National Park in Gwinnett Getting Bigger

SUWANEE, GA — There's a little more park land in Gwinnett County now, thanks to a purchase by a public trust.

The Trust for Public Land and the National Park Service announced this week that 55 acres of what they call key riverfront property has been bought in Suwanee.

The purchase expands the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. With nearly 2,000 feet of frontage along the Chattahoochee, the new property helps fill in other previously protected properties and enables the future development of a riverfront trail, which locals will be able to use for walking, biking and hiking.

"Protecting this vital land and connecting two pieces of the park is the latest success in The Trust for Public Land and our partners’ twenty years of work on the Chattahoochee," said George Dusenbury, Georgia state director for The Trust for Public Land, in a written statement. "Moving forward, The Trust for Public Land will have a renewed emphasis on improving access to the river, expanding upon the 80 miles of riverfront that we have protected, and drawing even more people to enjoy and care for this incredible outdoor destination."

The acquisition of what's been called the Johnson-Neal tract will allow for over eight miles of contiguous public lands, the majority of which are in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

Conservationists worry, though, that such purchase may become more difficult in the future. The purchase was made, in part, through a fund that has been targeted for elimination by President Donald Trump's budget proposal.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund provided about $2 million of the property's $4.6 million cost.

"While we celebrate The Trust for Public Land's latest contribution to creating a Chattahoochee greenway, we owe a debt of gratitude to the Land and Water Conservation Fund for making it all possible," Dusenbury said. "We are concerned that President Trump's proposed budget may threaten this vital program.

We look forward to working with our elected officials to ensure that LWCF remains adequately funded, making possible our vision of a Chattahoochee greenway from Helen to Columbus."

Photo via NPS VIP