Pine Log WMA: What will the future be?

Pine Log Wildlife Management Area is a large privately owned piece of land located primarily in Bartow County that has been leased to the state of Georgia for the past 46 years. The Bartow part is about 14,000 acres. The WMA allows hiking, biking and equestrian activities as well as hunting and fishing.

The Stamp Creek watershed is not only a trout stream but is home to the federally listed endangered Etowah Darter and the threatened Cherokee Darter. Stamp Creek is not the only location these darters are found, but they exist in other sensitive areas only in the Etowah drainage basin.

These fish must have clean, cool, flowing water with small gravels, cobbles and sand to maintain their populations. Agricultural runoff, excess temperatures, sediment, fertilizers and runoff from roads with their automobile contaminants as well as industrial pollutants can all have negative impacts on these delicate fish. These darters cannot tolerate impounded areas such as pools and streams with silt.

The property is currently zoned A1, which is agricultural, but with this zoning as many as 7,200 residential units could be allowed as well as potential mining, industrial and other uses. Those types of development can be made without intervention by the county zoning board as long as setbacks, state soil and erosion controls and proper permits are followed and approved.

The landowners do not wish for this to happen, especially in a haphazard way, and desire that the State of Georgia or other nonprofit entities purchase and preserve the WMA. The state has made an offer for at least part of the property but the offer is below the owner’s fair market valuation. It is my understanding that The Nature Conservancy is also involved in negotiations. I was at a public info meeting Feb. 7 and at that time there were at least six offers in place to purchase parts of the property.

For the past few years the landowners and Bartow County have been trying to come up with a conceptual plan that will protect a large part of the WMA and also allow for some subdivisions, some industrial and possibly some mining. After surveys regarding flora/fauna (i.e. endangered species) had been done, the Bartow Planning Commission proposed a preliminary zoning map.

The zoning as proposed would leave almost all of Stamp Creek watershed above Stamp Creek Road protected and not subject to any development. Located outside of the Stamp Creek basin there is 5,700 acres of low density residential land and 900 acres of high density residential land in the proposal. This does not mean that there would immediately be subdivisions and apartments, only that land could be zoned for that use. In the proposal, north of I-75 and on the east side of U.S. 411 there are 700 acres zoned commercial and 1,700 acres zoned industrial.

For the most part, in the Stamp Creek basin north of Stamp Creek Road, 5,000 acres will remain as open space and

green space — except for a small area in the southeast corner of the management area adjacent to Stamp Creek Road. That area has a multi-million ton deposit of granite that could be used for roads and construction. This area, as proposed, could be mined.

Please remember that the meetings that were held on Feb. 7

and 9 were for informational purposes and a chance for the public to ask questions and give comments. The zoning map is a well thought out proposal that was made to both protect the natural resources and allow some land to be available for its highest and best use and sold at fair market value.

The map and the areas shown for potential uses is just a conceptual plan for the WMA and nothing is “written in stone.” There will be a public hearing on

March 27 to further discuss the proposals and will include info from the two February public info sessions.

The land owners are making an extraordinary effort to make a deal with the state. If no agreement is reached with the state or other nonprofit to purchase all or part of the Stamp Creek Wildlife Management Area by May 15, the WMA will be closed to the public then because that is when the current lease ends.

The rezoning public hearing

will be heard by the Bartow Planning Commission on March 27 at 6 p.m. in the courthouse, 135 W. Cherokee Ave, Cartersville. This is the meeting where you are allowed to speak in front of the county officials.

For more information go to Bartow County Planning & Zoning page at BartowCounty.ga.gov.

I have been an avid outdoorsman, angler and outspoken protector of nature all my life as well as having been a real estate agent for 25 years. It is my opinion that

the Stamp Creek watershed needs protection and, at the same time, areas outside the actual watershed could be placed on the market and developed. Additional surveying must take place and zoning of parcels should be done in a manner to make sure the endangered darters are not affected in any way and the public still has access to the WMA.