If

Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes is successful in his

proposal that the state provide funding to set

aside 20 percent of land in metropolitan areas as

parks and green space, Fayette County should be

first in line, says county Commissioner Glen

Gosa.

"The

governor has proposed this, and I would say that

we have an interest," Gosa added. "I

would like to have a list [of potential green

space preserves in Fayette] so when they come up

with prposals, we can be first in line," he

said.

But

before the county assigns staff the task of

developing such a list, the governor's ideas

should be a little more concrete, said commission

Chairman Harold Bost. "We can adopt the

policy that we're interested, and then try to get

more information before we put staff work into

it," he said.

Commissioners

agreed with that approach during the commission's

annual planning retreat recently, and unanimously

adopted the cautiously interested stance.

In

a recent speech, Barnes said his proposal is born

of a love for Georgia's rural aspects.

"Those

of us who grew up here remember walks in the

woods, swimming in lakes or rivers, and vacations

in the mountains or at the coast," Barnes

said. "I want our children and grandchildren

- and their children's children - to

have those same memories."

The

governor's floor leaders have introduced the

Georgia Community Greenspace Initiative in the

General Assembly. The bill, Barnes said,

establishes the structure and guidelines for

distributing funds to help fast-growing counties

like Fayette buy land for parks.

Barnes

is asking the legislature to put $30 million in

the budget for the project.

To

qualify for the funds, a county must have a

population of at least 60,000 or one that has

grown by at least 800 persons per year on average

since the last census. Fayette qualifies on both

counts.

More

than 40 counties, containing about 73 percent of

the state's population, qualify for the funds,

Barnes said.

To

receive funds, a county must establish an

approved greenspace protection plan by Jan. 1,

2001 with a goal of preserving 20 percent of its

land as green space.

"Preserving

green space not only ensures that children will

have a place to play. It's also good for our

pocketbooks," said Barnes. "As I've

said before, `Quality of life sells

houses.'"

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