1989 annual report [1989]

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Georgia Department of Natural Resources
1989 ANNUAL REPORT
RECEIVED
MAY 1 n 1990
DOCUMENTS UGA LIBRARIES

Georgia Department of Natural Resources
A Message from the Commissioner
Dear Georgians:
The Department of Natural Resources' Five-Year Management Strategy, in combination with milestone legislation approved by the General Assembly, established major initiatives in fiscal 1989 to protect Georgia's natural and environmental resources well into the next
century.
The year was one of significant progress for environmental protection. Enactment of Governor Harris' Growth Strategies legislation resulted in new laws authorizing protection of critical watersheds, freshwater wetlands and groundwater recharge areas; development of water supply reservoirs throughout north and central Georgia; and strengthened erosion and sedimentation regulations for improved water quality. The Department's Five-Year Strategy prioritized eliminating toxins in the environment, upgrading water quality, attaining clean air standards for ozone in Atlanta, completing a comprehensive groundwater management plan, and many other programs vital to the conservation and improvement of Georgia's air, land and water resources.
Funds from two consecutive bond sales approved by the General Assembly enabled the Department to purchase $15 million in public wildlife lands in fiscal 1989 and to add an additional $15 million in lands during fiscal 1 990. Across-the-board upgrading of State parks and historic sites continued during the year, with new lodges, visitor centers and other facilities opened. State parks drew over 14 million visitors in fiscal 1989, another record, making an outstanding contribution to Georgia's tourism industry and stimulating citizen interest in these valuable resources. Coastal Resources continued programs to enhance Georgia's vast saltmarshes and recreational and commercial fishing. Special Programs continued successful efforts to restore nongame wildlife and provide wildlife-related
educational opportunities.
On behalf of the Department and the Board of Natural Resources, I am pleased to present this report of substantial achievement made in fiscal 1989 for the improvement and protection of Georgia's natural and environmental resources. I extend my sincere thanks for your continued support of
programs to manage and protect these resources for present and future generations.
J. Leonard Ledbetter Commissioner Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Joe Frank Harris Governor
J. Leonard Ledbetter Commissioner

The Board of
Natural Resources

Contents

2 Introduction
4 Special Programs 8 Environmental Protection
14 Game and Fish

18 Parks, Recreation and
Historic Sites
22 Coastal Resources
25 1989 Budget/ Funding Sources

James H. (Herb) Butler Chairman, Member-at-Large
James Griffin, Jr. Vice Chairman, Member-at-Large
Patricia C. Edwards
Secretary, Third District
Dolan E. Brown, Jr.
First District
J. Leonard Eubanks Second District
Linda S. Billingsley
Fourth District
Marshall L. Mitchell
Fifth District
Felker W. Ward, Jr.
Sixth District
C.W. (Sonny) Jackson
Seventh District
J. Wimbric Walker
Eighth District
Donald J. Carter
Ninth District
C. Tom Griffith
Tenth District
Will D. (Billy) Herrin
Coastal District
John Lanigan Member-at-Large
Glenn E. Taylor Member-at-Large

Introduction

The Vision ofthe Georgia Department ofNatural Resources (DNR) is to guide andpromote the wise use ofthe State's natural, environmental, historic, archaeological and recreational resources for the benefit ofpresent andfuture generations. The Department' s Mission is to continually implement programs established in a Five- Year Strategy for Managing Natural and Environmental Resources, an ongoing "business plan" that sets new priorities yearly, and is developed with participation of Department personnel and other interested individuals, in accordance with direction from U.S. Congress, the Georgia General Assembly, the Governor, the Judicial System, the Board of Natural Resources, and other government agencies.
Organized as an agency of State government in 1972, the Department is governed by a 15-
member Board, appointed by the Governor and approved by the State Senate, to serve staggered, seven-year terms. A Board-appointed Commissioner is the Department' s ChiefExecutive. Major
operating Divisions include Environmental Pro-
tection; Game and Fish; Parks, Recreation and
Historic Sites; and Coastal Resources.

During fiscal 1 989, the Georgia Department
of Natural Resources revised its ongoing Five-Year Strategy for Managing Natural and Environmental Resources to meet the demands that will be placed on these resources in the coming decade. In combination with landmark Governor's Growth Strategies legislation enacted by the 1989
General Assembly, new priorities were set to improve
Georgia's air, land, water, wildlife, recreational and coastal resources as expanding populations, development and land-use changes continue to have wide-
spread impact. At the forefront of all new programs and objectives is the Department's commitment to help communities cope with rapid, growth-related changes
that increasingly stress natural and environmental resources that are finite and irreplaceable.
New State laws require that criteria to protect natu-
ral and environmental resources be included in regional and local planning. The Department prepared to
assist in the implementation of the Growth Strategies Planning Act in fiscal 1989, which authorizes protec-
tion of critical watersheds, freshwater wetlands and
groundwater recharge areas. The 1989 Georgia Water
Supply Act authorized DNR to begin developing a
network of regional water supply reservoirs for north and central Georgia. These reservoirs will serve multiple jurisdictions and ensure drinking water for communities to meet the demands of future growth and
provide protection against drought. An amended Erosion and Sedimentation Act will further protect wa-
ters from a leading pollution problem, sedimentation in lakes, streams and rivers.
Five-Year Strategy Goals. Departmental goals set

under the Five-Year Strategy during fiscal 1989 address Georgia's major resource protection challenges,
and work in concert with new legislation. These goals

include:
Reduction or elimination of any source of

chemicals in the environment to levels below

established standards for air, surface water,
groundwater and community water systems, and solid waste management facilities.
Meeting public needs for wildlife-oriented recreation by acquiring and developing lands
for wildlife management and recreation. Maximizing the operational efficiency of
existing sites and beginning management of new facilities in the Georgia State Parks and

Historic Sites system.

Implementing the Regional Reservoirs Program for the State, as funded.
Implementing an expanded communica-

tions and public awareness program to inform

DNR the public of

programs and initiatives.

Implementing a Coastal Waterbottoms

Leasing Program.

Implementing a Wetlands Management

Program.

With leadership provided by the Governor, the General Assembly, the Growth Strategies Commission and its successor, the Governor's Development Council, Georgia communities will be enabled to develop an adequate infrastructure to meet the demands of growth, in keeping with the goals of natural and environmental
resource conservation.

Priorities set during fiscal year 1989 include reducing chemicals in air, land and water; acquiring lands for wildlife management and recreation; improving State Parks and Historic Sites; and implementing a coastal waterbottoms leasing program.

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AW /aws authorize the establishment ofprograms
to protect critical watersheds, groundwater recharge zones and freshwater wetlands.

DNR Special

Programs

REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY RESERVOIRS PROGRAM

As set forth in the Department's Five-Year Strat-

egy, the development of regional water supply reservoirsf/j throughout north and central Georgia is a major priority, made possible by the 1989 Georgia Water Supply Act. This law, enacted as part of the

Governor's 1989 Growth Strategies legislation pack-

DNR age, authorized

to begin developing a network of

approximately 12 regional reservoirs in north Georgia,

each to serve multiple jurisdictions. During the 1989 legislative session, the General Assembly appropriated

funds to study, select a site and acquire land for the first regional reservoir, to be located in West Georgia.

The importance of developing regional reservoirs

cannot be overemphasized, as they will permit the State to support continued growth by supplementing community water systems that cannot meet increasing

water demands. They will also facilitate the optimal

use of Georgia's water resources by providing strategi-

cally placed, large-capacity water supplies for long-

term needs.

In fiscal 1989, the Department successfully started

up the Regional Reservoirs Program by identifying 12

potential reservoir sites, consolidating efforts to de-

velop the reservoirs under the Commissioner's Office,

and employing a program manager. When the reser-

DNR voirs are built,

will maintain them for the State.

Communities will pay for the water they withdraw, and

these funds will be used for building and maintaining

the reservoir system.

FRESHWATER WETLANDS & HERITAGE INVENTORY
Through the Natural Heritage Inventory Program, begun jointly with The Nature Conservancy in 1986, the Department has mapped, computerized and catalogued information on more than 2, 1 00 occurrences of rare species and natural communities. Over 150 federal, State and private properties that provide some protection to these resources have also been mapped and entered in the program's computer-assisted data
base.

DNR (I) Regional reservoirs are distinct from community reservoirs being developed by local governments.

will build

and operate the larger regional reservoir systems, while communities develop their own local reservoirs, which

jurisdictions may elect to share. The Department assists development of local reservoirs with grants to fund siting

studies, and technical advisement, and will continue providing this guidance.

The Heritage Inventory prepared nominations for State-registered natural areas including Crockford-Pigeon Mountain wildlife management area (left). Afield survey resulted in the discovery of 18 new occurrences of the rare plumleaf azalea (inset).

