Middle Oconee Conservation Corridor Update: Land to Be Protected Along Middle Oconee River
- hadrien57
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
by Theresa Pippin
ORLT’s Middle Oconee River Conservation Corridor (MOCC) initiative is moving into a new and exciting phase. Since the start of the year, several landowners have begun the process of protecting their land with a conservation easement. Together, their easements would protect 20 acres in the Corridor. Dan Coenen, who, with his wife Sally, are conserving their beautiful stretch of land along the river, shared with us his motivation for protecting their land in perpetuity here:
There are many reasons to conserve natural places. But one reason, at least for me, might be described as "spiritual," in the broad sense of the word. The idea is that there is something especially deep and meaningful about preserving forever a special piece of this miraculous world. And there is something especially deep and meaningful about doing such a thing in community with others who share a sense of wonder at the sights and sounds and cycles and splendor of our beautiful natural world. As I get older, I think more about leaving behind something of value for those who will follow. And leaving behind a tranquil and unspoiled place--alongside a river right in the very heart of Athens--seems like a small, but fitting, repayment for everything this extraordinary community has given to me and my family over the years.
The goal of the MOCC initiative, which began last year, is to protect the forested slopes and floodplains along the Middle Oconee River corridor between Atlanta Highway and Old Macon Highway. We focused our efforts in this corridor because it boasts the largest unprotected contiguous forest along the river in Athens.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Riverview Foundation and community supporters, ORLT is able to offer financial assistance to some landowners to help offset the upfront costs of placing a conservation easement.
