Duke Foundation Press Release

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Commits $15 Million to Promote Land Conservation in the Southeast -- Communities and Land Owners Benefit under Land Conservation Initiative

New York, New York - The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) today announced a comprehensive program to promote land conservation in a section of the southeast and develop new tools and techniques to integrate ecological knowledge into planning for development.

Four grants totaling $11 million will create nature preserves and protect working landscapes in southern Georgia, the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama, and make available to interested communities information and assistance on ways to pursue development that is economically viable and environmentally compatible.

The East Gulf Coastal Plain, the third site in DDCF's national land conservation program after New Jersey and Rhode Island, was described in a recent report as one of the nation's six most significant ecological "hot spots." The region's 18 million acres -- stretching from the Red Hills on the Georgia-Florida border to Eglin Air Force base and southern Alabama -- contains a host of economic, ecological and recreational benefits. Yet this landscape is threatened by development that is increasing the pace of land conversion, growing demands on limited water resources from agricultural and urban uses, and rapid changes in land ownership and management.

"We have an opportunity to work with interested landowners who are looking for ways to protect this unique region," said Joan E. Spero, president of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. "The people of this region depend on the land for their jobs, and for clean air and water. We are pleased to join with them as they weigh their options to ensure that future generations will enjoy this region as well."

The Land Conservation Initiative combines grant money from DDCF with matching funds in Georgia, Florida and Alabama to enable public and private organizations to acquire private land and help local communities identify and protect natural resources. DDCF will commit almost $10 million to promote multiple public benefits by protecting at least 90,000 acres as nature preserves and protecting working landscapes in ways that provide economic livelihood while preserving vital wildlife and habitat.

The Initiative also provided almost $1 million to organizations to provide information and promote strategies and tools that help communities in Florida and Georgia plan for their future in ways that both create jobs and protect natural resources.

"I commend the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for this gift to that will help protect natural areas in the Florida panhandle like the Apalachicola River and Bay, the Blackwater River and Red Hills," said Florida Governor Jeb Bush. "The best of wild Florida will be protected for generations to come because of the foundation's generous gift."

"This generous gift will not only help protect a portion of the Chickasawhatchee Swamp - the second largest wetland complex in Georgia, but it will also contribute to the protection of critical water flows into the Flint River and provide unprecedented recreational opportunities in southwest Georgia," Georgia Governor Roy E. Barnes said.

The initiative also includes $4.2 million to four national organizations to research, develop new tools and disseminate information on the linkage between ecological knowledge and land use planning. Funds will help develop new and improved computer tools to help land use planners and communities integrate ecological data into their planning and visualize alternative future development scenarios. Grants will also underwrite the cost of books, pamphlets and other publications to help communities continue to grow while protecting the natural systems in the regions.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of peoples' lives by nurturing the arts, protecting and restoring the environment, seeking cures for diseases, and helping to protect children from abuse and neglect.

Project Description

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Doris Duke Mission Statement

The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people's lives by nurturing the arts, protecting and restoring the environment, seeking cures for diseases, and helping to protect children from abuse and neglect.

Partners under the Doris Duke East Gulf Coastal Plain Project

1000 Friends of Florida's mission is to protect and improve Florida's quality of life by advocating responsible planning for the state's population growth. Our planners, attorneys and community activists work to protect natural areas, fight urban sprawl, promote sensible development patterns, and provide affordable housing. Above all, we strive to give citizens the tools to keep Florida's communities liveable.

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and the waters they need to survive.

All Georgians need clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, green space to enrich our communities, and wild places to support healthy plant and animal populations. At the same time, Georgia needs a strong economy. That's why the Georgia Conservancy works to balance economic and social progress with the protection of our natural resources. We do this by making sure our leaders have information they need to make informed decisions about issues that affect our natural resources and by supporting thoughtful environmental policies at the state level. And we educate all Georgians about choices they can make to ensure a healthy environment for future generations.

The Conservation Fund forges partnerships to protect America's legacy of land and water resources. Through land acquisition, community initiatives, and leadership training, the Fund and its partners demonstrate sustainable conservation solutions emphasizing the integration of economic and environmental goals.

We believe that sustainable, consumptive uses of wildlife and natural resources are compatible with maintaining natural diversity. We believe in developing and maintaining long-term studies/research, including use of fire as a necessary land management tool. We believe in promoting natural diversity. We believe in promoting management actions that mimic ecosystem processes in natural, and old field systems. We believe in producing reliable knowledge that is applicable to Land Management. We believe in protecting outstanding examples of natural ecosystems and all their components. We believe that economic, social and ecological factors are interrelated components of good land stewardship. We believe that few of the remaining wildlands in the Southeast are self- perpetuating. We believe that the Red Hills region is an outstanding example of a working landscape and can serve as a model for resource management and conservation elsewhere. We believe in protecting the ecological, scenic, and historical values of the Red Hills region and its traditional land uses. We believe in respecting the rights and recognizing the responsibilities of private property ownership.

Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land is the only national nonprofit working exclusively to protect land for human enjoyment and well-being. TPL helps conserve land for recreation and spiritual nourishment and to improve the health and quality of life of American communities. TPL's legal and real estate specialists work with landowners, government agencies, and community groups to: create urban parks, gardens, greenways, and riverways build livable communities by setting aside open space in the path of growth conserve land for watershed protection, scenic beauty, and close-to-home recreation safeguard the character of communities by preserving historic landmarks and landscapes. TPL pioneers new ways to finance parks and open space; helps generate federal, state, and local conservation funding; and promotes the importance of public lands. TPL helps communities create a "greenprint for growth" by protecting important land that may threatened by urban or suburban sprawl. TPL believes that connecting people to land deepens the public's appreciation of nature and the commitment to protect it. Since 1972, TPL has helped protect more than 1.2 million acres in 45 states--from expansive recreation areas, to historic homesteads, to vest-pocket city parks.