During fiscal year 1989, the Heritage Inventory continued to expand its data bases through field surveys for rare species and natural communities and
searches of museums and herbaria. Majorprogress was made on the managed areas data base, as 49 new site
records for State Parks, Historic Sites and Wildlife Management Areas were added and 100 records were updated. Information on all mammals, reptiles and amphibians in Georgia was added to a data base of vertebrate natural history. The program's staff also responded to hundreds of requests for information and environmental review from the public, consulting firms, developers, local governments and planners, utility companies and federal agencies. The staff assisted in field evaluations of potential State Wildlife Management Area lands, as well.
The Heritage Inventory administers Georgia's Protected Plants, Natural Areas and Ginseng Management Programs. Accomplishments of these programs included management plans and nomination packages for two proposed State Registered Natural Areas; preserve design packages for 25 rare species/natural community sites; two federally funded status survey projects on rare plants; assistance with plant rescue operations; and projects for three federally protected plants. The booklet, "Georgia's Protected Plants" and

all reporting forms used in Ginseng management were revised; a ginseng annual status survey and harvest reports were completed, as well as field surveys of
ginseng research plots in north Georgia.
The Freshwater Wetlands and Heritage Inventory Program was organized during fiscal year 1989
following the General Assembly's passage of the 1989 Growth Strategies Planning Act, which provided for the establishment of a program to manage Georgia's freshwater wetlands. The new program is intended to
identify and map the State's freshwater wetlands and
assess the effects of widespread land-use changes that
alter or destroy freshwater wetlands and many types of
rare or unique natural communities. Georgia's approximate five million acres of wet-
lands provide flood and storm damage protection and erosion control, help maintain water quality and supply, recharge aquifers and provide significant wildlife habitat. During fiscal year 1989, the Department continued efforts to develop a program for the inventory and conservation of wetlands.
An inventory of freshwater wetlands and an exten-
sive inventory of rare plants, animals and natural communities is being undertaken, to be maintained in a computer-assisted data base for easy retrieval. This information will especially benefit planners in local

Herb Cawthorne

Herb Cawthorne

governments and others involved in projects that could impact wetlands. During fiscal year 1989, staff assisted in assessing probable impacts on wetlands of proposed water supply reservoirs, public fishing areas and other planned developments, and evaluated Stateowned lands for their potential use in mitigating wet-
A land losses. management plan for the State-owned
portion of Phinizy Swamp near Augusta was also
completed. Information gathered by the Freshwater Wetlands
and Heritage Inventory Program will benefit not only
DNR's own resource management efforts, but those of
local governments, private resource managers, developers and others involved in land-use planning. The development of data bases for all freshwater wetlands, rare plants, rare animals and natural communities will aid the Department and the State in protecting these important resources.
THE NONGAME WILDLIFE PROGRAM
The Nongame Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Acquisition Fund was established by the Georgia General Assembly and approved by Governor Harris in 1 986, to raise funds to restore nongame wildlife species and their habitats in Georgia. Nongame species in the
State include approximately 1 ,300 plants and 875 animals that are not legally hunted, trapped or fished,
many of which are threatened or endangered. The restoration and protection of these species is
important because land-use changes continue to destroy habitats, and their welfare is important to the quality of life enjoyed by all Georgians. During fiscal 1989, staff from all Divisions worked with private citizens and corporations, promoting awareness of nongame wildlife, raising nearly $500,000, and working to develop and promote a Statewide income tax checkoff donation program, to become effective for taxable year 1 989. Through the donations of Georgians
using the new income tax checkoff line as they file 1989 tax returns in 1990, the Nongame Wildlife Pro-

Programs to restore nongame wildlife included projects for (clockwise, from left) bluebirds, ospreys, gopher tortoises and peregrine falcons. Top, Georgia Power Co. participates in a peregrine urban hacking project atop the company's downtown Atlanta headquarters.

gram is expected to raise additional funds. During fiscal 1989, the Department completed a
22-minute documentary entitled "Give Wildlife a Chance," which discusses nongame wildlife and the
program's goals and accomplishments to date. A
nongame Task Force and Speaker's Bureau were es-
tablished to inform groups about wildlife restoration
efforts and the income tax checkoff program. A wide
variety of educational materials were produced, including a nongame wildlife poster, pamphlets on individual species and news releases. In a Raptor Restoration Project, nine bald eagles, 13 golden eagles, six peregrine falcons and four osprey have been reared and released in Georgia. Seventeen nongame research and
survey projects were conducted through the Game and
Fish Division, as well as numerous surveys by the Coastal Resources Division. The program funded nongame facilities at State parks and Wildlife Manage-
ment Areas (WMAs) including Panola Mountain,
Seminole, Watson Mill Bridge and Vogel State parks;
and Arrowhead, Lake Burton and Grand Bay WMAs.
The State Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division planted and maintained over 15 acres of butterfly and wildflower meadows and constructed and sold 2,000 bluebird nest boxes, from which an estimated 250,000 bluebirds were hatched in the spring.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE SEMINARS

Employees from throughout the Department began participation in Change Management workshops in fiscal 1989. These progressive seminars promote improved interdepartmental communication and fa-
DNR cilitate employee involvement in establishing
priorities, under the Five -Year Strategy planning proc-

ess.

The Department's Five-Year Strategy was first

presented to Governor Joe Frank Harris in September

1986 by the Board of Natural Resources, and the
document succeeded in getting many DNR objectives

funded by the 1987 session of the General Assembly.

The Five-Year Strategy represents DNR's commit-

ment to meeting the mounting challenges of managing

and promoting the wise use of Georgia's natural, envi-

ronmental, cultural and recreational resources. By pri-

oritizing the Department's programs, the Five-Year

Strategy helps the agency evaluate current actions and

determine which should be continued and which should

DNR not. Through the seminars

has gathered valuable

input from all levels of personnel, to help guide the

direction the Five-Year Strategy will take in years to

come.

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The Chattahoochee River supplies drinking water for more than two million Atlanta area residents.
DNR prioritized programs to protect
the quality of all Georgia's waters during fiscal year 1989.

Environmental
Protection

During DNR fiscal 1989,

established new En-

vironmental Protection goals under the Five-

Year Strategy, focusing on eliminating toxic

chemicals in the environment, control of nonpoint

water pollution, meeting air quality standards in metro

Atlanta and other major challenges. The Environ-

mental Protection Division (EPD) began implement-

ing provisions of the Growth Strategies Planning Act to

safeguard freshwater wetlands, critical watersheds and

groundwater recharge areas. Water protection was

significantly strengthened with the upgrading of State

water quality standards and legislative amendments

that placed stronger controls on activities that contrib-

ute to erosion and sedimentation of lakes, streams and

rivers.

Working within the framework of 20 State and

federal laws to protect, manage and improve Georgia's

air, land and water resources, the Division continued

assisting communities through ongoing programs, tech-

nical advisement, grants, loans and progressive leader-

ship concerning alternatives for waste disposal, waste-

water treatment and other environmental issues. Under

the Department's Five-Year Strategy, Environmental

Protection priorities set during the fiscal year include:

Reduction or elimination of any source of chemicals in the environment to levels below established standards for air, water, ground-

water and community water systems and solid waste management facilities;
Completion of a comprehensive control program for nonpoint water pollution;
Attainment of the federal ozone air quality standard in the Atlanta area;
Completion of Georgia's comprehensive groundwater management program;
Upgrading of high hazard Soil Conservation Service dams, for permitting under the
Safe Dams Act.
Grants and Loans. The Division distributed $7.5 million under the Environmental Facilities Grants Program during the year, helping some 130 communities build or improve environmental facilities. Of these monies, $ 1 million funded emergency water and sewer improvements; $1.7 million funded solid waste management projects; and $4.3 million supported economic development opportunities. Twelve of the 52 communities that received economic development grants were also assisted with loans from the Georgia
Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA). EPD also
administers the State Revolving Loan Fund which provides low-interest loans to fund community wastewater treatment system improvements. During the fiscal year, approximately $3 1 million was made available to Georgia communities through this program.

AIR PROTECTION

Except for the metropolitan Atlanta area, Georgia's

air met all State and federal air quality standards during the year. For several days in the summer of 1988, Atlanta was among approximately 100 metropolitan

areas in the U.S. that failed to meet federal air quality standards for ozone, an air pollutant formed when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from auto emissions, industries and natural sources, combine with

nitrogen oxides from fuel burning in the presence of

intense sunlight.
EPD participated in research to better determine how ozone forms, and what types of additional controls

will be needed to reduce ozone to meet federal stan-

dards, during the year. Conducted in cooperation with

Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these stud-

ies revealed new information on the major role that

VOC natural

emissions (from trees or vegetation) play

in ozone formation. Because emissions from trees had

never been seriously considered, future plans to control

ozone will take this important information into ac-
A count. sophisticated computer model that will esti-
mate the impact of new controls on emissions that form

ozone is also being developed.
Meanwhile, EPD required additional controls on approximately 100 more industries emitting VOCs in
1 1 metro Atlanta counties. By early 1990, all industries

in the metro Atlanta area are scheduled to have installed

controls to reduce emissions at the source, bringing

them into full compliance with rules established by the
Board of Natural Resources. An improved State Ve-

hicle Inspection and Maintenance Program that re-

quires computerized testing of automobile emissions

in four metropolitan counties was continued. This

program is administered by the Department of Public
Safety. A new exhaust test method has resulted in more

reliable testing, and State-licensed operators consis-

tently have detected more emissions that fail to meet

required exhaust levels.
Air Toxics. EPD obtained information on emis-

sions of toxic chemicals from 350 industrial operations which emit 12 potentially toxic compounds during fiscal year 1989. The information was used to deter-

mine air quality levels around industrial plants and

compare those against levels considered acceptable in the general atmosphere. Added emission controls were
required for 13 of these operations. EPD continued to
evaluate the toxicity of air emissions from new or

expanded industry operations, using the air permit

process; and requiring controls mandated under the

Federal Clean Air Act.

