Middle Oconee Landowner Story: Ed Segraves
- hadrien57
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
“In the late fall of 2011, I was sitting in a hog stand near Cordele, GA, when I received a call from a friend about the availability of a property. The property consisted of 52 acres inside the I - 10 Loop around Athens, Georgia. It had river frontage on the Middle Oconee River and a nice sized pond within its borders, and the price seemed right.”
“I left Cordele and drove directly to Athens and looked at the property on Sunday and made an offer on Monday. The property seemed perfect for development as a student housing project with room for tennis courts, a fitness center, a fishing pond and river access. There was considerable upside for this investment.”
“The more I visited the property, the more I liked it, and made the “mistake” of getting personally attached to the property and its beauty. At a Christmas party, I talked to someone who was familiar with placing land in conservation easements, which could protect land in perpetuity while allowing the donor to retain private ownership of the protected land and also potential tax benefits. Keeping the land for my personal use became more and more appealing. After some research and consulting with an environmental attorney, I placed the property in a conservation easement. This unique property will forever be protected from development and still be available for use by myself and my heirs.”
“My grandson and I have gone hunting and fishing together on the property, and my other grandkids have enjoyed swimming in the lake. We've hosted several family picnics over the years, and I still visit the property often and enjoy driving the tractor.”
“While I could have made more money by selling the property for development, it pleases me greatly to know that this property will forever be protected in its natural state for future generations.”
