led to t he acq uisition ofthe cemetery by DNR and its re-co nsecration.

"God's Acre" Springplace Moravian Mission Cemetery. .a.

"At the ceremony, Cherokees from Oklahoma and North Carolina who attended sang 'Amazing Grace' in their

native tongue. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, and I have to say, when people ask me what I am proudest

of from my time as the State Archaeologist- seeing Dawnee'speople who were forcibly driven from their native

lands reunited with her after 189 years- is it.''

-Dr. David Crass, current HPD Director

The WPA and DNR Archaeology

The Works Progress Administrat io n

(WPA) employed professio nal

archaeo logists

to

exca vate

archaeological sites in Georgia. From

1937 to 1940, WPA archaeologists

excavated the Irene Mounds in

Savanna h and the Ocm ulgee Mounds

in Macon.

Irene Mound, 1938. .a.

.

-

A.S. Furcron, Ocmulgee Earth Lo dge, April 1938. .._

Joe Tanner, 1972- 1984, 1990- 1995 (First Left)
Joe Tanner was DNR :S first commtsswner, serving from 1972 to /984, and serving a second term from /990 to /995. He oversaw its original establishment and instituted a nationally recognized one-stop permitting system for all state and federal permits. Tanner promoted the professionalization of DNR staffand, in his second term, negotiated an agreement that helped stem the FloridaAlabama-Georgia water wars.
J. Leonard Ledbetter, 1984-1990
In his time at DNR, M1: Ledb etter, a form er director of the EPD, was a passionate advocate for water quality across the state, starting his career with taking samples from the polluted waters of Georgia and later defending Georgia from large-scale industrial polluters.

Noel Holcomb, 2004 -2008
Holcomb began his career with DNR within the Wildlife Resources Division working as a wildlife biologist at Ossabaw and Sapelo islands, later becoming the division director. Holcomb oversaw the Coastal Georgia Land Conservation Initiative, a three-year long coastal habitat mapping project.
Chris Clark, 2008-2010
Chris Clark :S term as commissioner was focused on managing the agency through tough budget cuts but also on the strength of the division programs. Clark led efforts in the discovery of the largest Civil War archaeological site in recent history.

Lonice Barrett, 1995-2004
A longtime advocate for DNR, Lonice Barrett began his career as Recreation Planner for DNR, and later, served as director of the State Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division. Barrett directed additional park development during his tenure and was instrumental in the acquisition of natural areas and the development ofstate parks.

Mark Williams, 2010 to present
With a lifelong love for hunting and fishing, form er state representative Mark Williams oversees I,600 employees within the current DNR with the mission to protect
and conserve Georgia s diverse wildlife
populations and provide quality outdoor recreation through its management of more than one million acres of public lands. Williams oversaw the creation of the Law Enforcement Division in 2013.

Board of Natural Resources
The Bo ard of N atu ral Resource s w as establi shed in 1972 to he lp pro vide citizen oversight on D N R policy and regulations . The Board includes 19 members, with one person from each of the 14 congressional districts, one person from one of the coastal counties (Chatham, Bryan, Libe rty, Mcintosh, Glynn, or Camden), and four members from t he state at large.

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3 2108 05732 7978

Con clusion

Jimmy Carter's endu ring reverence for Georgia's environ ment resonates throughout DNR's histo ry. The DNR tea m has brought thi s reverence to thei r everyday jobs and has forged, in many cases, a pioneerin g path. The DNR family is made up of people who believe in th e lodestar of service, wh o have worked and even at times have fought to esta blish policies that create a more sustai nable, cu lturally aware, and enjoyab le Georgia. The important message from a look back at t he histo ry of DNR is that yes, ma ny tough challenges have been met, but

complacency now about the management of our natural and cultural resources would lead to irrelevancy. The challenge for DNR's future is to continue to reach out and educate Georgians about their natural and cultural resources. Without public support for DNR's important divisions and programs, the tough battles of the future may result in resource damage and loss. Once demolished, a hi storic building is gone forever; once destroyed, an archaeological site will never reveal the truths about people of our past; once developed, a co astline will never

regain its natural beauty and ecological balance; once polluted, it may take decades for a river to return to a clean state; and once extinct, a species will never return . DNR's enduring reverence for these resources will continue to light the path forwa rd, making Georgia's future bright.

Sapelo Light Station, Photo by Liene Kukainis ..,..