This project will provide funding to purchase a large tract approximately 9,114 per the appraisal report of contiguous forested conservation land in headwaters of the highpriority upatoi creek in…

This federal Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education program (CFDA 15.611) provides $2,200,000.00 in funding to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The purpose of the grant is to permanently protect approximately 9,114 acres of contiguous forested conservation land in the headwaters of the Upatoi Creek in Talbot County, Georgia. This acquisition will help conserve critical habitat for the endangered fringed campion plant and other at-risk species, while also providing for compatible recreational uses like hunting and hiking. The award will be completed within 3 years by September 30, 2026.

This project will provide funding to purchase a large tract approximately 9,114 per the appraisal report of contiguous forested conservation land in headwaters of the highpriority upatoi creek in the chattahoochee river drainage in talbot county, georgia. The purpose of this project is to help achieve recovery criteria for the federally endangered plant, fringed campion silene polypetala and conserve other high priority, atrisk species occurring in the project area by permanently protecting high quality habitat. The project, called upatoi ravines will provide funding to acquire the tract feesimple so that IT can be managed by the georgia department of natural resources for conservation while providing for compatible recreational uses such as hunting and hiking. This project will be completed within 3 years. Protection of UR is expected to improve the resiliency, redundancy and representation of the endangered fringed campion, conserve a threatened high priority habitat in the fall line physiographic region, conserve priority animal species, provide connectivity to nearby conservation properties, and buffer development pressure in the local area. The wildlife restoration portion will fund phase i approximately 2,244 AC of the acquisition.