Air sampling for acid rain continued through a

statewide testing network. The annual average acidity

of rainfall in Georgia is approximately 4.6. Unpolluted

rainfall ranges from 4.8 to 5.6 pH.

DNR During the year,

participated in studies determining that trees

and other vegetation play an important role in ozone formation.

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Water Supply. EPD encouraged community ef-
forts to develop local water supply reservoirs, providing technical and financial assistance for siting studies. Grants were awarded to five communities to fund such studies. The reservoirs will be community-built and operated by single or multiple jurisdictions, and will provide for growing water needs while enabling communities to protect themselves from the damaging effects of drought. During fiscal 1989, 15 local reser-
voir projects were underway in Georgia. Of these, two
were under construction, five were in the design or land-purchase phases, and eight were undergoing site
selection studies.
Because protection of wetlands has become a major priority, an important consideration when selecting potential local reservoir sites is avoidance of disturbing wetlands. To assist local governments in selecting
local reservoir sites, EPD formed a task force comprised of personnel from DNR, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Through further studies authorized by Congress,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has recommended
reallocation of a portion of the hydropower storage

245 Southeast

Figure 1. DNR issued agricultural water withdrawal
permits for the first time during fiscal year 1989. Most went to farmers in southwest Georgia.

63 North/North Central

80 Central

Designation of shellfish growing waters,

which must meet higher standards;

Inclusion of tougher stream anti-degra-

896 Southwest

dation language to protect high-quality wa-
ters;

Revision of acceptable bacteria levels for

streams designated for fishing and used as

capacity of Lake Lanier to provide drinking water for

the metro Atlanta area through the year 2010. The

Corps' studies document no significant downstream

impact.

The permitting of agricultural water withdraw-

als proceeded rapidly, as EPD issued 1,257 permits to

DNR farmers.

expects to issue an additional 10,000

agricultural permits over the next two years. Most

permits issued went to farmers in southwest Georgia.

(See figure 1.)
EPD continued monitoring public drinking wa-

ter and tested 343 systems for volatile organic com-

pounds (VOCs) during the fiscal year. These water

supply systems serve approximately 4.3 million people,

or 72 percent of Georgia's population. Monitoring

revealed that four systems had concentrations of con-

taminants exceeding State and federal safe drinking

water limits. All four were closed and communities

tapped alternate water sources.
Under the Safe Dams Program, EPD inspected 258 dams for compliance with the Safe Dams Act. Five

required repairs were completed. Three permits were

issued for water supply reservoir dams.

swimming waters; Upgrading of Savannah Harbor's water
quality status to a newly-established coastal fishing classification.
Because of these improvements in the State's water quality standards, a total of 126 pollutants considered toxic under federal statutes, plus three additional pesticides/herbicides, are regulated. All Georgia's waters are classified for uses that meet the "fishable/swimmable" goals of the Federal Clean Water Act.
To implement these new standards, the Division
required that 18 industries upgrade their systems to provide more extensive wastewater treatment. Approximately 40 additional industries will require up-
grades to meet the new standards under amended permits during fiscal 1990. The Federal Clean Water Act requires that these upgrades be completed within
three years.
Nonpoint Sources of Water Pollution. Other significant progress resulted from legislation that will impose more stringent regulations on land-disturbing activities that result in erosion and sedimentation, which carry pollutants into waterways. The General

WATER PROTECTION
During the past 15 years, the protection of water quality has been increasingly mandated by State and federal laws. Progress has been made, particularly in the area of wastewater treatment, to correct the number-one water pollution problem, inadequately treated municipal wastewater. During fiscal year 1 989, the Division continued the clean-up of Georgia's rivers, streams and lakes through implementation of a
comprehensive Clean Water Strategy. The year also saw major improvements in the State's water quality
standards. These included: Addition of higher standards for toxic
pollutants in Georgia streams to protect fish from being contaminated by toxins, and pro-
tect human health by reducing the lifetime
cancer risk from eating fish from any stream;

Assembly's passage of an amended Erosion and Sedimentation Act, also part of the Governor's Growth
Strategies legislation, is expected to result in better control of this persistent water quality problem. (The Act is implemented by EPD's Land Protection Branch, and is discussed in detail under Land Protection.)
The State Revolving Loan Fund continued pro-
viding low-interest loans to help communities fund extensive municipal wastewater treatment plant improvements, to comply with the Federal Clean Water Act and provide capacity to support growth and development. The fund has loaned nearly $57 million to 22 Georgia communities since its inception in 1988, including $31 million during fiscal year 1989. Federal
money will continue to capitalize the fund through 1994, when it will become selfperpetuating, through repayments of current loans. The State has contributed
over $11 million in 20-percent matching funds, to

10

58.1%
National Compliance

Georgia Compliance

Figure 2. Ninety percent of Georgia's municipal water pollution control facilities have attained compliance
with federal law, compared to 58
percent, nationally.

receive the federal monies for wastewater system

upgrades.
As recently as 1985, 1 12 of the State's 539 municipal wastewater treatment facilities did not meet permitted wastewater discharge requirements. By 1989, all
but 1 1 of these facilities had been brought into compliance with discharge permit requirements. All remaining facilities are under construction and under court order to complete improvements to meet permit requirements. Construction on all facilities is slated for completion by December 31, 1990. This record is outstanding compared to the national averages for

municipal treatment facilities. (See figure 2.)
Georgia's Clean Water Strategy emphasized improving water quality in the Chattahoochee River and West Point Reservoir during the year. Major surveys of the river and the reservoir were completed, and an action plan was issued summarizing ongoing and future plans to monitor and protect the segment of the Chattahoochee River from Buford Dam, downstream to and including West Point Reservoir. Objectives included a comprehensive program to protect and

improve water quality in the river and reservoir. Spe-

cific objectives included:
Reduction of phosphorus in the Chattah-

oochee River and West Point Reservoir through

the ban of high-phosphate household laundry

detergents;

Additional phosphorous reductions through improved treatment at municipal wastewater treatment plants located on the river;

A stronger State law will help improve control of erosion
and sedimentation in rivers, lakes and streams.

Continued testing of fish in the river and
reservoir for the presence of toxic chemicals, with public notice of results;
Requirements for the City of Atlanta to take steps to stop combined sewer overflows to meet State water quality standards.
As this ongoing plan is implemented and the public is kept informed of progress to correct the problems associated with this waterway, a significant improvement in water quality is expected.

acres in size be regulated as opposed to only those five acres and over;
More stringent performance criteria for
control measures; Inclusion of undisturbed vegetative buffer
requirements for projects adjacent to State waters;
Requirements for developers to obtain variances for any land-disturbing activities

LAND PROTECTION
Erosion and Sedimentation. Erosion and sedimentation, resulting from many types of land-disturbing activities, have caused increasing water quality problems in Georgia in recent years. Erosion and
sedimentation displace stream flows, bury food supplies for fish and result in other forms of water degra-
dation. Amendments in 1989 to the State Erosion and Sedimentation Act improved the law in many areas,
including:
Reduction in the number of land-use activities exempted from regulation;
Requirements that any project over 1.1

within 100 horizontal feet of designated trout streams in 31 counties;
Establishment of turbidity limits for stormwater runoff.
EPD has certified 1 14 of 159 counties and 214 of
537 active municipal governments as local issuing authorities for land-disturbing activities. Full implementation of the amended Erosion and Sedimentation
Act has been prioritized in DNR's Five-Year Strategy,
and will play an important role in efforts to correct nonpoint sources of water pollution.
Solid Waste Management. Many areas in Georgia
face a solid waste disposal crisis. Households and businesses continue to produce 10,000 tons of solid

