www.coastalgeorgiagreenway.org
The Savannah chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council will host a presentation March 25 about the planned Coastal Georgia Greenway system of hiking, biking, equestrian and water trails.
Jo Claire Hickson’s talk, “The Status of the Coastal Georgia / East Coast Greenway,” will give attendees information about current trail projects in Chatham County, as well as Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn and Camden counties. To date, over $3 million has been raised toward trail master planning, design and trail construction.
Hickson will describe existing and planned trail projects and how they can benefit Georgians by improving easy access for outdoor exercise, providing new destination tourism activities for coastal tourists, improving quality of life for coastal residents and drawing new sustainable businesses here.
“The Coastal Georgia Greenway will bring sustainable jobs and economic development (estimated at $15 million annually) to Georgia’s coast,” Hickson said. “The 150-mile through-corridor trail will link South Carolina to Florida through Georgia’s six coastal counties. The 450-mile trail system will include bicycle, pedestrian, equestrian and water trails, and three ferries, so that trail users can experience Georgia’s exceptional history and coastal beauty at a relaxed pace.”
“The Coastal Georgia Greenway is a project whose time has come and I am looking for grass roots support of an initiative to fully fund the East Coast Greenway though-corridor route construction by 2020!,” she said.
The meeting is free and open to the public. It will be held from 5:45-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 25 at Wild Wing Cafe in City Market (on the second floor). RSVP by March 21 to Tommy Linstroth at: tlinstroth@melaver.com.
Hickson wrote “The Coastal Georgia Alternative: Developing Heritage and Eco-tourism on the Coast,” the master plan that defines a 150-mile continuous trail linking South Carolina to Florida through Georgia’s six coastal counties. The master plan, completed in 2003, also defined a $40 million project budget. This route, when constructed, will become Georgia’s section of the East Coast Greenway, a trail linking cities between Calais, Maine, and Key West, Florida.
Armstrong Atlantic State University Center for Regional Analysis completed a market study and projected economic impact of the Coastal Georgia Greenway. The experts found that the project, if completed by 2020, can have an economic impact of $15 million per year for Georgia’s six coastal counties and can generate up to 285 jobs and other tax, property value, health and quality of life benefits.
Hickson is a landscape architect who has worked since 1994 in developing the Coastal Georgia Greenway. Since her retirement last year, she has been working with Herb Hiller, East Coast Greenway Alliance Coordinator for Georgia and Florida, and volunteer Dr. Drew Wade to organize grass roots support for Georgia’s coastal trail system.
The Savannah Chapter of the United States Green Building Council is dedicated to promoting sustainable design and green building throughout the Creative Coast. The group meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Monthly meetings are held at the Wild Wing Cafe in City Market (on the second floor) unless otherwise noted. The meetings are open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to attend. The USGBC-Savannah Chapter seeks to educate the public on the long-term benefits of green building and how sustainable design can be integrated or implemented into one’s life.
www.coastalgreen.org
Find out more about the Coastal Georgia Greenway at www.coastalgeorgiagreenway.org