| Chatham County Resource Protection Commission Archaeology Panel Discussion! The Chatham County Resource Protection Commission consists of a diverse group of individuals dedicated to protecting Chatham County’s natural heritage. Specifically, this commission works to identify sites within the county that are of ecological, historical, and/or cultural significance and to find ways to protect, conserve, or rehabilitate these sites. Not the first to adopt this mission, the Resource Protection Commission owes its existence to the work of several committees preceding its establishment. Beginning in 1994, the Chatham County Commission appointed the Open Space Committee to identify and protect areas within the county from development. Shortly thereafter, in 2000, the County’s Greenspace Committee was established, which provided each municipality in the county with funds to purchase and protect natural areas within their jurisdiction. As these committees came to an end, the MPC’s Executive Director saw a need for a new resource protection body and therefore established the MPC Resources Protection Committee in 2004. During its existence the Committee created a list of over 100 environmentally sensitive sites, which the new Resource Protection Commission will build upon. In April of 2008, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners officially established the Chatham County Resource Protection Commission (CCRPC) through the approval of the Resource Protection Ordinance. In addition to a board of commissioners, this ordinance created a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) composed of individuals from environmental and historic non-profits, local governments, the Savannah Board of Realtors, the Greater Savannah Home Builders Association, neighborhood associations, and citizens at large. This Committee aids the Commission in identifying, evaluating, and ranking sites for protection. The CCRPC then uses this information to make recommendations to the Chatham County Commission regarding which properties to pursue for protection. Once a property is protected, the TAC creates a long-term management plan for the property detailing the uses allowed and enhancements to be made to the site. For more information on the Resource Protection Commission or if you are interested in serving on the Technical Advisory Committee, please contact Ellen Harris at 912-651-1482 (harrise@thempc.org). In addition, all CCRPC and TAC meetings are open to the public. Click on the "2011 Meeting Dates" link in the green sidebar to see when the next meeting will be held. News A Working Group has been established to develop recommendations on how to better manage natural and historic resources. For more information, click here.
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