FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Chambliss, Isakson Announce Interior Bill Funds for Georgia

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today announced that the Senate version of the fiscal year 2006 funding bill for the U.S. Department of Interior includes funding for several Georgia projects. The bill passed the Senate unanimously. 

Georgia funded projects included in the bill:

$500,000 for the west area combined sewer overflow tunnel in the city of Atlanta. The project will improve water quality by providing needed infrastructure to capture more stormwater and sewage flows in the City of Atlanta.

$2,000,000 for the Altamaha River Corridor forest legacy program.  This funding will specifically protect 7.5 miles of the Altamaha River, containing high quality natural areas including bottomland hardwood forests, freshwater tidal cypress-tupelo forests, high quality bluff forests, and remnants of longleaf pine forests.  Acquisition of this land will create a single 14,300 acre protected corridor. 

$250,000 for the Paulding County forest legacy program. Paulding County is seeking to purchase lands currently leased by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and managed as the Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area. The Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area is currently the third most popular Wildlife Management Area in the State of Georgia. As such, it contributes to the quality of life in the metropolitan Atlanta area by providing recreational opportunities, as well as water quality, air quality, and aesthetic benefits.

$500,000 for the Chattahoochee-Oconee Forest’s Georgia Mountains Riparian Project for land acquisition. These funds will be used by the Nature Conservancy to help purchase several tracts of land adjacent to or surrounded by the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. The land will eventually be donated to the Forest Service for inclusion in the National Forest System.

“This bill includes important funds for many Georgia projects,” said Chambliss.  “Working toward a cleaner, safer, healthier environment is a worthy goal that we can all share.”

“I am extremely pleased with this bill, which make significant investments in Georgia’s rich natural resources,” Isakson said. “These funds are an investment in the future of our state and will help to preserve our land for future generations to enjoy.”