ATLANTA (AP) -- The Georgia Department of Transportation has declined to accept a Ku Klux Klan group that wanted to join the state's "Adopt-A-Highway" program.

The International Keystone Knights of the KKK in Union County applied last month to adopt part of Route 515 in the Appalachian Mountains. In a statement Tuesday, the agency says "promoting an organization with a history of inciting civil disturbance and social unrest would present a grave concern" and could "have the potential to negatively impact the quality of life" of people in the county and state.

Organizers said they wanted to preserve the area's scenic beauty, but critics balked at the move as an offensive publicity stunt.

The program enlists volunteers from groups and companies to pick up trash, and volunteers are recognized with a sign along the road they adopt.