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DNR, Mountain Stewards sign partnering agreement

The director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division and the president of the nonprofit organization Mountain Stewards recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a partnership for improving recreational use of the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.

WRD Game Management Chief Bill Fletcher, WRD Region II Game Management Supervisor Mark Whitney, and members of the Mountain Stewards Board of Directors joined WRD Director Dan Forster Mountain Stewards President Don Wells for the signing of the MOU.

Under the agreement signed by WRD and Mountain Stewards, both partners commit to working toward improving and protecting the natural resources of the region and informing the public about Georgia's natural, historical and cultural resources in the Southern Appalachian Mountain region.

"WRD has a key goal to work in partnership with all Georgians to promote stewardship of its natural, historic and cultural resources, and one of the objectives of this goal is to form partnerships and alliances with organizations to strengthen the ability to achieve those goals," said Forster. "We look forward to working with this group to promote this wonderful WMA in the state."

To help achieve this goal, the Mountain Stewards have located nearly 60 miles of trails in the Wildcat and Glass Mountain sections of the WMA over the past two years using Global Positioning System technology. These mapping efforts will eventually provide awareness and access information for the general public. In addition, WRD and the Mountain Stewards are developing an annual plan to begin improving the multiuse of the area and how best to protect the available natural resources. Volunteers with the Mountain Stewards organization will provide much of the volunteer work force, similar to efforts used to maintain the Appalachian Trail.

Dawson Forest WMA is located near Dawsonville in northeast Georgia. The area covers 25,000 acres and offers many recreational opportunities including; hunting (deer, turkey, small game, dove and waterfowl), fishing, canoe access points, camping, hiking, horseback riding, bird-watching, an observation tower and picnicking.

For more information on Dawson Forest WMA, visit www.georgiawildlife.com. For more information on the Mountain Stewards, visit www.mountainstewards.org.