State Preserve purchase was possible
State had funds that could have bought Oaky Woods by Perdue home
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - November 1, 2006
Ken Foskett and James Salzer

In 2004, Georgia walked away from a chance to buy one of the state's most significant wildlife preserves from timber giant Weyerhaeuser Corp. for about $30 million. The given reason: a tight state budget.

Yet that same year the state directed $44 million available to the Department of Natural Resources toward other projects, and Gov. Sonny Perdue proposed borrowing $1 billion in bonds for other priorities.

And Oaky Woods, a 20,000-acre preserve adjacent to Perdue's home and surrounding land, went into private hands. The forest — a black bear habitat prized by hunters and environmentalists for more than 40 years — was bought by a group of developers from Houston County in June 2004. They plan to build up to 35,000 homes on it.

The value of some of Perdue's adjacent property has more than doubled.

Jim Butler, a former Department of Natural Resources board of directors member who is supporting Perdue's opponent, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, accused Perdue of putting his own interests before Georgians'.

"Perdue refused to buy this treasure for Georgia for one reason only: for the personal, financial gain of himself and his friends," said Butler, who was appointed to the board by former democratic Gov. Zell Miller and served from 1998 to 2005.

Perdue's spokesman declined Tuesday to answer questions about the state's decision not to purchase Oaky Woods.

"The AJC has become the personal attack dog of their endorsed candidate Mark Taylor," Derrick Dickey wrote in a statement sent to the newspaper. "The governor has fully disclosed everything and is focused on creating jobs and improving education ... not catering to the AJC and Mark Taylor's ridiculous conspiracy theories."

In a statement sent to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week, Perdue said Weyerhaeuser didn't give the state enough time to put together a proposal for Oaky Woods — a charge Weyerhaeuser denies.

Perdue also said Georgia's fiscal crisis of 2004 prevented the state from bidding on Oaky Woods.

Nonetheless, Perdue's fiscal 2005 budget, adopted in 2004, was loaded with projects, including $200 million for the state university system and $84 million for roads.

The governor's budget also directed the $44 million available to DNR toward projects such as expanding a state-owned golf course.

The state also might have acquired Oaky Woods without putting any money into the land right away.

The Nature Conservancy, a national land preservation group, was prepared to commit $26 million toward the purchase, but required a commitment that the state would purchase Oaky Woods at a future date.

Citing an uncertain financial picture, DNR turned the offer down.

Purchase undisclosed

Fresh questions about Oaky Woods have surfaced since the Journal-Constitution reported Saturday that Perdue had acquired 101 acres of property next to Oaky Woods and failed to list the transaction in financial disclosure reports.

Perdue had negotiated the purchase of the 101 acres, which is next to his home in Bonaire, in 2003. The property was purchased by a limited liability company formed by Rep. Larry O'Neal (R-Warner Robins), Perdue's attorney.

Perdue was not listed on any public records associated with the company, called Maryson, but Houston County records indicate he paid the tax bill on the land while it was in Maryson's name.

The governor put the property in his name in May 2004, nine days after the state formally notified the Nature Conservancy that it could not give the type of financial assurance the conservancy was seeking for an Oaky Woods purchase.

The governor has offered conflicting statements about his involvement with Maryson. He has acknowledged negotiating to buy the land held by Maryson, but denied that he had "any interest" in the company.

The governor has not explained who was involved with the company or why he is listed as paying the taxes on the property while it was in Maryson's name. The value of the property has risen from $303,000 to $750,100 since Maryson acquired it in 2003.

'Rare opportunity' lost

Butler, the former DNR board member, said Perdue passed up a rare opportunity in Oaky Woods. "This was a treasure that was available to all Georgians at a bargain-basement price," he said.

Former DNR commissioner Lonice Barrett, now on the governor's executive staff, told the Journal-Constitution that Perdue had encouraged him to seek financing options for Oaky Woods. But the governor did not offer any options of his own, Barrett said.

Over the years, Georgia has acquired a number of so-called legacy tracts — large pieces of property noted for ecological and preservation value. DNR officials considered Oaky Woods such a tract and their highest priority for acquisition.

Straddling the Ocmulgee River in central Georgia, the land is home to a large population of black bears and several rare species of plants.

The strategy for purchasing such land generally requires the state to commit millions of dollars and seek financial help from outside donors.

In 2000 and 2001, the state acquired nearly 20,000 acres near Albany; the Chickasawhatchee swamp is considered the most important wetland outside the Okefenokee swamp.

Then-Gov. Roy Barnes negotiated an elaborate deal among the state, the landowners and the Nature Conservancy.

The Nature Conservancy bought the land from the landowner, and then the state bought it from the conservancy in two stages. The state paid $30.5 million in taxpayer money and secured an additional $7 million from the Woodruff Foundation and the Doris Duke Foundation.

In an interview, Barnes said the governor has the power to secure funding for land purchases.

"The governor says we are going to do this, and it's done," Barnes said. On a purchase price of $25 million to $30 million, "you are talking about finding less than $2 million to cover the debt."

Taylor, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said Perdue should have recommended that the state borrow the money to buy Oaky Woods in 2004.

"Throughout our history, the purchase of valuable, environmentally sensitive land for wildlife management areas has always been part of bond packages," Taylor said.

(Original URL: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2006/10/31/1101metoaky.html)

Also see:
Connecting dots on Sonny’s Land Deals & Tax Breaks
Steve Scroggins, GHC, November 1, 2006

Oaky Woods Corruption Update
Steve Scroggins, GHC, December 7, 2009

Sonny won, public lost on his refusal to buy Oaky Woods
Marietta Daily Journal, November 5, 2006

Perdue Failed to Disclose Land Buy Near Prized Tract
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 28, 2006

Shipp: Perdue says no to conservation
Bill Shipp, Athens Banner-Herald, October 29, 2006