THOMASVILLE — More than 2,400 acres of Thomas County land purchased by state government will provide a variety of recreation opportunities and protect a federally protected creature.

Located along the Ochlockonee River and Barnetts Creek in western Thomas County, about 2,421 acres were purchased by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wildlife Resources Division.

The tract, River Creek Plantation Wildlife Management Area, has 4.5 miles of river frontage and four miles along Barnetts Creek.

“It’s all forestland,” said Phil Spivey, DNR wildlife biologist at the site

The Conservation Fund in Arlington, Va., purchased the property from Kauka Farms Inc. in late January.

According to documents in the office of Thomas County tax assessors, state government paid about $7.4 million for the land Aug. 11.

Mixed-hardwood pine stands are in low areas near the two bodies of water. The tract also contains 500 acres of long-leaf pines and wiregrass.

The land is the site of planted pines and several species of wild orchids.

“The property was put together in the 1930s by (the late) T.T. Scott,” Spivey explained. ” … We’re going to manage it for wildlife.”

Some $2.5 million of the money came from a federal grant to manage a habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Spivey said most of the birds are found in national forests, such as in the Apalachicola National Forest in the Florida Panhandle.

“Most red-cockaded woodpeckers on private land are practically gone,” Spivey said.

Some 183 family groups of the bird have been found in Georgia Red Hills Region near Thomasville. Through proper management DNR wildlife personnel hope the red-cockaded woodpecker will move to River Creek Plantation. If not, the bird can be moved there from nearby Greenwood Plantation, which is across the Ochlockonee River, or from elsewhere.

Limited hunting will be available at River Creek during the upcoming hunting season. Hunting will be administered through a quota system and include dove, deer, turkey, rabbit/squirrel and waterfowl.

“They’re going to allow a handful of quail hunts,” Spivey said.

Interested hunting parties should apply by letter to Georgia DNR, Game Management Region 5, 2024 Newton Road, Albany, Ga. 31701. Or interested persons may refer to page 26 of the 2005-065 Hunting Season and Regulations for quota and hunt application deadlines and hunt dates.

Some waterfowl hunts and fishing events will allow participation of children.

Some people might want to visit River Creek and observe the pine forest, birds and butterflies.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue announced the project Friday at an Atlanta meeting of the Georgia Conservancy Conference.

“This is a prime example of the land-conservation program the governor initiated,” Shane Hix, governor’s office deputy press secretary, told the Times-Enterprise Monday.

Spivey and his wife, Kitty Spivey DNR wildlife preservation public affairs specialist, work together from a farm house on the land, They reside in Thomasville.

“Plans are still in the works,” Spivey said Monday bout the new project.

Most of the money used to purchase River Creek was from federal land private sources, Of the $2.5 million in state money, $2 million is bond money originally intended to build a proposed reservoir in West Georgia.

Acquisition of the land was made possible through projects partners including The Conservation Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section license tag sales, Weekend for Wildlife donors, Kauka Farms Inc., national Wildlife Turkey Federation and Balfour Land Co.



Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 220.