//

DNR encourages waste reduction programs like this curbside operation
in Duluth, which picks up aluminum, glass and paper for recycling. Project
PETRO (right) encourages Georgians to recycle used motor oil.
waste per day, while 70 percent of existing municipal sanitary landfill space will be full within the next four years. Increasing difficulty in siting landfills and rising disposal costs mean that State and local governments, regional groups and the public must work cooperatively to solve this difficult challenge.
Since 1974, more than 750 grants totaling $27.3 million have been awarded to Georgia cities and counties to improve solid waste management programs. During fiscal 1 989, major amendments to the Rules for Solid Waste Management were adopted by the Board of Natural Resources. Important changes included:
Requirements for closure and post-clo-
sure care of sanitary landfills;
Groundwater monitoring requirements
at all sanitary landfills;
A ban on liquid waste disposal at sanitary
landfills;
Requirements for proper handling of biomedical wastes.
As emphasized in the Five-Year Strategy, DNR
strongly supports and encourages waste reduction and recycling. In order of priority, the Department promotes:
Reducing the amount of waste generated
at the source; Recycling of all that can be recycled; Proper incineration of wastes, employing
energy recovery methods; Continued sanitary landfilling for wastes
that cannot be reduced or recycled. During the fiscal year, the Department also assisted
the Joint House/Senate Study Committee on Solid Waste Management established by the 1 989 session of the General Assembly. The Committee's task is to prepare a comprehensive report and issue recommen12

dations for legislation and policies to deal with solid waste management in Georgia, for presentation to the 1990 session of the General Assembly.
DNR initiated Project PETRO, encouraging people
to recycle used motor oil. The program is intended to make the public aware of the advantages of collecting used motor oil and returning it to one of the more than 150 collection points in Georgia established to accept
used oil. When negligently discarded, used motor oil
can contaminate the environment.
Hazardous Waste Management. Under the 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, all
industries that treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste were to be operating under state permits by
October 1992. EPD completed the permitting process
for these industries in Georgia, well ahead of the federal deadline. The Division also continued its extensive inspection and compliance program to insure that facilities handling hazardous waste remain in compli-
ance with environmental laws. EPD assessed over
$500,000 in fiscal year 1989 for violations of the State's Rules for Hazardous Waste Management and completed over 30 detailed site evaluations to identify and correct releases of toxic chemicals.
Underground Storage Tanks. Under authority of
the 1 988 Georgia Underground Storage Tank Act DNR
promulgated rules regulating underground petroleum storage tanks, effective July 1, 1988. The program is equivalent to the federal program and establishes corrective action requirements to clean up leaking underground storage tanks. The Georgia program also provides owners/operators of petroleum-containing underground storage tanks with a state-funded financial assurance trust fund to partially cover their liabilities, as required by State and federal laws.
Funded by a voluntary one-tenth cent per gallon fee on petroleum products distributed to underground storage tanks, the State trust fund is growing at a rate of about $320,000 monthly. As of fiscal 1989, the fund's principal was $3.9 million. The State's existing underground storage tank facilities are estimated at 50,000 tanks. During the year, 3 1 5 tank leaks were reported, 87 of which involved groundwater contamination. Site investigation and correction procedures have been

Figure 3. DNR's north Georgia groundwater program helps communities locate
supplemental water supply wells. Since the program's 1986 inception, the Geologic Survey has sited 55 wells in 48 communities.

initiated at 125 of release sites. Releases of petroleum

products from underground tanks were reported at the

rate of about 25 per month.

Surface Mining. Surface mining and rock quarry

operations have become lucrative business in Georgia.

The State ranked fourth nationally in 1988 in crushed

stone aggregate production and remains the leading

producer of kaolin, with 1 42 permitted operations as of

fiscal 1989. Minerals production has continued to

climb, and Georgia ranked 8th nationally in production

of non-fuel mineral products, which bring over $1.3

DNR billion yearly to the State.

continued regulation of

surface mining operations under the Georgia Surface

Mining Act, which provides for environmental protec-

tion during surface mining site development and opera-

tion and for the timely reclamation of all disturbed

lands.

Major rock quarry companies have begun siting new quarries in anticipation of major new highway

construction in Georgia, resulting in significantly more

permit applications. Most sites have been controver-

sial, making it necessary to obtain public input during

the permitting process. Mining land-use plans are also

required of applicants before approval by the Depart-

ment.

Minerals mined in the State include granite, kaolin,

feldspar, barite, bauxite, brick clays, silica, gold, mica,

sand and gravel, limestone, dolostone, beryl, shale,

fullers earth and ochre. The Department currently

permits 83 active rock quarry operations.

Geologic Survey. The Geologic Survey published

Program Coordination. Title III of the 1 986 Federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) requires that states gather information from
industries identifying hazardous chemicals they use, which, if released into the environment, could pose
significant danger to public health. The Act, known as the Community Right-to-Know Law, also requires local governments to prepare emergency response plans
for handling hazardous chemical spills and accidents. All industries report information regarding toxic chemicals to EPD. More than 3,000 industries issued such
reports to EPD on toxic substances used in 1987, the
first year information was required by the federal
government. EPD published this information, making
it available to the public, in the State's first Toxic Release Inventory Report.
EPD's Emergency Response Team handles envi-
ronmental emergencies and assists local communities with chemical accidents. More than 2,000 spill notifications were received, almost double those received in the previous fiscal year. The team responded to the field in 300 instances, a 100 percent increase over the previous year.

22 reports on technical investigations of Georgia's geologic, mineral and water resources during fiscal

SUMMARY

1 989. The State's comprehensive computer Geographic

Environmental Protection programs and objectives

Information System was expanded to include 500 million soil information entries, bringing the system's total to 2.5 billion information entries. The Survey

set forth in fiscal 1989, as part of the Department's Five-Year Strategy, work in concert with significant
legislation that includes many new provisions for re-

continued assisting communities in siting water wells, primarily in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge regions. Since 1987, the Survey has performed 55 site selection studies for public water supply wells. (See Figure 3.) To help enhance mining, the Geologic Survey investi-
gated minerals that may have significant economic

source protection, and represent major progress for the effective conservation and management of Georgia's air, land and water resources. As communities cope with the increasing demands being placed on these resources, programs put into place during the year will enable them to sustain growth, in keeping with the

value, including titanium, gold, phosphate, copper and

goals of resource protection and the integrity of the

iron ore.

environment.

13

DNR enhanced habitat for waterfowl and greatly improved hunting and fishing opportunities for Georgia sportsmen during the fiscal year. (Left, Rum Creek's MARSH project.)
Game and Fish

In fiscal 1989 DNR's Game and Fish Division continued managing, protecting and promoting the wise use of all Georgia's fish and wildlife resources, as remarkable progress was made in improving wildlife and related recreation. The State's wealth offish, wildlife and native plant resources are intrinsically valuable and important to the quality of life citizens enjoy. During the past two years these resources have benefited from improved resource pro-
tection programs under the Department's Five-Year Strategy, and the appropriation of funds for acquiring wildlife lands. Under the Five-Year Strategy, goals set
in fiscal year 1989 by the Game and Fish Division
include:
Continued acquisition and development of lands for wildlife management and related
recreation;

LANDS ACQUISITION
One of DNR's highest priorities is the acquisition of additional state-owned wildlife management lands, to
offset the loss of public hunting and fishing areas due to private lease agreements not being renewed and the destructive effects of land-use changes on wildlife and natural habitats. Providing wildlife management lands is important to the State's economy, as hunters and fishermen spend nearly $1 billion yearly in Georgia. Activities such as camping on natural areas, birding, wildlife observation, and outdoor photography are also popular, and hundreds of merchants depend on sales of
equipment to those who hunt and fish, or enjoy wildlife
recreation.
Made possible by the Governor's and the General
Assembly's approval of two consecutive sales of $30 million in general obligation bonds, Georgia's wildlife

Protection of wildlife and fishery re-

lands acquisition program is now one of the most active

sources by improving the effectiveness and

in the Southeast. The Lands Acquisition Program made

professional status of conservation law enforcement;
Improvement of fishery resources with expanded fishery protection and development;
The use of information to more effectively manage wildlife and protected plants;
Management of the Sapelo Island Na-
tional Estuarine Sanctuary (SINES) to encourage further scientific research and to offer

major progress in fiscal 1989. With $15 million from

the first bond sale, the Department acquired 10 parcels

of land totaling 27,194 acres at a purchase price of

$1 1.5 million. An additional 30,700 acres were under

DNR active negotiation as fiscal 1989 ended.

plans to

purchase 50,000 to 60,000 acres over the next five

years, which will be used as wildlife management areas
( WMAs), public fishing areas (PFAs) and small game/

field trial areas. (See Table I.)

The $30 million allows the Department to purchase

additional educational programs to interested

large tracts of land while prices and interest rates are

groups. 14

low, and pay for it over a 20-year period. Bonds will be

With hunter participation, Game Management is successfully
managing the State's deer population. Georgia' s first Canada goose hunting season was approved in fiscal year 1989, the result of a 10-year restoration program.

Table I. Land acquisitions
through fiscal year 1989.

Tract Name/County

Acreage

Type

Dodge County Horse Creek/Telfair Griffin Tract/Burke Stewart County Milliard Creek/Appling
& Jeff Davis
Stewart County Big Lazer/Talbot Big Lazer/Talbot Patrick's Fishing Lake
Berrien Blanton Estate
Lowndes

441 845 7,360 4,690
8,442 258 633
1,600
1,060 1,865

PFA
WMA
WMA/PFA
WMA
WMA WMA WMA WMA
PFA
Waterfowl

TOTAL ACREAGE

27,194

repaid with revenues from a 1987 license fee increase.
WMA Revenues left after debt payments will help fund

operating expenses along with revenue from timber

WMAs harvested on

and public fishing areas. Manage-

ment activities will expand as the timber matures and

generates increasing revenues.

GAME MANAGEMENT

During 1989, Game Management served the nearly two-thirds of all Georgians who enjoy wildlife-related

recreation, including those who enjoy birding, photog-

DNR raphy, nature walks and hunting.

operates 68

WMAs on 1.1 million acres of land, utilized by large

and small-game hunters, fishermen and many others.

