Governor Perdue Launches Conservation Campaign
Conserve Georgia to Promote Conservation of Energy, Land and Water; ConserveGeorgia.org Website Launched

EAST POINT, Ga. (April 24, 2008)– Governor Sonny Perdue today launched a new conservation campaign aimed at creating a culture of conservation among Georgia residents, businesses, organizations, local governments and schools. Conserve Georgia is a statewide multi-agency marketing and public education effort aimed at promoting the conservation of energy, land and water; the prevention of litter; and the promotion of recycling.

   "If there is one benefit of Georgia's record drought, it is the renewed emphasis on the importance of conservation in the daily lives of all Georgians," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "Our state is blessed with a wealth of natural resources, but the drought has shown us that they are not unlimited. The stewardship of energy, land and water resources is vital to the lives of our state's citizens. Most importantly, conservation is the right thing to do, in times of scarcity or abundance."

   Conserve Georgia's website – conservegeorgia.org – is a one-stop-shop portal to the state's conservation programs. Any Georgian or organization seeking more information on how to conserve the state's natural resources, can visit conservegeorgia.org and easily access all of the state's conservation programs and information.

   The state's current conservation efforts are organized among as many as nine different agencies, including the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Community Affairs, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Department of Education, Department of Transportation and the Department of Agriculture. Creating a unified marketing campaign for the state's conservation programs will help the state of Georgia achieve greater results through coordination, common goals, and shared branding. The leadership of the ten state agencies and divisions will form the Conserve Georgia Council and will serve as the decision making body for Conserve Georgia.

   The Conserve Georgia Council will identify and partner with public and private sector organizations and entities to further the mission of Conserve Georgia. The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) will coordinate the effort. GEFA Executive Director Chris Clark will serve as chairman of the Conserve Georgia Council.

   Governor Perdue signed the Executive Order forming Conserve Georgia at Pratt Industries' recycling facility in East Point. The facility receives and processes material from homes and businesses throughout Georgia and the Southeast, offering a convenient manner for citizens to recycle and divert material from the landfill. Pratt Industries, which is based in Conyers, recently committed $1 billion to construct and operate at least three new 100 percent recycled paper mills, four waste-to-energy plants, and 30 recycling facilities.