Long term Athens area residents have watched Atlanta grow over the decades. Athens has certainly benefited from this growth but it is past time for us to start to actively preserving land so that we have places to ride and keep our horses for many years to come. The last thing that all Athens area horse community members want to see is horses pushed out as has slowly happened in Alpharetta. It is already happening here for some horses lovers… we all see farms being turned into subdivisions in our backyard. The word “sustainable” is in our mission statement because we want the work of AAHC to stand the test of time.
We are a stronger and better community with your involvement. Contact us about helping.
Goal of program: Save green space for horses and horse related activities.
We have a lot of land conservation initiatives in the works:
- Heritage Park – A county park in Oconee with an amazing covered arena, barn, and miles of trails. The arena needs some work on the footing, and there are a few other investments we are working with the county to improve. We look forward to the day when Heritage Park can host regular shows.
- Survey of Equine Economic Impact. This is important data that we need to understand the issues facing our community as well as presenting the anonymized data to our leaders to show the strength, diversity, and significance of horses in our area.
- Connected trails throughout the Athens area.
- Website “wing” – to provide information for landowners and community members. Inspired by ELCR.org.
- Organize information by county to help educate the community and get involved in issues every horse owner faces.
- Programs that farm owners and land owners can use to ensure that their farms stay green space for generations.
4. We have lots of exciting dreams and plans to turn our mission into a vision. Get involved! We definitely have something to do that fits into your strengths!