Hunters have steadily increased in Georgia, and now

number half a million. In fiscal 1 989 more than 51,400

deer hunters used State WMAs, representing an in-

crease of 13 percent over fiscal 1988.

Deer Hunting. Georgia's deer population reached

a high of approximately 1 .25 million in 1 988-89. During

DNR fiscal 1989,

again took steps to promote in-

creased doe harvests, the best known method of con-

trolling the size of the herd. Increased either-sex hunt-

ing days implemented for the 1988-89 season resulted

in a doe harvest of 1 30,000, or 40 percent of a total of 326,000 deer harvested. The most does taken were in

the upper coastal plain and piedmont areas of the State, where deer-related damage reports have been highest.
A total reduction in the herd of 100,000 deer occurred

as a result of additional either-sex days implemented in

fiscal 1989. This decline will continue during the 1989-

90 hunting season. Because of the value of deer hunting

in Georgia, estimated at $346 million yearly, the De-

partment's goal is to maintain a viable herd for recrea-

tional purposes while controlling deer populations
through effective game management. Hunter partici-

pation remains central to the success of controlling deer

populations.
Turkey and Goose Restoration. Game Manage-

ment released 345 wild turkeys on 32 sites in 27

counties in fiscal year 1989, as part of a successful 20-

year stocking program. The program is coming to a close, since more than 250,000 turkeys now reside in

Georgia. Spring gobbler seasons were scheduled in

132 counties for 1990.
DNR's 10-year Canada goose restoration program

has, since 1978, stocked 13,000 Canada geese. Currently, a minimum of 20,000 birds occur in Georgia.

The first eight-day goose hunting season was approved

during the fiscal year, for six locations in January 1 990. The limited season and bag limits will allow a modest

harvest of geese.
Alligators. During fiscal 1989, Game Management

authorized Georgia's first alligator harvest in over 20

years. Alligator agent-trappers took 190 nuisance alli-

gators.
Nongame Activities. Game Management's role in

the Department-wide Nongame Wildlife Program

expanded in fiscal 1989 through funds from the Georgia

Nongame Wildlife Fund. The Section developed wild-

WMAs; life trails on eight

created educational materi-

als about various nongame species; raised and released

Herb Cawthorne 15

4,UUU,UUU
-- 3,500,000

3,000,000

'J
3f MM

-- 2,500,000
2,000,000
-- 1,500,000

1,000,000
--
500,000

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

Year Stocked

1988

1989

Figure 4. Total striped bass and white bass hybrids stocked annually since 1983.

bald and golden eagles, peregrine falcons and osprey; and performed surveys and research on gopher tortoises, alligator snapping turtles, hummingbirds and other wildlife species.
The Department has enhanced wetlands by building waterfowl impoundments funded through Ducks Unlimited's Matching Aid to Restore States' Habitat
(MARSH) Program. During fiscal year 1989, projects
were completed on four WMAs and begun on Dixon
Memorial and B.F. Grant WMAs. Game Management
also cleared goose grazing areas on Clarks Hill and
West Point WMAs, began distributing wood duck nest
boxes to landowners with habitat suitable for rearing
wood duck broods and began MARSH projects on two
other WMAs. Game Management continued surveying all major
wildlife species to detect and solve specific wildlife management problems and to form a scientific basis for hunting season recommendations. Landowners were helped to manage their property to enhance wildlife populations and resolve wildlife nuisance problems.
Game Management foresters managed forested lands on WMAs, public fishing areas and parks during
fiscal 1989. Timber harvest activities improved wildlife habitat and the forests, with revenues going toward area management costs.
FRESHWATER FISHERIES
Fishing is the most popular wildlife related activity in Georgia, enjoyed by every age group. The State's diverse freshwater fishery resources offer over 4,000 miles of trout streams, 12,000 miles of warmwater streams and half a million acres of impoundments, used by more than 1.5 million fishermen. Anglers spend approximately $1 billion yearly on fishing in Georgia,

a major contribution to the State's economy. The

ongoing programs of DNR's Fisheries Section to aug-

ment freshwater fishing during fiscal year 1989 in-

cluded developing and managing public fishing areas

and private and public waters; constructing boat ramps;

producing and stocking trout and warmwater fish; and

conducting research and surveys to benefit these re-

sources.

The Department's Five-Year Strategy calls for the

construction or renovation of at least one public fishing

lake each year for the next five years, to meet increasing

demands for recreational fishing. In June 1989, the

195-acre Big Lazer Creek public fishing lake was

opened for public use, the first new lake completed

under the plan to expand public fishing areas and put

fishing within easy access of every Georgian. Over 800

fishermen landed 1 1,700 bluegill, channel catfish and

redear sunfish during Big Lazer Creek's first three days

of operation. Total weight of fish caught exceeded

5,000 lbs. This new public fishing area will provide

excellent freshwater fishing all year.

During fiscal 1989, the Fisheries Section assisted

the owners of private ponds by conducting more than

1,724 pond investigations and providing 5.7 million

fish for stocking over 2,500 ponds from the State's

seven warmwater hatcheries. Fisheries continued

sampling Georgia's major reservoirs and added several

major streams in southeast Georgia to the sampling

program, including the Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Ohoopee,

Satilla and Saint Marys. Scientific sampling enables

the Fisheries Section to detect potential problems and

recognize effective management practices. Improving

DNR fishing access,

built one new boat ramp and

purchased two additional ramp sites.

About 100,000 fishermen in Georgia take more

16

DNR continued to improve the effectiveness
and professional status of Conservation
Law Enforcement rangers during the year.
Here, rangers perform a boat check.

than 3.8 million trout fishing trips each year. The limited trout habitat and native trout population cannot support this demand without the trout stocked by State
hatcheries. Accordingly, the Fisheries Section raised more than 800,000 trout to catchable size and stocked them into suitable waters, in addition to the 269,000 catchable trout raised and stocked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fisheries produced about 1 .2 million striped bass and 2.2 million hybrids at the State's warmwater hatcheries and stocked them into Georgia waters, primarily reservoirs in which these fish do not
reproduce naturally. The demand for these species, and consequently their production by Georgia hatcheries,
has steadily increased since 1983. (See figure 4.) While the stocked striped-bass fisheries are pros-
perous, native striped-bass populations are declining in several areas, from causes not yet fully understood.
Under the Five-Year Strategy, the Department is committed to protect native striped-bass habitat and in-
crease research into the fish's decline. Preliminary research on the Savannah striper populations have
prompted DNR to close the Savannah River down-
stream of Clarks Hill Reservoir to striped bass fishing.
DNR's Fisheries Research and Survey Program
continued to assess the condition of certain fisheries,
identify management needs and evaluate program ef-
fectiveness during the fiscal year. Projects included surveys offish populations, stocking evaluations, hatchery production studies and others.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Game and Fish Division re-emphasized its
commitment to improve the effectiveness and professional status of Conservation Law Enforcement rangers. Conservation rangers, who enforce laws concerning native game and nongame animals and fish, nonnative animals, protected plants, boating safety, and mandatory hunter safety, also support other law enforcement agencies on request. Hundreds of volunteers, such as hunter safety instructors and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadron in support of Georgia's Boating Safety Program, assist Law Enforcement activities.
Mandatory in-service training was conducted dur-
A ing 1 989 for all Law Enforcement personnel. profile
of the typical violator, furnished by Albany State College, is expected to increase the number of violators apprehended, and will be used in future operational planning. Albany State College also began a new research project to evaluate the effectiveness of Georgia's Boating Safety Program.
DNR's Emergency Operations Center, staffed by Law Enforcement, assisted in providing 24-hour

communications during the year involving environmental emergencies or violations of game and fish laws. The Center ensures a prompt, professional response to violation reports and emergency calls made
to DNR's toll-free emergency number.
Strict enforcement of Georgia's boating-under-theinfluence (BUI) law continued proving effective in removing intoxicated boat operators from the water
before accidents occur. An increase in the number of BUI arrests has contributed to a reduction in the num-
ber of serious boating accidents. Three additional boating safety officers, funded through federal appropriations, were assigned to high activity lakes. Several special task force details were instrumental in dealing with boating safety problems on targeted waterways.
Law Enforcement's ability to perform off-road
operations was greatly enhanced by the donation of 255 all-terrain vehicles in fiscal year 1989, by American Honda Corp. The section has assigned a vehicle to each officer and provided the necessary safety equipment and training.
SUMMARY
The Game and Fish Division made substantial
progress during fiscal 1989 concerning two major
DNR goals, important to wildlife and all who enjoy it
-- the acquisition of lands for wildlife management
and the upgrading of conservation law enforcement to
meet new challenges. Current trends in land-use and public recreation have made it important to invest in
public lands for hunting and fishing and to upgrade conservation rangers' skills. Programs conducted during fiscal 1989 will help ensure that high quality wildlife habitat and recreation will be available as Georgia's growth continues.

