Sierra Club lauds activist Paulson

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, December 28, 2006, by MDJ staff writer Ashley Hungerford

Marietta - The Sierra Club's Centennial Group has named Cobb Parks Coalition leader Paul Paulson Activist of the Year and honored the group with its 2006 Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Paulson and the coalition, a grassroots group, campaigned to pass Cobb's $40 million park bond. Cobb voters overwhelmingly approved the bond by 72 percent in November. The bond will be used to buy new land for future park use.

Sierra Club chairwoman Kathryn Hutton said the coalition and Paulson each deserved the awards.

"We look at people who have contributed not only to the group, but also what the Sierra Club stands for," she said. "Paul really took on this project of informing the public of the parks bond."

The Centennial Group of the Sierra Club promotes conservation and follows issues that impact the environment. The group includes Cobb, Cherokee and north Fulton counties.

Ms. Hutton said when the club sees an effort like the Cobb Parks Coalition and Paulson's then they feel it should be recognized.

"I think the Sierra Club is out there to protect the environment, and there have been very few displays of our local government that have gone to protecting our local environment," Paulson said. "Finally something was done in Cobb that was right up their (Sierra Club's) alley."

Paulson said the coalition is a group of regular residents who came together without a lot of money to promote green space preservation in Cobb.

"A lot of people worked hard, and without the group effort it would not have happened," he said.

Joni Cope, a member of Cobb Parks Coalition, said the coalition's effort to pass the bond got the attention of many activist clubs.

"(The parks bond) brought home the message that green space is important to everyone in the community," Ms. Cope said. "And the green space issue crosses political lines."

Cobb commissioners this month appointed a 15-member committee to help determine which properties to buy with the bond money. Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens has said the committee will start meeting in January, and land purchases could begin in March or April.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com