Green

space was on the mind of Gov. Roy E. Barnes as he

met with a delegation from the Fayette County

Chamber of Commerce last week.

"Green

space sells houses," Barnes said during an

informal chat with chamber members attending

their annual "Dome Roam." "People

who move here comment on the amount of trees

Georgia has. Nearby green space can add 10

percent to the value of a home," said

Barnes.

Barnes

has proposed to make state funding available to

help high-growth counties preserve 20 percent of

the land as green space.

Twenty-two

chamber members, most of them on the Governmental

Affairs Committee and the Board of Directors,

also met with state school superintendent Linda

Schrenko and legislative members Sen. Greg Hecht,

Sen. Rick Price, Rep. Kathy Cox and Rep. Lynn

Westmoreland.

Lunch

was hosted by Westmoreland, at which time the

chamber members heard from Linda Schrenko and the

legislative representatives.

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