Jimmy Carter’s Georgia Farm Acquired for Permanent Protection and Public Access

The Conservation Fund announced it has acquired Jimmy Carter’s family farm in southwest Georgia, aiming to open the 2,458-acre property to the public for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation by 2027, with a planned transfer to the state’s natural resources department in 2028.

Plans call for the property to become part of Georgia’s Lanahassee Creek Wildlife Management Area, expanding the protected zone to nearly 7,000 acres.

The acquisition permanently safeguards the land dear to the late former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, whose conservation ethic was deeply rooted in his upbringing.

Carter, who grew up on the farm, signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in late 1980, protecting over 104 million acres—the largest federal lands expansion in U.S. history.

During his presidency, he established 39 units of the national park system, including the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Atlanta.

The Conservation Fund traces Carter’s major conservation achievements directly to his experiences on this farm, where he worked alongside his father, Earl, in peanut, corn, and sugarcane operations, and later returned to hunt, walk with his wife Rosalynn, and fish.

Carter specifically requested that a stand of mature longleaf pine trees be preserved, and in one of his final land conservation decisions, much of the farm was replanted with young longleaf pine to restore the native forest ecosystem, vital habitat for tortoises and rare freshwater mussels in nearby creeks.

Stacy Funderburke, vice president of the Conservation Fund’s central south-east region, said: “Long before Jimmy Carter protected millions of acres across America, he was a boy working the fields and roaming the woods of southwest Georgia. This land shaped him and his legacy, and he never stopped coming home to it. We’re honored to help ensure this land remains a healthy habitat for wildlife, and we look forward to the day it is open to everyone who wants to experience it.”

Jason Carter, the former president’s grandson, added: “For our family, this land was always about more than a farm. It was home—a place my grandparents treasured. We’re grateful to The Conservation Fund and to everyone working to make sure it’s protected for generations to come.”

The Conservation Fund notes this farm is distinct from Carter’s boyhood home, which is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service and preserves the house where he lived as a child.

A former Georgia governor and Democrat, Carter defeated Republican Gerald Ford to win his lone presidential term, but lost to Ronald Reagan in 1980 amid the Iran hostage crisis.

After leaving office, Carter received the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve global conflicts peacefully, advance human rights and democracy, and promote economic and social development.

The devout Baptist and former president died at age 100 in December 2024, little more than a year after the passing of his wife, Rosalynn Carter.

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