Hightower, other educational forests to close

DAWSONVILLE - Three educational forests in Georgia, including Hightower in Dawson County, will be closing soon because of budget cuts.

Cathy Black, a forester and education coordinator at the 570-acre Richmond County forest, has hosted about 5,000 students each year at Spirit Creek since it opened. She says she will continue to work for the commission as a management forester based in Columbia County.

The commission's other education forests are Bartram in Milledgeville and Hightower in Dawson County.

Forestry commission spokeswoman Wendy Burnett says it may be possible to gain access to the forests after the program ends, but without a program.