The state Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Conservancy and Association County Commissioners of Georgia launched a three-year project Tuesday to identify critically important natural areas on the coast.

The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation committed $700,000, which is most of the money needed for the work.

Jon Ambrose, the assistant chief of DNR's Nongame Conservation Section, said the work will include inventories of the biological and natural resources in 11 counties. Six are on the coast and five adjoin them.

Work is already under way on state-owned Jekyll Island, where state biologists are using a combination of aerial photographs, satellite images and fieldwork to find rare plant and animal species and identify their habitats.

The goal is for local governments to use the inventory maps when making land-use decisions about where to allow development. Georgia's coast has been the third fastest growing area of the state, behind metro Atlanta and the north Georgia mountains.

In a statement, Georgia Conservancy President Jim Stokes said, "Without careful planning, rapid growth and tourism activities are on a collision course with coastal drinking water supplies, habitats and public lands."

DNR Commissioner Noel Holcomb, Stokes and ACCG Executive Director Jerry Griffin signed an agreement at Tuesday's DNR board meeting to launch the partnership.

At the meeting, DNR announced it raised a record-setting $1.1 million earlier this month during Weekend for Wildlife at Sea Island, a top fund-raiser for the state's nongame wildlife section. The section employs 22 biologists to conduct research and promote wildlife protection. The section also helps purchase and preserve land that's important to the state's rare and endangered animals and plants.