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Tom Perdue speaks at Rome Tea Party townhall

December 3, 2012 6:56 pm / Leave a Comment

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Tom Perdue

U.S. 411 Connector talks proposed
by Diane Wagner, staff writer

This article appeared in the Rome News Tribune Dec. 2, 2012

Talks between Floyd and Bartow County leaders may be the next step in the 30-year battle over the U.S. 411 Connector.

“The smart thing to do is to sit down with all the parties, find a route we agree on, have an intergovernmental agreement and pass a regional sales tax (to fund it),” said David Doss, a former State Transportation Board member. “Or we’ll be in court another six or eight years.”

Doss represented both counties when the current Route D-VE was selected as the way to best link Rome with Interstate 75 through Bartow County and ease congestion in Cartersville.

It appeared to be a done deal in 2008, but the wealthy Rollins family has been throwing up roadblocks to prevent it from running through their 1,800-acre ranch. Funding for the road, estimated at between $187 million and $230 million, also remains an issue.

Doss’ remarks drew applause at a Rome Tea Party event last week that featured Rollins representative Tom K. Perdue presenting arguments for choosing a different route. But the D-VE route is supported by many local elected officials and Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce members as crucial to future economic development.

“It’s easier to stop a road than it is to build it,” Dr. Dan Hanks said during the sometimes-contentious session. “The longer we wait, the worse it is for Floyd County, and if you ever want your kids to come back to Floyd County and have a job, you’d better think about it.”

Paul Smith, a former state representative who chaired the House Transportation Committee, also said the route has been properly vetted and the straight-shot connection to I-75 is badly needed.

“If it gets to the point where people with money can decide where roads go, it’s a hell of a note,” Smith said.

Despite the wariness of local leaders, Perdue said some of them indicated after the presentation that they might be willing to talk about other options. He said he would help gather Cartersville people who also are interested in finding a faster way to get the road built.

“I told David Doss I would work with him any way possible to get some meetings set up,” Perdue said. “I think there’ll be some community discussion now, That’s all I was hoping to generate.”

The Rollins family believes the Georgia Department of Transportation made errors in the way it picked the route — a contention Doss disputes — and Perdue said they will keep fighting to keep it from running through their property.

Route selection process

The GDOT evaluated eight conceptual routes on their economic viability and their ability to attract traffic, save travel-time and reduce congestion. The southerly routes were projected to be the best choices by the year 2030:

Traffic volume — Concepts A, B, and D would draw more than 24,000 vehicles a day. Concept G, the so-called Ridge Route, would draw about 7,000.
Congestion reduction — Concepts B and D were the only ones that would keep traffic volume on U.S. 41 below 23,000 vehicles a day. With Concept G, more than 40,000 vehicles a day would use U.S. 41.
Time savings — Concepts B and D would make traveling faster than Concept A, the improvement of existing roads. The other routes were projected to be slower.
Economic viability — The value of travel time savings was projected to be greater than the cost of construction in Concepts A, B and D, with Concept D having the highest rating.

Environmental studies started in the fall of 2003 and — after notifications, public hearings and a look at a few more alternatives — the Federal Highway Administration approved Route D in October 2008.

The route was later value-engineered to shave the projected costs from about $400 million to $200 million, and renamed Route D-VE. The changes meant the FHWA’s record of decision had to be re-evaluated using new environmental data. A ruling is still pending.

Continuing objections

Rollins family attorney Henry Parkman also has written a letter protesting the inclusion of the U.S. 411 Connector (as designed) in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program that lists projects in line for construction.

Parkman’s Nov. 21 missive recaps previous objections ranging from the historic value of Dobbins Mine and the Euharlee Wildlife Preserve conservation easement to the potential of acidic runoff from a cut in the mountain and the effects on protected plants and fish habitats.

He also contends the GDOT route-selection process was flawed because it assumed population and jobs would grow equally as fast if the Connector was built or not built.

“A ‘no-build’ forecast that includes ‘build’ assumptions about land use stacks the deck against the no-build scenario by inaccurately increasing its impacts,” Parkman wrote.

He also notes that GDOT is again looking at a realignment, Route D-VE-A, and contends federal law requires the agency to start over with a comparison of other alternatives.

Also read Sparks fly at town hall about 411 Connector, an article written about the same subject that appeared in the Rome News Tribune on November 30, 2012.

