In 2001, a group of concerned farmers, citizens and politicians in Carroll County, Georgia met to discuss the threat of urban sprawl from the growing Atlanta metropolis.  In 2017, with sea levels rising, the influx of people from coastal areas to the Atlanta Metro is predicted to be 2.5 million in the next 20 years further increasing the potential loss of more farm land. The locally based Georgia Agricultural Land Trust (GALT) was formed in 2004, with help from American Farmland Trust, and is  a land trust in the State of Georgia that concentrates on protecting agricultural land, whether used to raise crops, livestock or timber. GALT became active in 2005, and works with farmers throughout Georgia who are interested in voluntarily and permanently preserving their agricultural land.  While the Trust encourages policies that promote farmland conservation, the Trust does not become directly involved in local land use decisions, such as zoning.

      GALT promotes farmland conservation by educating landowners, politicians and citizens on the positive contributions that local agriculture makes to our way of life.  Locally-grown food is fresher and healthier, requires less energy to be delivered to consumers, and is less subject to potential transportation disruptions.  Farms provide open space and, if properly managed, can maintain and improve air and water quality.  Farms require little in the way of local government services, and have been shown to more than pay their way in tax revenues versus cost of services for development.  Farms and rural life are meaningful and important parts of our heritage.

     The Trust may hold fee simple interests in land, but prefers to hold conservation easements, which are voluntary agreements that prevent the use of the land for any activity other than agriculturally-related uses.  With conservation easements, the land remains in private ownership.  The landowner continues to own and manage the land; the owner pays taxes (usually based on the Georgia conservation use assessment); and the land can still be  sold, left to their heirs; or used as collateral for loans – all subject to the terms of the conservation easement.

     While very limited monies are available to purchase conservation easements, there also are significant tax advantages for donating part or all of the value of a conservation easement to a qualified organization, such as the Georgia Agricultural Land Trust. GALT presently holds over 6000 acres in conservation easements throughout the state ranging from a 12-acre pecan orchard to a 1,600-acre crop farm.