Details on Lake Lanier Association Involvement with the ACF Stakeholders

Dear List Members,

Below for your information is a link to an article in today’s AJC about the Lake Lanier Association’s (LLA) involvement in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Stakeholders.  The LLA’s involvement is in addition to our intervention in the Tri-States litigation assuring that we are participating in the legal process.

To join the Lake Lanier Association or to donate to our legal fund, please visit our Web site, www.lakelanier.org

AJC article by Jeremy Redmon

Lake Lanier Association has been involved in the formation of the ACF Stakeholders from the very beginning when Val Perry and I attended an exploratory meeting in LaGrange last year. The sole purpose of the first meeting was to see if there was enough optimism to schedule a second meeting. Through a process that involved multiple meetings in the ACF Basin to explore the potential support for the group to a series of Steering Committee meetings that developed an agreed upon charter and bylaws with mission and goals, a cohesive group has emerged.

This is the first group with a goal to speak as a unified voice for the interests of the stakeholders on the ACF Basin. How persuasive this voice will be remains to be seen. But with power companies, cities, counties, businesses, water suppliers, advocacy groups and environmental groups from Apalachicola to Lake Lanier already as members, there is room for optimism that the federal and state will want to hear what this group has to say.

A major milestone will occur on December 10th when the first Governing Board will meet in Albany, GA after a selection process that begins on December 1st. At that point, there will be an official body empowered to make decisions regarding issues to be tackled and positions to be taken. Do not expect overnight announcements. Just as it took months for the group to coalesce around a common set of mission and goals and organizational structure, it will take time for the group to arrive at consensus decisions. Keep in mind that the political and legal structures have been at this for 18 years.

Visit www.acfstakeholders.org for details on the history of the group and to stay abreast of the status. An application is on the website for those wishing to join.

Wilton Rooks,
Vice President, Technology, LLA