Worth Repeating!

The following was written by Dan Brown, Superintendent of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, for the Kennesaw Mountain Historical Association newsletter:
From the Superintendent’s Desk

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is one of the most loved parks in the National Park system. People love it for different reasons – its role in Civil War history, its natural beauty, or simply because it is a natural oasis in the midst of a sea of development. Nearly 1 ½ million visitors enjoy the park each year, more than 90% visiting for recreational purposes. That has a tremendous impact on this small historical park, yet it expresses the need people have for natural spaces and “passive” recreation. For many years, preservations agreed that increased visitation to national parks threatened the integrity of these unique resources. Stephen T. Mather, the first director for the National Park Service, consistently urged the creation of state and local parks with natural recreational areas that would act as safety valves to the national parks.

A group of local citizens has initiated a grassroots effort to set aside additional park lands in Cobb County. Calling themselves the Cobb Parks Coalition, they hope to gain enough public support to get a referendum on the November ballot for the County to issue $40 million in bonds, using the funds to purchase land for additional County parks. This approach would not raise taxes, and with the current rapid pace of development and escalating land prices, it would enable the County to begin acquiring land immediately while it is still available. Cobb Parks Coalition encourages you to get on their mailing list at www.cobbparks.blogspot.com, and to contact your County Commissioner. This may be the last generation with this opportunity.