Georgia Power announced as 2026 Georgia Forestry for Wildlife Partner

Georgia Power has been announced as a Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 2026 Forestry for Wildlife Partner. The Forestry for Wildlife Partnership is a voluntary, noncompetitive and participant-driven program that promotes enhanced wildlife conservation on the holdings of large landowners, helps deliver wildlife technical assistance, training and outreach, and recognizes partners for their wildlife conservation achievements.  

Recently Gov. Brian Kemp, first lady Marty Kemp, and DNR leaders named four corporate leaders, Georgia Power, Forest Investment Associates, Rayonier, and Weyerhaeuser, as partners who have benefited wildlife on nearly one million acres of privately owned land across Georgia. Landowners with at least 10,000 acres can take part in the Forestry for Wildlife Partnership. 

Forestry for Wildlife Partnership has promoted wildlife conservation and sustainable forestry as part of forest management for almost three decades. Partner projects are coordinated by DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division and focused on improvements supported by the Bobwhite Quail Initiative and State Wildlife Action Plan, two statewide strategies. Work varies from restoring habitat for red-cockaded woodpeckers to preserving wetlands used by rare amphibians and prairies with rare plants. The partnership also provides public recreation opportunities such as wildlife viewing, hunting and fishing. 

Several of the conservation activities highlighted as a part of the partnership include: 

• Donating land to help conserve protected species, including red-cockaded woodpeckers at Sprewell Bluff. Georgia Power has provided funding and improved the suitability of the habitat in other areas such as Plants Hatch and Vogtle. 

• Coordinating with DNR and others to conduct prescribed burns on properties bordering conservation lands. 

• Monitoring and protecting bald eagle nests on company lands. Georgia Power has assisted with nest surveys and protects nests during maintenance activities. 

• Restoring priority habitats such as longleaf pine habitats at Plants Vogtle and Hatch, and Blanton Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and shortleaf pine savannas at Oconee WMA. 

• Managing land to conserve and increase populations of gopher tortoises, a keystone species and Georgia’s state reptile. Plant Vogtle has served as a recipient site for translocated tortoises. Georgia Power participates in the Multi-State Gopher Tortoise Candidate Conservation Agreement and the Georgia Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative (GTCI) and played a significant role in helping GTCI reach its goal of 65 protected viable populations. 

• Providing public opportunities to enjoy the outdoors via hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. Georgia Power hydropower reservoirs are open for public recreation, including hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, boating and more. Georgia Power land is provided to DNR for use as public WMAs at Blanton Creek, Rum Creek, and Oconee. 

Georgia Power is proud to be a good steward of abundant, healthy woodlands that are essential for wildlife. 

To find out more about Georgia Power’s Environmental Stewardship programs please go to, Environmental Stewardship | Georgia Power.