Our Mission

Athens Land Trust’s (ALT) mission is to promote quality of life through integration of community and the natural environment by preserving land, creating energy-efficient and affordable housing, and revitalizing neighborhoods. With 814 acres in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Oconee, and Walton Counties protected under conservation easement, another 350 acres in process, and over 100 affordable housing units, ALT is producing visible results.

ALT Ribbon Cutting for the Blasingame Family Friday, June 26

On Friday, June 26 Niesha Blasingame, with assistance from her son Josh, cut the ribbon on the family's new EarthCraft certified home at 124 Dallas Street. ALT Board member and homeowner Shirley Smith emceed the ceremony, which was part of the annual Move to Improve Block Party. Move to Improve is a celebration of National Homeownership Month, hosted by ALT and Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, the Evans Street Neighborhood Association, Athens Housing Authority, Athens-Clarke Police Department, and the Athens-Clarke Human and Economic Development Department.

The Move To Improve Festival featured live entertainment, including inspiring music by ALT Board member and homeowner Reggie Willis, followed by bluegrass gospel group Southern Traveler from Carlton. Participants also enjoyed a cookout, face painting, and a moonwalk. The dunking booth was especially popular as the temperature was well into the upper nineties!

Above, ALT Executive Director Nancy Stangle (left) and Board President Angela Johnson (right) help the Blasingames cut the ribbon, while ALT Board member Shirley Smith looks on.

A Home of Our Own! Our celebration of the 103rd birthday of the Pope Street Cottage, ALT's future office home, was a wonderful time.  Over 150 guests enjoyed birthday cake and light refreshments, and toured the cottage to view the progress we’ve made on the renovations of this historic structure which was generously donated to ALT by Emmanuel Episcopal Church.  Even if you missed the birthday party, you can still donate a belated birthday gift! Check out our Gift Registry for some ideas about how we will use contributions to A Home of Our Own.

2009 Harvest Moon Dinner

We hope you can join us on Saturday, September 5, 2009 as chefs Hugh Acheson (Five and Ten, The National) and Peter Dale (The National) prepare a four-course, family style dinner for 120 guests in the backyard of 685 N. Pope Street. With an intimate setting designed by Epting Events, fine wines from the portfolio of Northeast Sales and the Harvest Moon rising over our new home in the historic Boulevard neighborhood, this promises to be an evening to remember. For information on becoming a Harvest Moon sponsor, download the sponsor form (pdf).

ALT Wins 2008 Magnolia Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing!

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs has presented the 2008 Magnolia Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing in the Homeownership category to ALT at the Housing Georgia Conference on Nov. 20. ALT is honored to be recognized by DCA for our efforts to provide affordable homeownership opportunities and revitalize neighborhoods in Athens. See the announcement in the Jan. 3, 2009 Athens Banner-Herald Business Briefs (scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

ALT receives National Land Trust Accreditation

The Athens Land Trust is one of two land trusts in Georgia, and one of the first in the nation, to be accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. The national commission awarded accreditation to 39 land trusts from across the country at its inaugural awards ceremony in Pittsburgh on September 19 during the Land Trust Alliance Rally, the largest annual gathering of land conservationists in the country. This is a milestone for the land conservation community.

"At a time when the public is demanding increasing accountability from nonprofit organizations and government, including land trusts, the new independent accreditation program provides the assurance of quality and permanence of land protection the public is looking for," said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. "The accreditation seal will be a mark of distinction in land conservation signifying that the accredited group meets national standards for excellence, upholds the public trust and ensures that conservation efforts are permanent."

The fall issue of the Land Trust Alliance's magazine Conserving Land features "Breaking New Ground," a story on ALT and the other newly accredited land trusts.

ALT Receives Major Donation for Permanent Office Space from Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Emmanuel Episcopal Church recently donated the historic cottage at 685 N. Pope Street to the Athens Land Trust. ALT will rehabilitate the building to be used as our office. The cottage, built in 1906, has many interior historic features still intact. According to Athens Land Trust Executive Director Nancy Stangle, "Athens Land trust is very grateful to Emmanuel Episcopal Church for this donation. With our background in rehabilitating historic homes, we are very excited about having this important historic structure as our office. Having a permanent home will provide ALT with the stability and sustainability to carry out our mission more effectively."

Renovations are underway, both inside and out!

Land Recently Protected by ALT

Dec. 18, 2008: 30 acres of working farmland in Oconee County and 31.5 acres of wetlands and forest in Barrow County are now protected with conservation easements. The Hillsman Farm in Oconee County protects 30 acres of prime farmland that are part of the larger Hillsman tract. The farmland was protected with funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Oconee County. The landowner, Charles Hillsman, donated a fourth of the value of the easement.

In Barrow County, Dr. Jagdish Sheth of Barrow Holdings, LLC, donated a conservation easement on 31.5 acres of wetlands, lake, and forest.

These easements bring the total number of acres protected by ALT to 814.

ALT Recognized for Affordable Housing and Historic Preservation Efforts

ALT received three awards this spring for our work!

• 2007 Affordable Housing Award for Multifamily Development from the Athens-Clarke County Department of Human and Economic Development, recognizing Fourth Street Village
• Best New Development of 2007 Award from Athens Grow Green Coalition for Fourth Street Village
• 2008 Preservation Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation for long-term positive impacts to the Historic Hancock Corridor

- The Athens Land Trust is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1994 with the dual goals of land preservation and affordable, energy efficient housing. ALT believes in a holistic approach to sustainable development that addresses environmental, economic and community needs.

- ALT builds affordable houses for low to moderate income families and permanently protects important green space in the Athens-Clarke County Area through its Affordable Housing and Land Conservation Programs.

- Your support is critical to our continuance. Become a member and receive the Athens Land Trust Newsletter (US Mail) or request a sample copy