Throughout the day Monday, state governor Nathan Deal made the rounds in various communities in the Peach State, signing the new fiscal year budget.
But when Deal stopped along the Georgia coast, his pen-to-paper ceremony held more meaning than just agreeing to the $23.7 billion state budget. Deal's signature ceremony took place at Altama Plantation, a property recently acquired by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources as a wildlife management area.
Located in northern Glynn County, the 4,000-acre property is found alongside protected lands on the Lower Altamaha River and is now a state-protected area playing host to a slew of activities, from fishing and hunting, to kayaking and wildlife viewing. Prior to being bought by the state, the area served for decades as a hunting retreat for the Jones family, who owned Sea Island Co.
Signing the 2017 fiscal year budget on the property new to the state's registry of wildlife management areas, Deal and Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Williams agreed the moment was a sign of the ongoing support for statewide conservation and wildlife protection.
"Because of Gov. Deal's strong convictions and commitment to protecting land in this state, under his leadership, some 30,000 (additional) acres of land have become protected," Williams said.
Purchased for $3.8 million under the watch of the state's DNR in September of last year, the Altama Plantation acreage was acquired in large part thanks to the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy, and through the state budget. Other funding partners included the St. Simons Land Trust, Georgia Conservancy, Coastal Wildscapes, One Hundred Miles and the Altamaha Riverkeeper, Williams said.
For the newly inked fiscal year budget, which begins July 1, continued efforts to protect the state's natural assets have been highlighted as a major priority, Deal said.
Purchasing the riverside property that shares bordering McIntosh County has proven to be a "unique opportunity for us in the state of Georgia," Deal said. "It came out of a joint partnership effort with help from the private sector. This is a beautiful resource for our state residents to fish, hike and enjoy, which will serve to be a part of the long legacy of conservation to serve our citizens. This portion of our ongoing commitment to conservation within the new fiscal year budget is a significant part of the budget overall."
In planning out the upcoming fiscal year budget, Deal said his focus was clearly on wildlife management and conservation, but was not limited to only that one scope. He also placed a great deal of emphasis on public education, salary increases for state employees including teachers and law enforcement officers in the DNR, state bureau of investigation and department of public safety, as well as new motor fuel funds.
In his finalized budget, Deal included an additional $300 million for kindergarten to 12th grade education which local school districts can use to enhance teacher salaries while also working to keep students and teachers in the classroom for full calendar years.
Education funding, which is the largest segment of state appropriations, also includes substantial support for Pre-K teachers, tuition coverage for an additional in-demand industry for Georgia's technical college students, and more than $29 million in additional money to further the Move on When Ready program, Deal said.
The budget also includes funding for salary increases to help recruit and retain high-performing state employees, which Deal said is an effort to enhance services provided for Georgians by reducing turnover and increasing efficiency.
"The 2017 budget will help build upon the things that matter most to the citizens of this state: an education system that promotes quality in the classroom, communities that will be safer tomorrow than they were yesterday, a government that utilizes efficiencies to help Georgians, and an economy that supports job growth," Deal said. "I commend the General Assembly for working with me once again to balance the budget while meeting growing cost demands, funding priorities and strengthening our rainy day fund."
(c)2016 The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.)
