The Georgia Board of Natural Resources Tuesday approved nine parks, renovation and land acquisition projects worth about $20 million, the second round of funding through the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act. Included in the projects approved is $635,620 to purchase a conservation easement at Birdsong Nature Center in south Grady County.
Georgia voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 creating a dedicated fund for outdoor recreation projects. The funding comes from a tax on purchases of sporting goods.
After considering 51 project proposals submitted by state agencies, local governments and nonprofit conservation groups, board members unanimously approved the following projects:
• $4.6 million for the second phase of the planned state acquisition of the 16,083-acre Ceylon property, the largest undeveloped tract of coastal Georgia, located along the Satilla River in Camden County.
• $3.2 million to reconstruct the visitor center at Wormsloe State Historic Site near Savannah.
• $2.6 million in renovations to the campground at Vogel State Park in Blairsville.
• $2.6 million in repairs to the approach trail entrance at the Amicalola Falls State Park Visitor Center near Dawsonville.
• $2.1 million for construction of the first phase of the Firefly Trail Southern Segment in Greene County.
• $2.0 million for acquisition and restoration of the Dugdown Corridor in Paulding and Polk counties.
• $1.8 million for the Oakfuskee Conservation Center at West Point Lake.
• $997,501 for a boardwalk and connection bridge at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell.
• $635,620 to purchase a conservation easement at the Birdsong Nature Center in south Grady County.
Before gaining the final approval to move forward, the projects must go before two legislative appropriations subcommittees, one run by the Georgia House and the other by the state Senate. Those votes are expected to take place next month.
The first round of funding through the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act last year generated $20 million for 14 projects.
