Coweta County

will participate in the governor's new green space program, but the Coweta

County Commission is not sure how successful the program will ultimately

be.

The commissioners

signed two resolutions Tuesday night to be eligible for the program and

gain $397,000 from the state to start it.

Gov. Roy Barnes'

program gives money to the 40 fastest growing counties in the state to

purchase land to set aside as green space. The program's ambitious goal

is to preserve 20 percent of the county's total acreage, which would be

nearly 53,000 acres.

While supporting

the program, Commissioner Jim McGuffey doesn't believe it can survive

on government's support alone.

"It would

take about $375 million to buy that much land," he said.

Commission

Chairman Vernon "Mutt" Hunter agreed with McGuffey and said

this is another political plan that could meet an early demise.

"We've

got all these plans, such as reducing waste in the landfills, that are

just sitting on the shelf. This will probably wind up there too,"

he said.

McGuffey commented

that everybody wants to preserve green space, but there were only five

people at the meeting Tuesday who were concerned about the project.

"I'm sure

we'll eventually be criticized by people who didn't have the resolve to

attend tonight's public hearing," he said.

The resolutions

are due at the state by Nov. 30 and so far only Bibb and Gwinnett counties

have had their programs approved by the state.

Representatives

from the Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Development Center are completing

the county's application and are hopeful that Coweta's program will be

the next approved by the state.

In addition

to purchasing land with state funds, the program also allows private land

owners to either donate money to the program or place their land in a

conservation trust program.

"That's

the only way this program has a chance of working," said McGuffey.