COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF) – One Columbia County woman is trying to preserve some nature amid new developments.

One lot in particular, at the intersection of Washington Road and William Few Parkway, is bringing up concerns at Columbia County commissioners’ meetings.

“Anyone who thinks, well it’s just land and this is just the way things are and if we cut them down, well too bad so sad – they’re underestimating the impact that it’s going to have on us,” said Marlena Bergeron.

Bergeron lives in Evans, is a UGA Master Gardener, and wants to protect the environment.

“We need to have a little bit of nature everywhere,” Bergeron said. “We need to have a little bit of native plants in our own backyard, we need to preserve a little bit of the existing environment in our commercial development.”

She believes that the roughly three-acre commercial lot on the 70-acre property is home to many plants, trees and other aspects of nature that need to be preserved.

And as construction begins to build a gas station and convenience store on the tract, she wants county leaders to be mindful of this.

“I know there are active efforts right now by the Georgia Native Plant Society that you can have them go into an area that’s going to be developed, dig up the plants and transplant them,” she said. “Either to other properties in the county, or just save them and re-plant them once all the dust settles.”

She thinks this is important for all development projects.

“We need to ask our commissioners to make a natural resources committee as part of the regulatory process,” Bergeron said. “In addition to sewer and water, we need to start having an active team scouting out what groves of trees can be protected, what wildflowers can be rescued and transplanted, as part of a bigger effort that we just keep Columbia County beautiful.”

Bergeron plans to speak at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday at 6 o’clock. She said she just wants balance between growth and preservation.