17

Revenues

Attendance

9,082,131

10,199,363

& Georgia State Parks Historic Sites
Attendance and Revenues

12,828.913

13,310,355

10,888,164

11,615,937

$7,852,267

13,717,134

14.351.164 $10,900.00(1

I $5,463,350

19X2

1983

Figure 3. State Park and Historic Site
attendance has risen steadily since 1982.

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

Parks, Recreation

and Historic Sites

The Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division made important strides toward meeting Georgia's increasing outdoor recrea-
tion, preservation and education needs in fiscal 1989. Widespread improvements to State parks and historic sites continued to enhance the experience of visitors. Parks and historic sites play an increasingly important
role in the State's tourism industry and new facilities

reation services at a high standard of quality;
Meeting the demand for on-site guest
services, as well as general public services for
historic preservation and outdoor recreation; Maintaining effective communication and
coordination with appropriate local, regional, State and federal organizations and the gen-

spark economic interest in all regions of the State. Visi-

eral public.

tation in fiscal 1989 was the highest yet recorded,

Grants. The Division administered grants totaling

topping 14.3 million. Revenues generated by these facilities have nearly doubled in the past seven years,

$4 1 0,000 to 1 8 local governments in Federal Land and
Water Conservation Funds (LWCF) during fiscal 1 989

reaching $10.9 million in fiscal 1989. (See Figure 5.)

and awarded a total of $500,000 from the Recreation

Interest in historic preservation has also steadily risen.

Assistance Fund to 74 community projects for devel-

Georgia's 44 parks and 14 historic sites, on more

opment of local recreational facilities. Federal Historic

than 61 ,000 acres of land, offer the public some of the

Preservation Fund grants totaling $139,000 were

finest recreational, cultural and historic resources

DNR available. While

is pledged to protect and man-

age these resources for present and future generations,

administered for 1 8 Georgia communities for activities

that encourage the preservation of historic buildings,

DNR districts and archaeological sites.

also provided

the demand for outdoor recreation by Georgia residents

$275,000 in State funds for regional preservation serv-

and visitors is placing a heavy burden on these assets.

ices in 13 of Georgia's 18 Regional Development

Under the Department's Five-Year Strategy, the Parks,

Centers.

Recreation and Historic Sites Division is slated to add additional lands to the system and continue to expand and upgrade existing parks and historic sites. Priorities set under the Five-Year Strategy during fiscal 1989
include:
Maximizing operational efficiency of existing parks and sites and beginning management of new facilities;

OPERATIONS
The Operations Section operates and maintains all 58 parks and historic sites, which include 3 1 9 cottages, 2,605 campsites, 1 .800 historic markers. 22 museums, three regulation golf courses, three lodges, and Roosevelt's Little White House. It assists the five region offices in budgeting, personnel management, training,

Maintaining parks, historic sites and rec-

visitor services, concessions management and inter-

18

Special events such as Old Timer's Days and Indian cultural festivals draw increasing numbers of visitors
each year. Another attraction of State parks is their outstanding
natural beauty, exemplified by Unicoi (top).

pretive programs, as well as provides exhibit design and fabrication, historic marker maintenance and artifact preservation and repair.
Two new lodges were opened during fiscal 1989,
L.L. "Pete" Phillips Lodge at Little Ocmulgee near McRae and Lake Walter F. George Lodge at George T. Bagby near Ft. Gaines. Lodges at Red Top Mountain in Cartersville and Amicalola Falls near Dawsonville are scheduled to open in fiscal 1990. These new facilities will create a system of five State park lodges,
providing an alternative to campsites or cottages for overnight accommodations at State parks.
Outdoor and interpretive programs were popular and included over 8,000 special events, recreation programs, interpretive activities, and exhibits during the year. Music festivals, mountain rendezvous, living history demonstrations, wildflower programs, canoeing and backpacking trips and Indian heritage activities brought record numbers of visitors to parks and historic sites. Over 400,000 participants enjoyed opportunities to learn about Georgia heritage, the outdoors, or gain new leisure skills.
MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION
The Maintenance and Construction Section carries out all major maintenance and construction activities at State parks and historic sites. Many tasks are performed by skilled craftsmen employed by DNR, while
larger projects often require the services of architects,

engineers and contractors. Maintenance and Construction has the important responsibility of ensuring that all facilities are maintained in accordance with standards that give all visitors a quality experience. Growing visitation and usage by the public have created a challenge to meet these high standards.
Implementation of a five-year capital outlay sched-

ule for major maintenance and new construction proj-

ects received emphasis during the fiscal year. Priority

was given to recurring maintenance needs such as

roofing, floor covering, painting, paving and lodge

furnishings, furniture, and equipment. The new sched-

DNR ule will assist

in achieving the five-year goal of

attaining a high quality standard at all State facilities.

Several major construction projects were com-

pleted, including lodges at Little Ocmulgee State Park

and George T. Bagby. The relocation of the George T.

Bagby facility was carried out, including the construction of a 24-slip marina, two new residences, a park

office and swimming beach bathhouse, as well as the

relocation of five cottages, a maintenance facility and

a staff residence. (See Table II.)
Many other projects were finished on schedule,

including a new visitor center at Jarrell Plantation

Historic Site; a family and group shelter at Fort McAl-

lister Historic Park; and major renovations to the Smith

Creek cottages at Unicoi. Construction continued on a

57-room lodge at Amicalola Falls, and construction

began on a 33-room lodge at Red Top Mountain.

Providing high-quality golf courses also was em-

19

PARK IMPROVEMENTS

Amicalola Falls Florence Marina

58-room lodge and meeting center with restaurant. Completion winter 1990. Cost: $7.6 million. Walk in lodge for hikers. Design begun September 1989. Cost: $895,000.
Visitors center, rest station, fishing pier. Completion September 1989. Cost: $570,901.*
Two new cottages. Construction begun fall 1989. Cost: $150,000.

Fort McAllister

Family and group shelter. Completion, July 1989. Cost: $240,000.

George T. Bagby 30-room lodge and meeting center with restaurant, 24-slip marina. Completion July 1989. Cost: $3.2 million.

Georgia Veterans

18-hole championship golf course, club house, maintenance barn, cart storage barn. Opening summer 1990. Cost:
$2.9 million.

GordoiuaAlatamaha

Nine-hole golf course. Opening fall 1990. Cost: $650,000.

Hard Labor Creek Renovations to nine holes including new greens, tees and fairway bunkers. Completion September 1989. Cost: $273,000.

Indian Springs

Day use area improvements including sidewalks, paving, parking and rest station. Begun fall 1989. Cost: $500,000.

Jarrell Plantation Visitors center. Completion, February 1989. Cost: $200,000.

Little Ocmulgee

Design of 18 additional holes, new club house, related facilities. Completion, March 1989. Cost: $150,000.

Mountain Resort Design for a $30 million mountain resort in Towns County. Design complete winter 1989.

Picketts Mill

Visitors center and related development. Opening spring 1990. Cost: $540,000.

Red Top Mountain 33- room lodge and meeting center with restaurant. Completion October 1989. Cost: $3 million.

Unicoi Victoria Bryant

Major renovations to restaurant. Begun, September 1989. Cost: $400,000. Renovations to 10 cabins at Smith Creek. Completion March 1989. Cost: $270,000.
New golf course irrigation system. Completion, fall 1989. Cost: $199,000.

*( Financed primarily through a private family foundation.)

Table II. Projects underway to improve
Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites during fiscal year 1989.
20

phasized during fiscal 1989. Projects included design of an 18-hole course and related facilities at Little
Ocmulgee; renovations at Hard Labor Creek for new greens, tees and fairway bunkers on nine holes; a championship 18-hole golf course at Georgia Veter-
ans; a nine-hole golf course at Gordonia-Alatamaha;
and a new irrigation system at Victoria Bryant State
Park. Other projects under construction during the fiscal
year were major kitchen renovations at Unicoi Lodge, a new visitor's center at Picketts Mill Historic Site; improvements at Florence Marina including a new visitor center, rest station and fishing pier; and major campground renovation projects at High Falls, Red Top Mountain, Hart, and Elijah Clark State Parks. Design work commenced on several projects including a proposed Mountain Resort in Towns County which includes plans for a 175-room lodge, 18-hole championship golf course, and clubhouse. Design work was also completed for day-use improvements at Indian Springs; a new assembly shelter at Hard Labor Creek; and two new cottages at Florence Marina. Planning was begun on a very unique project, a walk-in lodge at
Amicalola Falls. When completed, the facility provid-
ing food and lodging for hikers only will be accessible via a five-mile hike.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The Historic Preservation Section administers State and federal grants and provides a variety of information and technical services to federal, state, and local governments, local preservation and historical organizations, educational institutions and citizens, to assist them in protecting, preserving, and utilizing Georgia's historic and archaeological resources. During fiscal 1989, 23 Georgia nominations were accepted for list-
ing in the National Register of Historic Places, including 10 historic districts, 12 individual properties, and
one archaeological site. The State's Certified Local Governments increased also, jumping from 17 to 20 with the addition of Madison, Cedartown and Grantville.
Historic Preservation was involved during the year
in meeting the Department's goal of preserving and enhancing historic resources in Georgia, and assisted the Division with projects at Wormsloe Plantation, the
Dahlonega Gold Museum and Indian Springs State Park. The Office of the State Archaeologist assisted many parks and historic sites, and assisted DNR's Game and Fish Division with plans for boat ramps, public fishing ponds and wildlife management areas.
A long awaited five-year strategic plan that pres-
ents statewide preservation goals and policies, "A

Vision for the Future: the Georgia Historic Preserva-

tion Plan," was completed during fiscal 1989, and

contains a wealth of information on Georgia's historic

properties, preservation programs and organizations,

and other factors that influence preservation efforts.

