The great conservationist, Aldo Leopold, wrote in "A Sand County Almanac": "That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics."

Do we, as Georgians, love and respect our natural resources, and do we have the ethics to protect those resources for future generations? Since 1928, Garden Club of Georgia members have been striving for the protection of Georgia's irreplaceable natural resources. These precious resources are dependent on adequate quantity and quality of water.

Our finite water resources, both surface streams and groundwater, must be managed in the public interest for the public good. At the forefront of our State's water management policy must be provisions to insure adequate quantity and quality of water to sustain our natural resources and quality of life in Georgia.

—Jaydee Ager, GCG President 2003-2005

	Legislative Day at the Capitol, 2008

GCG Advocacy

With "Beautification . . . Conservation . . . Education" as our Mission, GCG and its Legislative Team encourage individual members to contact their elected officials as constituents, especially about conservation issues. Such GCG efforts are defined as volunteer citizen advocacy, acceptable for a 501(c)(3) organization.

• Most years include a Legislative Day at the Capitol to meet/meet with Legislators and focus on specific Bills or Position Paper points.
• Each GCG District has a Legislative Chairman; clubs and councils are also urged to have one.
• GCG Listservs facilitate timely email contact with GCG State Board members in seven GCG Districts, and with individual garden clubs, councils, and members.
• Publications including Garden Gateways, District newsletters, and Board Briefs, and GCG and District websites also spread periodic advocacy and issues information.
• GCG invites members of the Georgia Legislature as guests to meals during events that alternate or rotate among Georgia cities and towns. Such occasions provide opportunity for garden club members and elected officials to meet informally and locally.
• GCG and members cooperate and network with conservation groups. Membership in conservation organizations is encouraged.
• GCG holds periodic Legislative Seminars or workshops at State Convention; local seminars are also encouraged.

GCG Position Papers

Position Papers provide background information and reference points, and can also suggest club program topics. GCG encourages continued self-education on local, Georgia, and national issues. Each Bill for which GCG suggests volunteer constituent advocacy is evaluated for its adherence or lack thereof to the applicable Position Paper or Papers and to the GCG Mission.

Note that Position Paper titles include the year the Paper was first approved by the GCG State Board of Directors. They are reviewed in even numbered years. If revisions are made and approved, the word "revised" and the applicable year will appear at the bottom of each Paper. If no revision is made, each paper will be followed by "reviewed" and the applicable year. All Position Papers were reviewed in 2010.

• GCG Supports Historic Preservation (2004, reviewed 2010)
• GCG Supports Endangered and Protected Flora (2004, reviewed 2010)
• GCG Supports Responsible Litter Control and Waste Reduction (2004, reviewed 2010)
• GCG Supports Billboard Control, Scenic Quality, Scenic Byways and Enhancement Programs (2003, reviewed 2010)
• GCG Supports Public Lands/Greenspace (2003, reviewed 2010)
• GCG Supports Clean Air (2003, reviewed 2010)
• GCG Commits to the Protection of Water as a Public Resource (2003, reviewed 2010)
• GCG Supports Preservation of Endangered Wildlife (2003, reviewed 2010)

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