Conservation Fund Buys Carter Family Farm

The 2,458-acre Plains, Georgia property will expand the Lanahassee Creek Wildlife Management Area to nearly 7,000 acres.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in National Parks

Wide landscape photograph of young longleaf pine rows in sandy Georgia soil, with mature pines and a shaded creek edge under warm late-day light. — The Conservation Fund bought about 2,458 acres near Plains, Georgia, the farm where President Jimmy Carter grew up, to expand a wildlife area to nearly 7,000 acres. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should the government protect more private land for wildlife and public recreation?

The Conservation Fund acquired about 2,458 acres just outside Plains, Georgia, the farm where President Jimmy Carter grew up and returned throughout his life. The land will expand the Lanahassee Creek Wildlife Management Area to nearly 7,000 acres.

Why it matters

The project protects the land where Carter's conservation ethic took root. It also links the former president's personal ties to the state's public wildlife lands.

The Conservation Fund acquired roughly 2,458 acres, and the expanded Lanahassee Creek Wildlife Management Area is projected to reach nearly 7,000 acres. Public access for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation is expected as soon as 2027, though final access rules have not been announced.

The players

The Conservation Fund

A national land conservation nonprofit that acquires and protects working and natural lands across the United States.

Jimmy Carter

The 39th President of the United States, who grew up on the Plains, Georgia farm and later signed major federal land protection legislation.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

The state agency responsible for managing Georgia's wildlife, parks and natural resources, which will receive the transferred land.

The details

Much of the property was replanted with young longleaf pine, while a stand of mature longleaf pine was kept at Carter's request. The land is habitat for the gopher tortoise, and adjacent creeks support rare freshwater mussels.

December 1980: Carter signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
2019: The Conservation Fund helped Georgia establish the Lanahassee Creek Wildlife Management Area.
Monday, November 9, 2026: The Conservation Fund announced the farm acquisition.
2027: The farm is expected to open to public outdoor recreation.
2028: The Conservation Fund will transfer the land to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Travel Outlook

The acquisition extends the conservation legacy Carter established through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which protected more than 104 million acres in December 1980. It places a former president's family farm into the state's public wildlife system rather than private ownership.

Visitors interested in outdoor recreation near Plains will have new public land to explore once the farm opens, expected as soon as 2027. Specific access rules and booking requirements have not yet been announced, so travelers should check with state wildlife officials before planning trips.

The takeaway

Protected public land near Plains will give Georgians and visitors a new place for outdoor recreation tied to the Carter family's conservation history. Check Georgia Department of Natural Resources announcements for access details as the transfer approaches.

What happens next

The farm is expected to open to the public for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation as soon as 2027, and the land will transfer to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in 2028.