The commission chairmen from 12 North Georgia counties – including Franklin County's Thomas Bridges – sent a letter Monday asking Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to close state parks in their communities.
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The commission chairmen from 12 North Georgia counties – including Franklin County's Thomas Bridges – sent a letter Monday asking Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to close state parks in their communities. -
The commission chairmen from 12 North Georgia counties – including Franklin County's Thomas Bridges – sent a letter Monday asking Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to close state parks in their communities. (File photo taken during a previous summer)
The commission chairmen from 12 North Georgia counties – including Franklin County's Thomas Bridges – sent a letter Monday asking Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to close state parks in their communities.
"Many County Commissioners in our area are actively discouraging any and all nonresidents from visiting our area until the pandemic has resolved itself," the letter reads in part. "The United States Forest Service has taken steps to discourage the influx of people by closing down all of its "sited" campgrounds, but the continued operation of the state parks is stressing our community’s resources in a substantial manner. On behalf of the many citizens that live in North Georgia who entrust us as County Commissioners to represent their interests, we respectfully ask you to close all of the state parks located in our area immediately."
The letter is signed by the county commission chairmen from Franklin, Habersham, Towns, Rabun, White, Gilmer, Dade, Lumpkin, Fannin, Stephens, Union and Banks counties.
Habersham Chairman Stacy Hall and Habersham Commission member Tim Stamey led the effort to draft the letter.
"My fellow commissioners and I have been very concerned about the influx of visitors to our area during this Statewide Shelter in Place Order," Hall said in a press release. "While during normal times we welcome folks to enjoy the beauty of North Georgia, we want to encourage folks during this pandemic to postpone travel to a safer time and to shelter in place."
Franklin County has two state parks – Tugaloo State Park near Lavonia and Victoria Bryant State Park near Franklin Springs.
Both parks posted information on their Facebook pages after Gov. Kemp's shelter-in-place order was released Thursday.
"During this difficult time, being in nature can be especially comforting," the Facebook post reads. "Per Gov. Brian Kemp’s Executive Order, outdoor activity is identified as an essential activity, as long as visitors follow CDC social-distancing guidelines. As a result, most State Parks and Historic Sites remain open, including most trails, lakes, golf courses, campgrounds and cabins. Visitor centers, museums, playgrounds and some other amenities are closed. For the latest details, visit GaStateParks.org/alerts and follow the Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites Facebook page. You may also call the park office for assistance."
Local residents have reported that Tugaloo State Park was very busy the last weekend in March with boaters and other visitors.
The full letter from the commission chairmen is below:
April 6, 2020
Office of the Governor of Georgia
206 Washington Street
Suite 203, State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
RE: Closing all State Parks in North Georgia
Dear Governor Kemp:
Thank you for your leadership during this unprecedented and difficult time for Georgia. We are grateful for the recent actions you have taken to help keep us all safe.
As County Commissioners in North Georgia, we are writing to request that you issue an Executive Order closing down all of the state parks located in our area for the duration of the Statewide Shelter in Place Order. While we are blessed to live in such a beautiful and abundant area of Georgia that hosts so many wonderful state parks, our constituents are highly concerned about the increased traffic to our area during the Statewide Shelter in Place Order. A significant portion of this increased traffic is coming from COVID-19 hot spots such as Atlanta or from areas outside our state.
During normal times, we are very thankful for the many Georgians and other tourists who visit and explore our area and frequent our state parks. As public awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased, there has been a recent surge in visitors to our area. It appears that these nonresidents believe our area is a safe haven because of its rural nature. To the contrary, the influx of people into our communities has had a staggering detrimental effect on our resources. Our communities simply do not have enough hospital beds or medical personnel to care for the inflated population. Similarly, there is not enough food, dry goods, fuel and other supplies to adequately provide for the numbers we are experiencing.
Many County Commissioners in our area are actively discouraging any and all nonresidents from visiting our area until the pandemic has resolved itself. The United States Forest Service has taken steps to discourage the influx of people by closing down all of its "sited" campgrounds, but the continued operation of the state parks is stressing our community’s resources in a substantial manner.
On behalf of the many citizens that live in North Georgia who entrust us as County Commissioners to represent their interests, we respectfully ask you to close all of the state parks located in our area immediately.
Sincerely,
Stacy Hall, Chairman, Habersham County
Cliff Bradshaw, Sole Commissioner, Towns County
Greg James, Rabun County Commissioner
Travis Turner, Chairman, White County
Thomas Bridges, Chairman, Franklin County
Charlie Paris, Chairman, Gilmer County
Ted Rumley, Chairman, Dade County
Chris Dockery, Chairman, Lumpkin County
Stan Helton, Chairman, Fannin County
Dennis Bell, Chairman, Stephens County
Jimmy T. Hooper, Chairman, Banks County
Lamar Paris, Sole Commissioner, Union County