Welcome to our website!

Chattowah Open Land Trust (COLT) was formed in 1994 by a group of citizens alarmed by rapid sprawling development.  It has since grown into a Southeastern non-profit organization, with a full time staff, protecting thousands of acres of farm and forest land.  COLT is fully recognized by the IRS as a non-profit, charitable organization allowed to hold conservation easements in perpetuity.

When COLT began we focused on riparian areas, thus the name: CHATTahoochee River and EtOWAH River combined.  Since then, COLT has expanded its focus to protect any land with conservation value, including agricultural land, forest land, urban green space, as well as land along rivers.  COLT has grown to cover several states other than Georgia, including Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee.  However, Alabama and Georgia are our primary areas of focus.  Because of our growth, we have changed our name to the Alabama Land Trust and the Georgia Land Trust, based on which state we are working in.

Please click on one of the links below to learn about our state-wide conservation efforts and about what each side of COLT is doing in their respective states.

As of April of 2006, COLT has protected more than 57,000 acres in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee!