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Environment

At the southern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains and the high plateaus of the central piedmont, White County is one of the last areas of unspoiled natural beauty. With over forty percent of the land area of White County designated as National Forest and the headwaters for several major river systems, White County residents and businesses understand the importance of these natural resources and provide stewardship over them, while at the same time maintaining a careful balance of growth.  

Environmental awareness and resource protection is also a high priority for several White County-based groups. Air and water quality, litter clean-up and control, land use and recycling are special areas of activity by these organizations. 

Preserve White County leads the community's efforts to heighten awareness of littering, air and water quality and recycling. They are responsible for the Adopt-A-Mile Program in the county, the centrally located recycling center and educational programs in local schools. This group works closely with the White County Board of Commissioners and can be reached at 706.865.2235.

The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) protects Georgia's air, land and water resources through the authority of state and federal environmental statutes. These laws regulate public and private facilities in areas including air quality, water quality, hazardous waste, water supply, solid waste, surface mining and underground storage tanks. EPD issues and enforces all state permits in these areas and has full delegation for federal environmental permits except Section 404 (wetland) permits. The ability to offer "one-stop" permit review and issuance makes the permit process more efficient for applicants.

The White County Chamber of Commerce has an Environmental Committee that coordinates White County Earth Day, the Tree Preservation and Conservation program and White County Clean-up Day.  For more information, or if you're interested in becoming involved with the White County Chamber of Commerce Environmental Committee, please call 706.865.5356.

The White County Chamber of Commerce and the Sautee-Nacoochee Community Association (SNCA) have undertaken a joint project to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of our community.  The project encourages preservation and restoration of tree-cover and good landscaping practices among businesses, developers and the general public in White County and surrounding areas.  Known as "Good Tree-Landscaping," the project is an outgrowth of the Heritage Trees Project conducted by the SNCA over the past two years.  Good Tree-Landscaping is a long-term project that is expected to make White County a more attractive place for tourism and business.  Tree preservation and restoration also helps to enhance water quality and increase water supply.  If you would like to nominate a business that has done a good job of preserving trees and/or landscaping, or if you would like to help as a volunteer, please contact Sam Barton at 706.865.0988, Ted Doll at 706.878.2526 or Tom and Lark Hutto at 706.865.7017.