Saxby Chambliss: “a mere 20 minutes from the steel and concrete economic dynamo that is modern Atlanta, you can find a quiet refuge where…”

“a mere 20 minutes from the steel and concrete economic dynamo that is modern Atlanta, you can find a quiet refuge where history and natural beauty still exist side by side. I speak of the area around Arabia Mountain which contains ecosystems home to endangered species, historic structures and archaeological sites. Its proximity to Atlanta makes it accessible to millions of Americans, but also puts it in danger of urban sprawl. No strip mall should obliterate the ancient soapstone quarry which attracted Native Americans over 5,000 years ago. Nor should overdevelopment mar Arabia Mountain, the granite outcropping at the center of the area. This region contains much pristine land, farmland, and the charming town of Lithonia. Lithonia, home to many fine buildings made of locally quarried granite, has a name which means ``stone city.'' The Arabia Mountain area still has a few farms from the days when it was the heart of Georgia's dairy industry, and has remnants of the 1820s Georgia Gold Rush which predated the more famous California Gold Rush by two decades. If we are serious about preserving this irreplaceable history and environment, we must act to designate Arabia Mountain in DeKalb County as a National Heritage Area.”