State poised to buy 9,595 acres of Oaky Woods

Oaky Woods, besides a prime habitat for black bears, threatened plant species and extensive bottom-land hardwoods, is perhaps better known for its legacy in state politics. The 19,000-acre tract in Houston County stretches from the town of Kathleen to the Ocmulgee River. Gov. Sonny Perdue purchased 101 acres near his Houston County home in 2003, property that is near Oaky Woods. A timber company that owned the property offered it for sale to the state in 2004.

The state, however, decided it could not afford the asking price for the entire tract, despite an offer by The Nature Conservancy to bid $26 million for the property if the state agreed to buy it from the private environmental group later. It was sold instead for $32 million -- about $1,600 an acre -- to a group of investors who announced plans to build a huge residential and commercial development, including 30,000 homes.

The proposed development drove up demand for nearby tracts, angered locals and environmentalists, and helped Perdue's 101 acres double in value to $750,100 by late 2006.

Since the purchase by Oaky Woods Properties LLC, the real estate market collapsed, as did the investors' plans to build on the property. Oaky Woods Properties is owned by Charlie McGlamry, Charles Ayer, Scott Free and Art Williams Jr.

By 2007, when the group again was looking to sell the property to the state, the price had spiked to $14,000 an acre. The state and the investors failed to find an acceptable price and by 2009 the owners had hired an Atlanta firm to lobby the state in hopes of finding a deal.

The lobbyists, Brad Alexander, former chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and Heath Garrett, who had the same job for U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., continued to work with other entities, including local residents, to try and find funding for a purchase.

Now a deal appears close, at a cost of $3,000 an acre, meaning Oaky Woods Properties' investors will have nearly doubled their investment in six years.

Environmentalists, who feared the loss of what's been called one of the wildest areas in Georgia, hailed the news.

"If they can buy some of it that's better than losing all of it," said Mark Woodall, chairman of the Georgia Sierra Club. "Better late than never. That's an outstanding hardwood bottomland, bear habitat, flood plain. It's all the things we're losing so much of in Georgia. It's certainly one of the key tracts to protect in the state of Georgia. Everybody would like to see that protected."

Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley said the governor was not involved in the negotiations, but said the state has been trying to purchase the property for years.

"Since 2003, the state has conserved over 200,000 acres through purchases, donations and easements," Brantley said. "The conservation of Oaky Woods is a terrific addition to the state's portfolio, ensuring that Georgians will be able to enjoy use of the land for generations to come."

The 9,595 acres the state might purchase is not adjacent to Perdue's property, said Curry, the DNR spokeswoman, adding the state worked to carve out a tract that includes as much property along the Ocmulgee River as possible.

"We simply don't have the money to buy the whole thing," Curry said. "This really conserves the key areas, getting in the bear population and getting the land that kind of snakes down to the Ocmulgee River, to get us on that river corridor."

The state has maintained the 16,000-acre tract of Oaky Woods that it leases as a wildlife management area, where hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor activities have been available. Curry said if the purchase is approved, the state will continue to lease the remaining 6,500 acres at least until its agreement expires on June 30. Whether the state continues to lease the remaining acreage will be decided later, she said.

The DNR board meets next week in Atlanta. The purchase will be considered first by the land acquisition committee on Tuesday and, if approved, by the full DNR board on Wednesday. At that point, the State Properties Commission would also have to approve the purchase.