Hikers Learn About Diverse Bird Species at Euharlee Wildlife Refuge

October 4, 2012 11:26 am / Leave a Comment

photo courtesy of Shannon Fair

With the fall bird migration in full swing, avid birders recently attended an educational hike at the 107-acre Euharlee wildlife refuge on Dobbins Mountain. The hikes, which were hosted by Cartersville Ranch and the City of Euharlee, provided members of the Atlanta Audubon Society, Coalition for the Right Road and others with the opportunity to learn about several different types of native and migratory birds and their habitat.

Joshua Spence, who has 16 years of experience in bird identification in north Georgia, led the birding hike through the refuge and noted 53 bird species. Participants heard and saw many types of birds, but various species of tanagers, warblers and vireos were the most common neotropical birds observed.

Many agreed that the highlight of the hike was three adult bald eagles having a dispute over a fish. As the hike was concluding, a bald eagle dove towards the lake and grabbed a fish approximately 200 to 300 feet from the hikers and the remaining two bald eagles gave chase for the eagle’s catch. Other notable highlights included a sharp-shinned hawk pursuing a woodpecker through the wildlife refuge and a confirmed sighting of the declining Cerulean Warbler.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “The Cerulean Warbler is one of the species of highest concern in the eastern United States because of a small total population size and significant declines throughout its range. The Cerulean is under consideration for listing under the Endangered Species Act and is listed on the Audubon Watchlist.”

An adult bald eagle grabs a fish from the lake on Cartersville Ranch. The eagle was one of three adult bald eagles that were utilizing the ranch’s lake as a source for food. (photo courtesy of Shannon Fair)

Kent Percy, member of the Atlanta Audubon Society, said, “It was a beautiful hike through the wildlife refuge’s contiguous hardwood forest, which contains a wide array of birds and wildlife. It would be tragic to see the 411 Connector come through here. If there are other options to build the road, I certainly hope the Georgia Department of Transportation looks very closely at its alternatives before destroying the easement. You cannot recreate what is here.”

Hike leader Josh Spence discusses color markings and other information about the Cerulean Warbler with local birding enthusiast and blogger Jean Pell. (photo courtesy of Cory Stewart)

While many were excited about the numerous types of neotropical birds observed, others remarked at the beauty and habitat quality of the wildlife refuge.

“I was very impressed with the diversity of bird species we observed on the hike,” said Atlanta birder Ruth Marley. “The property and conservation easement are beautifully maintained. It is wonderful that there are so many vines, great cover and protected areas for the birds. More importantly, it should be kept this way.”

Percy added, “This is something you cannot find in your backyard. You can see cardinals and blue jays all you want, but you cannot observe this many different types of birds; unless you get into an area that has a lot of forest. You hate to see some of this being destroyed for a road that could be done elsewhere.”

Designated as a significant wildlife refuge by the City of Euharlee in 2010, the conservation easement on Dobbins Mountain was certified for special conservation status last year by the DNR because it protects wildlife habitat through the conservation of high priority species and habitats.

City of Euharlee & Cartersville Ranch Host Educational Fall Hikes

September 13, 2012 2:34 pm / Leave a Comment

Enthusiasts Will Learn About Diverse Bird and Wildflower Species at Euharlee Wildlife Refuge on Dobbins Mountain

The City of Euharlee and Cartersville Ranch today announced two educational hikes at the Euharlee wildlife refuge on Dobbins Mountain – one focused on bird species and the other on wildflowers. The birding and wildflower hikes are scheduled for later this month and October, respectively. Invitations have been extended to members of the Atlanta Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Georgia Botanical Society, Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Georgia Conservancy and Georgia Native Plant Society.

The Coalition for the Right Road, an organization of Georgia citizens committed to making sure the U.S. 411 Connector is built with minimal environmental impact and at the lowest cost to taxpayers, is participating in the outings. Public access has been limited to protect refuge habitat and species.

The announced series of educational hikes is consistent with the major purpose of the conservation easement, which is to preserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. Also, the hikes are consistent with the conservation values, set forth in the recorded conservation easement document.

“The scheduled field trips through the conservation easement are part of the city’s ongoing efforts to educate those interested in the many natural treasures of Bartow County,” said Trish Sullivan, city manager for the City of Euharlee. “Participants will be able to fully experience the abundance of birds and native plants that make the Euharlee wildlife refuge so unique and essential to our community.”

