Jasper, Georgia based non-profit, Mountain Conservation Trust of Georgia (MCTGA) provided funding along with private and federal partners to assist the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the state of Georgia to acquire 469 acres in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area. For over 15 years, the State has attempted to acquire the tract from Temple Inland (now Forestar Real Estate Group) as an important link within the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Dawson Forest is one of the most popular public recreation tracts DNR manages in Georgia. Visitors come from all over the State and the southeast to hike, canoe, hunt, camp, picnic and fish. The tract protects both sides of over two miles of Amicalola Creek and its tributaries and connects a large section of the State owned 14,600 acre Dawson Forest WMA. Amicalola Creek is a Priority 1 watershed for protection within the Etowah River basin as determined by the Fish and Wildlife Service and University of Georgia. It is also designated as a high priority stream in Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan. Amicalola Creek is one of five major population areas critical to the survival of the federally endangered Etowah darter and the State endangered holiday darter. This WMA is also important for black bear habitat. The Nature Conservancy in Georgia (TNC) acquired the Amicalola Creek property in 2008 at a reduced price and held it until the state could arrange funding. The Nature Conservancy contributed $2.15 million through a discounted sale of the property to the state. Contributions from a variety of other public and private partners---the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, Trout Unlimited, the DNR, the R. Howard Dobbs Foundation, the Mountain Conservation Trust of Georgia, the Lyndhurst Foundation, the Georgia Land Conservation Program (GLCP) and anonymous private donors – helped the state purchase the property. Liz Cole, Executive Director of Mountain Conservation Trust said, “This is an important addition to the Dawson Forest WMA. It not only helps to protect an important waterway, but also provides the Dawson and Pickens County community with increased opportunities for outdoor recreation and education.” The Mountain Stewards, a Georgia non-profit, has been active in the Dawson Forest WMA building trails and public access. In the Wildcat Tract, numerous hiking trails with varying levels of difficulty are available for recreation. The group also developed the ADA compliant trail along the Amicalola River at Highway 53. For trail maps and additional information, visit their website at www.mountainstewards.org. MCTGA is a non-profit organization headquartered in Jasper, Georgia dedicated to the permanent conservation of the natural resources and scenic beauty of the mountains and foothills of North Georgia through land protection, collaborative partnerships and education. They have over 1,400 acres under perpetual protection in multiple North Georgia counties. In addition to land protection, the trust promotes outdoor education through hikes and other nature based activities. For information about MCTGA, visit their website at www.mctga.org.