Georgia is one of the first states to develop such a plan
and the Department has received many favorable

comments since its publication. The document culmi-

nates three years' work by the Historic Preservation

staff, incorporating input from the public, State and

federal agencies, and other preservation organizations.

DNR Completion of the

film "Patterns of Change:

Historic Preservation in Georgia" was another impor-

tant accomplishment in fiscal 1989. Produced by the

film unit of the Department's Communications Office

in coordination with Section staff, the film depicts

preservation activities in 15 Georgia communities.

Through the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation,
A the film is being shown to every county. teacher's

guide was developed and distributed to accompany the

film for classroom use. The film has helped heighten

public awareness of historic preservation, and has

garnered awards for excellence. It has been shown on

the Atlanta and statewide public television networks,

as well as the national Cable Network's Learning

Channel.

The first round of statewide surveys of historic

structures was completed during the year, as part of

DNR's revitalized Historic Structures Survey Pro-
gram. A total of 33 surveys were either completed or

begun during fiscal 1 989, a marked increase over those

carried out in the previous 10 years. Benefits of the

survey program have included an improved data base

for preservation program activities and a significant

contribution to public awareness of historic resources.
A -- special project, "Georgia's Living Places His-

toric Houses in Their Landscaped Settings" also was

begun during the fiscal year, and is expected to be of

long-term importance to the preservation of historic

homes and neighborhoods in Georgia. The two-year

project will work to involve the public on a broader

scale with historic preservation through statewide sur-

veys, research, reports, and technical packages and

workshops.

TECHNICAL SERVICES

Technical Services provided administrative, infor-

mational and planning support through the Division's

Budgeting, Funding, Marketing, Personnel, LongRange Planning, and Site Planning units during the

fiscal year.
The Funding Unit administers Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF) and the Recreation Assistance Fund (RAF) for development of local

recreation facilities, and aided a total of 18 local gov-

LWCF ernment

projects and 74 local projects with

RAF funds. (See Grants.)

The Marketing Unit continued implementing a

comprehensive marketing and promotion plan for State

parks, historic sites and lodges during fiscal 1989. The

Unit succeeded in increasing public awareness with the
"Georgia Parks On My Mind" theme and promoted the

use of toll-free park information phone lines. The Unit

Downtown Demorest, Ga., exemplifies community revitalization through historic preservation. The district is now on the National Register
of Historic Places.
conducted group meetings marketing for lodges, and trained staff to develop an increased internal marketing orientation. Special promotion projects included the "July Is" poster, which was distributed in conjunction with the Georgia Recreation and Parks Society; a
special insert in Georgia On My Mind magazine, the
official travel guide for Georgia; participation in the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism's "Stay and See Georgia" show; and working with businesses such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Original Appalachian Artworks (makers of Cabbage Patch dolls) to promote Georgia parks and historic sites.
The Division funded the Recreation Technical Assistance Program in cooperation with the University of Georgia, and provided staff support to the Governor's State Needs Assessment Committee during the year. The Committee issued recommendations on creating a stable funding source for acquisition, development, and rehabilitation of state and local parks, historic resources, and natural areas.
SUMMARY
As State parks and historic sites steadily progress
toward achieving the highest quality standards pos-
sible through major renovations and new park amenities, and preservation programs continue to flourish,
residents and visitors to Georgia will enjoy outstanding outdoor and cultural recreation opportunities. The Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division remains dedicated to promoting Georgia's exceptional natural beauty, preserving its unique cultural heritage, and presenting programs to improve the public's awareness of these resources, for citizens of today and of the
future.

21

5

Fish aggregating devices (top) have improved inshore fishing opportunities on the coast.
Offshore fishing has been improved by DNR's outer continental shelf program.

Coastal Resources

Georgia's 100-mile scenic coastline, with 80
miles of beaches, attracts millions of visitors
yearly. Whether they come to experience the region's unique history or a sunny vacation, coastal
tourists contribute over $1 billion to the State's econ-
omy every year, and coastal tourism provides over
25,000 jobs. Commercial fisheries are lucrative in Georgia, providing livelihoods for approximately 3,850 people, and bringing fishermen about $22 million annually in commercial catches.
During fiscal 1989, the Brunswick-headquartered
Coastal Resources Division set new goals and continued numerous programs under the Five-Year Strategy,
designed to enhance and protect Georgia's marshes, beaches and sandsharing systems, and improve opportunities for commercial and recreational fishermen in Georgia's coastal waters. Specific goals set under the Five-Year Strategy include:

Implementation of Georgia's Coastal Wa-

terbottoms Leasing Program;

Maintaining the biological productivity

of marine fishery resources to meet the needs

of Georgia's growing coastal population;

Improving research, management and

protection efforts for threatened and endan-

gered marine species;

Providing technical advice to coastal com-

munities suffering from beach erosion.

The Coastal Resources Division also began work

on a new coastal regional headquarters complex in

Brunswick during fiscal 1989. Construction of this

$2.5 million facility began in January and the com-

pleted building will house all Coastal Resources Divi-

DNR sion staff, as well as other

regional personnel.

The building is planned for completion in spring 1990.

MARSH AND BEACH SECTION
The coastal region is characterized by a delicate ecosystem particularly susceptible to the influence of human activities. Because it is fragile, Georgia's relatively undeveloped shores and saltmarshes must be safeguarded. To preserve the coast and its many valuable resources, the Department operates a strong marsh and beach protection program that includes reviews of proposed developments and measures to enhance sandsharing systems and beaches.
Beach Renourishment. When the State and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers initiated the Tybee
Island Beach Renourishment Project in 1987, over 1.3 million cubic yards of sand had been placed on the beach at a cost of over $2.2 million. After completing
the project under budget during fiscal 1989, DNR,
contracting with the City of Tybee Island, used remaining funds to implement a dune stabilization project to hold the sand on the beach thereby extending the period between renourishments. Designed by the City of
Tybee, the Soil Conservation Service and DNR, the
project included the placement of more than 3,400 yards of snow fencing, construction of a bollard fence and eight crossover structures, as well as the planting of 60,000 dune stabilizing plants.
Continued erosion of developed beaches in Glynn County has generated concern from the local govern-
-- ment, shoreline property owners, and the coastal tour-
ism industry. Georgia's "Golden Isles" beaches
-- Jekyll, St. Simons and Sea Island make up about 1
miles of the Georgia coastline, but in the past 25 years,
erosion has begun to threaten many of the condominiums and hotels originally built more than 400 feet from
the ocean. Public beach access also has been threatened
in many areas as erosion has completely removed the
high-tide beach.

22

| 1

lH 375,000

1979

1305,000

_ 1980 1
IMBB 1981

| 222,000 J 239,000

i84,ooo

1982 1

1-- ) 477,000

1983

_J 492.000

1984

1 517.000

1985

1 580.00

1986

~J 554,000

1987

1988

1,1.1

1

1

.

100

200

300

400

500

600

All Anglers

3 Coastal Residents

Figure 6. The estimated number of fishing trips by marine recreational anglers in Georgia has steadily risen since 1979. (Source: National Marine Fisheries Service Marine Recreational Fisheries Survey.)

| 644,000 ~~1 648,000

1

i

700

During fiscal 1989, Olsen Associates, Inc., acoastal
engineering firm working with funds provided by DNR,
Governor Joe Frank Harris and the Glynn County

Commission, completed a study of erosion in the Golden Isles entitled, "Feasibility Study of Glynn

County, Georgia Beach Restoration." Results included

recommendations for a beach renourishment strategy

for the three islands.
The Shore Assistance Committee granted Freddie

Fields Productions/Glory Productions, Inc. a permit to
construct a replica of Ft. Wagner on the south end of

Jekyll Island. The site was used during production of

a film detailing the exploits of the Union Army's 54th

Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War. Dunes

on the site were restored and replanted, and the site will

A be monitored through fiscal 1990.

900-ft. dune

crossover built to transport actors and film crews to the

site remains an important and needed public beach

access on Jekyll Island.
The Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee

and the Shore Assistance Committee continued to

review coastal developments, and exercise authority to

grant, suspend, revoke or deny permits for develop-

ments that would alter marshes or beaches. DNR's

Marsh and Beach Section serves as the staff for both

committees.

COASTAL FISHERIES
During the fiscal year, the Coastal Fisheries Section
made major strides toward meeting the goals framed
under the Five-Year Strategy to enhance recreational fishing on the coast and improve management of Georgia's commercial fisheries. The four programs carried out by Coastal Fisheries include Recreational Fisheries, Outer Continental Shelf, Shellfish and Commercial Fisheries.

