The property is the 151,000-acre Chickasawhatchee Swamp tract,also known as the Swamp of Toa. The freshwater swampland lies insouthwest Georgia in parts of three counties, some 190 miles southof Atlanta.

This pristine swamp and wildlife area is considered the state'smost important wetland, second only to the Okefenokee Swamp insouth Georgia. The state plans to designate the swamp as a wildlifemanagement area.

The sale depends on a vote of the Conservancy's national boardof governors by the end of September. The deal would close inOctober. The Chickasawhatchee Swamp is the major recharge area forthe Floridian aquifer, which is the source of drinking water forFlorida, south Georgia and the Georgia coast. The swamp alsoaffects the water flow in the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers, alsomajor water sources and recreational waterways for the area.