Point Reyes Light- October 22, 1998
Seashore boss off to aid Republic of Georgia
Point Reyes National Seashore Supt. Don Neubacher this past week flew to the Republic of Georgia where he will visit nature reserves, offering advice on wilderness preservation and tourism.
Georgia, which is located on the shores of the Black Sea, had sought out Neubacher's advice because parks and tourism could be sources of income for the newly independent country.
"I'm really looking forward to this trip," Neubacher said last week. "We have three basic objectives: to establish a working relationship and cooperative agreement with the Republic of Georgia, to provide assistance over the next five years, and provide recommendations after reviewing the overall structure of their federal park system."
Sandwiched between Turkey, Armenia, and Russia, the Republic of Georgia is about the same size as the country of Panama. And like Panama, Georgia has historically served as a crossroads for travelers and traders, mostly Greeks, Persians, Armenians and Turks.
The unique - and somewhat puzzling - Georgian language developed somewhere along the steep slopes of the Caucasus Mountains - long a geographical divide between Georgia and Russia.
Georgia became a Russian province in 1801 and was under Soviet rule until 1991, when it gained its independence.
Although Georgians suffered economically after establishing a presidential republic seven years ago, they've recovered somewhat and blossomed - thanks to support from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Now, the republic is in better financial shape than Russia.
The country is taking advantage of its newfound economic strength by safeguarding the wealth it already has in natural and cultural resources, Neubacher said.
"The countryside is spectacular," he noted. "Some of the mountain ranges resemble the Sierra, and about 40 percent of the country is forest. There's also a wide variety of wildlife - mountain goats, striped hyenas, red deer, and gazelles."
The republic has already established more than 20 nature reserves and several hunting areas, Neubacher said, adding that he will visit the Tusheti and Vashlovani nature reserves. "I'm impressed with the level of sophistication and the scientific research they've done on the species in these protected areas."
Also impressive, he said, is that the protected areas form about 24 percent of the entire country; by contrast, only 4 percent of the land area of the US is federally protected.
Staff of the Department of Nature Reserves, Protected Areas, and Hunting of Georgia are particularly interested in learning how the US Park Service protects its endangered and threatened species, he said.
In addition, he said, they're interested in parks like the Point Reyes National Seashore that integrate wildlife management with ranching and farming.
Sheep ranching, cattle ranching, and grape growing are deeply rooted in the republic. According to archeological evidence, Georgians have been drinking wine since the Neolithic Age. And the Old Testament says that one of the first things Noah did after his ark landed south of Georgia on Mount Ararat was to plant a vineyard.
While he looks forward to savoring the local wine, Neubacher said he's more interested in promoting coastal conservation. "Some of their nature reserves are located along the Black Sea, and they're interested in ways we've managed the coastline here. For example, we've been very successful protecting elephant seals and other native species."
Unlike the National Seashore, which forms an island between two relatively clean and federally protected bodies of water - Tomales Bay and the Pacific Ocean, Georgia's parks border the polluted Black Sea.
Along with five other coastal nations (Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey) Georgians have been working to restore the Black Sea since 1993.
Neubacher said he'll be working closely with Paata Shanshiashvili, a conservationist working on the Black Sea project. He will also meet with members of the Georgian parliament and with other government officials, possibly including President Eduard Shevardnadze.
The Georgian government is practical, Neubacher said, adding that it hopes to increase revenues by boosting tourism. "Because I helped with planning the Presidio and have some experience with visitor accommodations, they have asked me for some recommendations for infrastructure, visitor centers, and public restrooms."
He noted that the Georgian countryside is filled with historic monuments, such as early Christian churches that are set against mountains covered with boxwood, beech, oak and pine. He said he can't wait to investigate the foreign flora and fauna.
"Technical-advisory trips like this are life experiences for me," he said. "In a larger sense, they're reflections of us becoming a global community, working together towards environmental protection."