Birding Hike

Joshua Spence, who has 16 years of experience in bird identification in north Georgia, will lead the birding hike through the wildlife refuge to coincide with the fall migration. Last year, Spence completed 24 trips to the refuge and he documented the presence of 149 different bird species within the survey area of Cartersville Ranch. He also discovered 89 unique bird species within the boundaries of the wildlife refuge; more than half of those species were neotropical migratory birds that breed in the United States and during the winter in Mexico, Central America and South America.

Of the 89 species observed within the wildlife refuge, 10 are currently on the Important Bird Area Priority List, a special conservation status: Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Cape May Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Worm-eating Warbler and Wood Thrush.

Wildflower Hike

Jim Allison, a leading expert on Southeastern wildflowers, butterfly enthusiast and botanist for 13 years at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), will lead the wildflower hike at Dobbins Mountain. In 2011, Allison conducted plant surveys on 12 separate visits to the Euharlee wildlife refuge, and observed and photographed a total of 88 diverse native flowing plants within the refuge. His most important find was nearly 600 Georgia aster flowering stems – discovered in bloom at Dobbins Mountain last fall.

The Georgia aster is a state-protected and federal candidate species, and the population found at Dobbins Mountain is one of the largest remaining populations in the state. The Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia DNR characterized the new discovery as significant. Its name and beauty have made it a candidate to replace the Cherokee Rose as the state flower.

Allison also discovered a population of native orchids – the state-protected Pink Ladyslipper – within the borders of the refuge. Participants are expected to see a variety of fall wildflowers, including bird’s-foot violet, blue sage, downy lobelia, false-dandelion, grass-leaved golden-aster, Kuhnia, narrow false-foxglove, rabbit tobacco, small-head sunflower, small-leaf white snakeroot, starved aster, stiffleaf coreopsis, wedgeleaf thoroughwort, white wingstem and many more.

About the Coalition for the Right Road

The Coalition for the Right Road (CORR) is an organization of Georgia citizens committed to making sure the U.S. 411 Connector is built with minimal environmental impact and at the lowest cost to taxpayers. CORR is opposed to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s current plans for the 411 Connector – Route D-VE – because of its exorbitant cost, inefficient interchange and environmental destruction. The coalition is committed to raising awareness of shorter, cheaper and less destructive routes, and is open to anyone who shares these concerns. For more information, visit www.coalitionfortherightroad.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

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Guest column in Rome News-Tribune: Dobbins Mining landscape deserves listing on NRHP

August 20, 2012 3:33 pm / Leave a Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Dobbins Mining landscape deserves listing on NRHP

by MARK C. McDONALD, Guest Columnist

08.19.12 – 06:30 am

THE DOBBINS MINING landscape is an important historic industrial site in Georgia and deserves listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation stands behind the Keeper of the National Register’s recent decision regarding its eligibility for the list, which is a final determination and not reviewable.

The Dobbins Mining Landscape is a largely intact, nineteenth-century manganese mine that provides a great amount of information about the way manganese mining was conducted more than 100 years ago.

Archeological features present in the landscape today correspond directly to a map from the historic period, which shows an unusually large open cut, an incline shaft, an ore-processing facility, and a road bed which was laid by the mining company to transport processed ore from the mine to the main railroad line and ultimately to the steel mills.

The early mining industry played an important role in the development of Northwest Georgia in the late nineteenth century through World War I, when manganese was used for the steel in our soldiers’ helmets.

Manganese had many other uses and was mined at Dobbins until the mid-twentieth century.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT in Northwest Georgia is an extremely important theme in our state’s development. If you are looking for history in this part of the state, textile milling and mining are far more prevalent than the plantation economy, which was never dominant in this region.

Industrial heritage sites do not possess the same kind of physical beauty normally associated with historic sites; however, many people are fascinated with these sites and the important story they tell.

Aesthetic values are not what determine whether a site is historic or not; rather it is the site’s role in the telling of our nation’s history. Dobbins Mine is a site which represents the heritage of Bartow County in a profound way.

GDOT itself recognized the historical significance of Dobbins Mine in a July 2005 publication and recommended a northerly route which would avoid adverse impacts to Dobbins and other historic resources.

