Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Fifth runway helping to create a new Fayette park By JOHN THOMPSON jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com By the end of the year, Fayette County could have a new bird sanctuary, compliments of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The curious story began when airport officials were looking for land to create new wetlands, since construction of the new runway would destroy areas that were deemed wetlands, said Abby Jordan, director of the Southern Conservation Trust. Jordan’s group is a Peachtree City-based land trust that owns and manages over 600 acres of environmentally sensitive land in Fayette County. Jordan was not director at the time, but said that Hartsfield officials and trust officials were able to reach a deal to create wetlands at Sam’s Lake on Old Senoia Road a couple of miles southwest of Fayetteville. “The trust has owned the land for years after it was donated by the Sams family,” she said. Officials are now busy building small dikes to create wetlands as part of the mitigation efforts, Jordan said. The construction project will also add additional platforms for birdwatchers to look for their favorite species. Hartsfield officials donated $1 million to Southern Conservation Trust for the project, but the money must be kept in reserve. “If we have to rebuild the platforms or re-plant the area, we can use the money,” Jordan said. Jordan is happy the efforts will create a new park for Fayette’s greenspace lovers. “It’s really a win-win situation for everyone,” she said.