Coastal Fishing Improvements. In December, the

Outer Continental Shelf Program supervised the sink-

ing of the 55-ft. ex-Navy tug, Delta Diamond at Arti-

ficial Reef "L", 23 nautical miles east of Ossabaw

Island. In June, the former U.S. Coast Guard Cutter

Sagebrush was sunk on Artificial Reef "J", 17 nautical

miles east of St. Catherine's Island. Sunken vessels, such as the Delta Diamond and the Sagebrush, attract

invertebrate species and create fish habitat on Geor-
gia's otherwise barren ocean floor. Many fish congre-

gate around these artificial reefs seeking food and

DNR shelter. Marked by

buoys, the artificial reefs

provide excellent opportunities for Georgia's offshore

anglers and divers.

The Recreational Fisheries Program completed two inshore artificial reefs at Joe's Cut in Wassaw Sound
and Half Moon River in Chatham County. These reefs, made of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), improve

fishing opportunities in inshore waters. Fishing suc-
CRD cess at the reefs is being monitored to help

biologists determine if such reefs can improve sportfish-

ing in other locations.

Recreational Fisheries staff also conducted research

studies during the fiscal year on red drum and spotted

seatrout. Results of the movement-migration and life

history studies will add insight into the effectiveness of
Georgia's minimum size regulations for red drum and

spotted seatrout, which have been in effect since 1985.
A cooperative DNR/National Marine Fisheries Serv-
ice (NMFS) Marine Recreational Fisheries survey

indicated an increase in both the number of saltwater

anglers and the number of saltwater fishing trips. (See

Figure 6.) Georgia's fishermen caught record numbers of spotted seatrout, red drum and Spanish mackerel

during the year.

During fiscal 1989, Coastal Resources received

23

The manatee is one of many marine animals benefitting from DNR' s programs
to help endangered coastal species.

$38,350 in federal Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act monies to continue the monitoring and management of important shrimp and blue crab stocks, an increase of

$14,581 over 1988 funds primarily because of increased Georgia seafood landings over the most recent

three-year period.
Shellfish. Shellfish Program personnel initiated a

clam stocking project to improve public recreational harvesting opportunities during the year. Under this program, more than 25,000 clams were moved into public harvest areas in Chatham, Bryan, Glynn and
Camden Counties, to establish reproducing popula-

tions of clams within these areas.

DNR For the third consecutive year,

gained na-

tional recognition for operating a Shellfish Program in

total compliance with the National Shellfish Sanitation Program's guidelines. The Coastal Fisheries Advisory Commission's Shellfish subcommittee recommended amendments to shellfish laws to enhance law enforcement and habitat management. Revisions will also

provide added health protection for the public. Atlantic Sturgeon. Coastal Resources convened
the Coastal Fisheries Advisory Commission's Atlantic Sturgeon Subcommittee during the fiscal year, to develop a proposal for better management of the Atlantic sturgeon commercial fishery. Consensus was to shorten the length of the commercial season from 166 days to
60 days and implement a 75-inch minimum size limit. The Atlantic sturgeon recommendations as well as

recommendations for regulating 16 other saltwater
finfish were adopted by the DNR Board and became

effective October 1, 1989. Coastal Endangered Species. During the year, the
Coastal Resources Division worked diligently to main-

tain and restore populations of endangered species in

coastal Georgia. Staff patrolled several barrier island

beaches during sea turtle nesting season, protecting freshly laid eggs from predators. The project was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
Georgia's Nongame Wildlife Program. Coastal Resources personnel also worked with the National Marine

Fisheries Service Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network to monitor the number of dead sea turtles that washed ashore on Georgia beaches during the fiscal

year.
On January 3, a newborn right whale was beached

24

on Cumberland Island. Efforts by Coastal Resources

Division biologists, a local veterinarian, National Park
Service Rangers and New England Aquarium research-

ers to save the rare, endangered whale were hampered

by high winds and an ebbing tide. Following the

whale's death, Coastal Resources staff helped organize

the evacuation of the carcass for research. This was the first newborn right whale carcass that scientists have

been able to preserve immediately after death in over

15 years. Atlantic waters off south Georgia and north-
east Florida are the only known calving areas for right

whales, fewer than 400 of which remain in the north-

west Atlantic, making the species the most endangered

of the world's great whales.

Coastal Resources researchers assisted the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service in a cooperative manatee

tagging effort in Femandina Beach, Florida. Three

manatees were successfully tagged with transmitter

belts, bringing to five the total number of tagged

manatees in Georgia. The Division is assisting these researchers as they track these endangered mammals in

Georgia waters and has also begun regular aerial sur-

veys to identify important habitats and travel routes of

manatees. The Division produced a poster displaying a

toll-free number for reporting manatee sightings and
A urging fishermen not to remove tags. brochure on

what people can do for manatees is available from
DNR.

Coastal Resources' Saltwater Gamefish Records staff recognized new Georgia saltwater records and

outstanding catches during the fiscal year. Exceptional

catches of Spanish mackerel, blackfin tuna, grouper,

snapper, porgy and African pompano highlighted the

season. The program maintains men's and women's

records for 52 species of fish.

Shrimping. Hard-pressed by a near record low

brown shrimp harvest in 1 988 and prices depressed by

imports, many shrimpers and seafood industry leaders

DNR urged

to take a less conservative approach toward

the opening of Georgia's sounds. Throughout October,
DNR Commercial Fisheries staff conducted intensive

coastwide sampling to determine whether Georgia's

sounds should be opened to commercial shrimpers.

Sampling showed an abundance of large shrimp, suffi-

cient to support commercial trawling, and in early

November, six of Georgia's nine sounds were opened

to commercial shrimpers for six days. Overflights on

opening morning revealed 490 boats, or approximately

91 percent of all licensed operators, working in the

sounds. Commercial shrimpers caught $1.6 million

worth of shrimp during the six-day opening.

SUMMARY
The Coastal Resources Division continued to safeguard and enhance Georgia's coast and marshlands in fiscal 1 989, as prolific growth and development continued to draw increasing attention to this region. Under the guidance of the Department's ongoing FiveYear Strategy, the Coastal Resources Division will implement programs to strengthen recreational and commercial fishing, while protecting beaches, sandsharing systems, and the unique plant and animal life of Georgia's coast, for present and future generations.

Department of Natural Resources Annual Operating Budget, Fiscal Year 1989

3 ElDfl DMS5M 1MM1

EXPENDITURES
Positions Personal Services Operating Expenses Capital Outlay
Contract Payments Federal Grants State Grants
TOTAL EXPENDITURES

Internal Administration
84 $3,270,836
1,302,862 211,500
2,813,591

Parks, Recreation
& Historic Sites
491 14,391,121
9,456,777 4,216,185 1,719,405
900,000 775,000

$7,598,789

31,458,488

Coastal Resources
27 1,198,348
398,670 24,000
1,621,018

Game & Fish
483 18,660,658
5,753,739 932,831

Environmental Protection
326 13,799,748
3,778,947
435,000
7,000,000

25,347,228

25,013,695

Total Department
1,411 51,320,711 20,690,995
5,384,516 4,967,996
900,000 7,775,000
91,039,218

FUND SOURCE
State Funds Appropriated Federal Funds Self-Generated Funds* Other Funds**
TOTAL FUND SOURCES

$7,230,039 368,750
$7,598,789

19,290,525 1,299,342
10,868,621
31,458,488

1,542,018 79,000
1,621,018

22,018,985 3,283,000 45,243
25,347,228

21,435,611 3,518,084 60,000
25,013,695

71,517,178 8,179,426
10,973,864 368,750
91,039,218

*(Self-generated funds included $10,718,621, park fee collections; $150,000, parks timber sales; $2,976, Mcintosh County transportation; $28,000, Sapelo Island boat fares; $9,267, Sapelo mail delivery, U.S. Postal Service; $5,000, Ossabaw Island
rent; and $60,000, Environmental Protection Division map sales. Total: $10,973,864.)
**(Other Funds included $53,750 (Jekyll Island payback) and $315,000 (Stone Mountain payback) for a total of $368,750, Internal Administration.
Total Funds, Fiscal Year 1989
$91,039,218

State Funds Appropriated*
$71,517,178 (78.6%)

Other Funds
(See above) $368,750 (.4%)
Self-Generated Funds (See above)
$10,973,864 (121%)

Federal Funds
$8,179,426 (9%)
*$17,793,811 of the State Appropriation was derived from sales of hunting and fishing licenses and permits and recreational/commercial boating fees ($16,035,279); asbestos removal license fees ($456,800); water well drilling permits ($49,580); fines ($1,250,900); and miscellaneous permits, etc. ($1,252).

For more information on programs to enhance and
protect Georgia's natural resources, call or write:
Georgia Department of Natural Resources 205 Butler Street S.E. Suite 1252 East Tower Atlanta, Ga. 30334 (404) 656-3500
The Department of Natural Resources is subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and offers all persons the opportunity to participate in its public programs regardless of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or handicap. As a recipient of federal funds from the Department of the Interior, the Department's programs must be operated free from discrimination. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program or activity or if you desire further information regarding the prohibition of discrimination, please write to: The Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Washington, D.C. 20240.
in nnn/cc. ioa