The Land Conservation Clinic at UGA is gearing up for its 2nd year with new issues to dive into, new clients, and new space to work in. I am really looking forward to exploring land conservation with the 9 new clinic students and working with them on our latest exciting projects. But before we get to work, I’d like to provide a quick recap of the Land Conservation Clinic’s first year:
During the Clinic’s first complete year of operation, 14 law students and 5 students from ecology and forestry worked on important projects for a variety of clients, including land trusts, state and national conservation organizations, and government agencies. Last year, Clinic students:
- Incorporated a new land trust that serves the rapidly developing Lake Lanier region;
- Drafted several conservation easements that protected land across Georgia;
- Crafted deed restrictions that protected a land trust owned preserve and ensured qualification for property tax exemption;
- Determined the additional protection needed for a county nature park and drafted an ordinance prohibiting the removal of artifacts;
- Produced outreach material for landowners that distinguished between permanent conservation easements and property tax reduction term contracts;
- Revised a guide to solar leases and an annotated lease for Georgia farmers;
- Drafted alternative energy provisions for conservation easements;
- Drafted provisions for county comprehensive plans that support water quality, and farmland conservation;
- Summarized source water protection plan action items that leverage the link between land conservation and water quality;
- Revised a conservation nonprofit’s bylaws to reflect current practice; and
- Co-hosted a local wetlands protection workshop with over 60 participants and edited a guide for voluntary and regulatory wetland protection methods.
Thank you to the students who helped create this clinic with their interest, skills, and time, and to our clients for their interest and support.
For those new to the Clinic, UGA’s Land Conservation Clinic is a unique, cross disciplinary clinic where law students collaborate with ecology graduate students to address critical land conservation needs in Georgia. The Clinic strives to address pressing policy and legal issues surrounding land conservation, train the next generation of conservation leaders, and deepen students’ understanding of the complexity and challenges associated with protecting land forever. Clients include nonprofits, community organizations, government agencies, and university researchers.