Committee approves $33 million slate of Georgia Outdoor Stewardship projects

The General Government Appropriations Subcommittee on an affirmative voice vote approved a slate of 14 projects recommended by the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund board, the Department of Natural Resources told the committee. Commissioner Walter Raymond asked the subcommittee to approve the slate, which he said totals more than $33 million and includes regional parks, two state land acquisitions and four state stewardship projects.

The trust fund is financed by 40% of the sales-and-use tax collected on outdoor sporting goods equipment, Commissioner Raymond said. Over the past five funding cycles the program has allocated more than $142 million to 74 projects; grantees committed roughly $237 million in local matching funds for a combined investment of about $375 million, he said.

Raymond told the committee this cycle produced 38 eligible applications requesting more than $88 million; the board of trustees reviewed and ranked projects before transmitting the recommended slate to the Board of Natural Resources and the appropriations subcommittee.

Committee members praised the program as voter-approved and locally leveraged. At the chair’s request, Cherry Lee Smith moved to approve the slate; a second was requested but not recorded by name. The chair called for the voice vote and declared the motion carried.

What comes next: the approved slate proceeds per the board’s process; Commissioner Raymond said he would follow up on specific project questions raised by members. The committee did not record a roll-call tally during the voice vote.