There are several other industrial sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Sloss Furnace in Birmingham and the Central of Georgia Railway Shops in Savannah are both National Historic Landmarks. Both have taken advantage of this listing and now contribute to their local economies as heritage tourism sites.

We are hopeful that the owners of the Dobbins Mining site will agree to open their property to special tours to people interested in historic preservation. The Georgia Trust has already begun discussions about arranging periodic access to the site for such tours.

ADDITIONALLY, the Georgia Trust is strongly in favor of connecting I-75 to the historic city of Rome. We care greatly about the future of Rome and believe that economic development is the key to protecting the historic resources in Rome and Floyd County.

The Georgia Trust has been quite active in preservation in Rome, where we have had several successful ventures through our Endangered Properties program. The Trust also held its 2010 Annual Meeting and Spring Ramble in Rome, where Trust members from all across our state got a chance to view the remarkable progress made in Rome’s historic downtown and neighborhoods. Several preservation projects in Rome have received Georgia Trust preservation awards, such as the Curry and West Buildings and the Double-Cola Bottling Company building.

The Trust is aware that the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce is in favor of the GDOT route that will destroy Dobbins Mountain; however, that option appears to be closed.

We firmly believe there is an alternative route to connect U.S. 411 with I-75, which will protect historic and environmental resources and save valuable time and over $100 million because it does not require blasting through a rock mountain. We are further committed to working with GDOT, landowners, our State Historic Preservation Office and the residents of Bartow and Floyd counties to accomplish this objective.

Mark C. McDonald is president and CEO of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. He has more than 25 years of professional involvement in historic preservation. Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country’s largest statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.

Letter: Route has too many problems

July 30, 2012 2:16 pm / Leave a Comment

Please read the below letter that appeared on the Rome News-Tribune website.

Route has too many problems

By MARY MARTIN, Coalition for the Right Road, Cartersville

07.18.12 – 06:30 am

IN THE COLUMN, “Group of 13 ganging up on Rome,”(Rome News-Tribune, July 1) there were several statements that the Coalition for the Right Road (CORR) would like to correct about the U.S. 411 Connector project.

Make no mistake; GDOT’s proposed Route D-VE (when compared to its previously selected Route G) costs $110 million more, is 2.5 miles longer, requires stop lights and twice the amount of expensive bridges and overpasses, and destroys parts of the local environment.

Although the author claimed that Route D-VE was a “long thought-out route,” GDOT failed to study 1,000 linear feet of streams in the right of way, historic Dobbins Mine site and an adjacent mining site — the Milner-Harris property, proposed road cut at Dobbins Mountain for acidic rock and the potential for runoff into nearby streams, endangered plants in the Route D-VE project corridor and Dobbins Mountain for the endangered Indiana bat.

Further, it is inaccurate to say that we and the environmental groups are trying to deny Rome a road to I-75. Rome should have a road to I-75, but it should be the right route — not Route D-VE. The environmental groups and other entities that favor an alternative route have been studying GDOT’s ill-conceived Route D-VE for years. Not only have they hiked the route on Dobbins Mountain, but they have participated in briefings about the road, educated members, attended connector-related meetings and much more.

I found it interesting that the author purposely called out the Georgia Conservancy for its lack of opposition to other major road projects. However, it was the Georgia Conservancy that actually banded with Rome/Floyd County in the 1960s and 1970s (according to newspaper archives) to oppose the eastern route of I-75 due to cost and environmental concerns. The record shows that Romans wanted a more westerly route. When that didn’t happen, opponents from Rome stalled the interstate project for several years. Given this history, the author’s criticism of Route D-VE’s opponents begins to sound hypocritical.

The author also contends it is easy to be critical of “us up here — especially when you don’t have to travel our road.” But those who would advocate wasting $110 million of taxpayers’ money, years of legal delays when other options exist, and damaging your neighboring county’s environmental and historic resources make themselves easy targets for criticism. Also we know that thousands of local citizens have expressed their opposition to Route D-VE and support for a better, cheaper and more sensible route.

The fact is, CORR and its supporters have legitimate concerns about Route D-VE and will continue to work on finding an alternate route that saves taxpayers millions of dollars and preserves the environment.

CBS Atlanta reports on GDOT’s costly, ill-conceived U.S. 411 Connector

June 22, 2012 9:20 am / Leave a Comment

Last night during CBS Atlanta’s 5 pm newscast, reporter Sonia Moghe outlined several troubling issues with GDOT’s wasteful and environmentally damaging route for the 411 Connector (a T-SPLOST project). Please click on the below link to watch the story and share with others via social media, email, etc. GDOT’s fiscally irresponsible ways must be stopped – and this route is the first step.

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/18848172/residents-oppose-gdot-plan-for-411-connector-through-dobbins-mountain.

WGST-AM (NewsTalk 640) Interview About 411 Connector

June 15, 2012 9:34 am / Leave a Comment

For those that missed it yesterday morning, Cartersville Ranch attorney Henry Parkman outlined several issues (gross waste of taxpayer money, environmental damage, etc.) with the Georgia Department of Transportation’s proposed 411 Connector, Route D-VE.

Click here for the “Rob and Dave Show” interview.

Advertorial in today’s local newspapers by Coalition for the Right Road

June 13, 2012 11:38 am / Leave a Comment

CORR’s ad appeared in today’s Bartow Neighbor, Cartersville Daily Tribune News and Rome News-Tribune.

Read why it’s long overdue for GDOT to select a cheaper, shorter and less environmentally impactful alternate route – “Let’s Get On With It“

Hikers Learn About Diverse Habitat and Rare Species at Euharlee Wildlife Refuge

May 14, 2012 11:15 am / Leave a Comment

With spring in full bloom, approximately 75 birding and wildflower enthusiasts participated in educational hikes at the 107-acre Euharlee wildlife refuge on Dobbins Mountain. The hikes – hosted by Cartersville Ranch and the City of Euharlee – provided members of the Atlanta Audubon Society, Georgia Ornithological Society, Georgia Botanical Society, Georgia Native Plant Society and Coalition for the Right Road with the opportunity to learn about several different types of wildflowers, plants, birds, butterflies and other animals.

Joshua Spence, who has 16 years of experience in bird identification in north Georgia, led the birding hike through the easement and noted 58 bird species. Participants heard and saw several types of birds, but the great-crested flycatcher and summer tanager were the most common neotropical birds observed.

Jennifer Hackemeyer, a birding enthusiast, said, “I have been birding for more than 20 years all over Georgia, and I saw some birds on Dobbins Mountain that I’ve never seen before.”

“It was wonderful to see that male summer tanager give us such a show,” stated Jean Pell, a birding and wildflower blogger from Taylorsville, Ga. “Plus, I was able to learn some bird songs from Josh, such as the summer and scarlet tanagers.”

Hike participants look into the pines on top of Dobbins Mountain, as a male summer tanager flies from tree to tree.

While many were impressed with the variety of birds observed, others remarked at the beauty and habitat quality of the conservation easement.

“The habitat is very high quality, and it appeared to be a really nice forest with a good diversity of trees and understory plants,” noted Jim Ferrari, president of the Georgia Ornithology Society. “I think you get a great sense of the diversity of migratory species – tanagers, grosbeaks and warblers.”

Jim Allison, who is a leading expert on Southeastern wildflowers, butterfly enthusiast and botanist for 13 years at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), led the wildflower hike through the easement. During the hike, attendees were able to learn about and photograph the red-spotted purple butterfly, Alabama black cherry tree, Robin’s plantain, fire pink, cut-leaf buttercup and more. The most notable find during the hike was the state-protected Pink Ladyslipper, a native orchid.

“It was a beautiful property, a wonderful trip, and we appreciate the ranch and City of Euharlee opening up the property for us,” said Jim Drake, president of the Georgia Botanical Society. “We saw a variety of wildflowers, the Pink Ladyslipper and several other beautiful flowers. It’s just a really great place.”

The state-protected Pink Ladyslipper, a native orchid, was discovered within the conservation easement on Dobbins Mountain.

“A conservation easement is a great way to preserve unique resources, such as the Euharlee Wildlife Refuge,” said Hackemeyer. “It’s different than a state park or national wildlife refuge, because it’s really not developed or presented for large public access. Because of that, it makes the easement all the more special.”

Coalition meeting this Saturday from 2 to 4 pm

April 30, 2012 10:49 am / Leave a Comment

Map of CORR meeting location

Coalition for the Right Road