Georgia Crowns Youth Trap Champions

Teams Qualify for Upcoming National Championships

COVINGTON, Ga.Young trap shooters from across Georgia earned state titleswith many qualifying to represent Georgia at upcoming national championshipsat last weekends Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Georgia Trap State Championship.
  The competition, held at South River Gun Club in Covington, featured some of Georgias top young shooters in four divisions: varsity, junior varsity, intermediate entry and rookie.
   SCTP, for youths in grades 12 and under, is a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation managed in partnership with the national governing bodies for shooting sports: USA Shooting, Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association.
   With remarkable growth over the past eight years, the program is considered the Little League of shooting sports. Some 8,000 to 9,000 students from over 45 states are expected to compete this year.
   Georgia teams participating in the state title shoot qualified for the SCTP National Championships July 31-Aug. 5 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill.
   The best of these young shooters could be selected to attend an Olympic development camp in Colorado Springs, and some will go on to compete at the collegiate level.
   For more information, visit www.nssf.org/sctp.
 
RESULTS

SCTP Georgia Trap State Championship
(held May 3, South River Gun Club, Covington, Ga.)
 
Varsity Division (grades 9 to 12)
1st Place  Harris County Claybusters, 941 out of 1,000 targets (Michael Chambliss of Cataula, Zach Gibbs of Hamilton, Randy Miller of Hamilton, Mark Stevens of Ellerslie, Sean R. Wright of Midland).
2nd Place  South Metro Lawrence Brand Magnum, 926 (Cory Nordlund of Peachtree City, Perry Grissom of Fayetteville, Emily Anderson of Fayetteville, Jonathan Lancaster of Brooks, Alex Karl Hendrix of Senoia).
3rd Place  Thomas County Sharpshooters, 864 (Neill Payne of Thomasville, Kevin Allen Glass of Thomasville, Brittany Vinson of Thomasville, Chelsea Vinson of Thomasville, Sam Snook of Thomasville).
 
Junior Varsity Division (grades 9 to 12)
1st Place  Harris County Claybusters, 926 out of 1,000 targets (Jesse Harless of Columbus, Michael Hudson of Hamilton, Justin L. Johnson of Hamilton, Russell Roberts of Pine Mountain, Dillion Searcy of Pine Mountain Valley).
2nd Place  Bridgecreek Orange Crush, 921 (Zach Felts of Moultrie, Taylor Bentley of Camilla, Ashli Pope of Ocilla, Tyler Foister of Camilla, Jacob Smith of Norman Park).
3rd Place  Not awarded.
 
Intermediate Entry Division (grades 6 to 8)
1st Place  Bridgecreek Clay Dusters, 655 out of 1,000 targets (Alex Futch of Moultrie, Chase Hancock of Camilla, Andrew Lovett of Sparks, Todd Shiflett of Moultrie, Reed Williams of Doerun).
2nd Place  Not awarded.
3rd Place  Not awarded.
 
Rookie Division (grades 5 and under)
1st Place  Bridgecreek Roosters, 318 out of 1,000 targets (Dalton Thaggard of Doerun, Ben Shiflett of Moultrie, Taylor Duke of Moultrie, Braxton Jones of Moultrie, Tyler Lirio of Funston).
2nd Place  Not awarded.
3rd Place  Not awarded.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN GIVE WILDLIFE A CHANCE POSTER CONTEST
 More than 5,000 k- through 5th-grade students take part in Georgia art event

   Four elementary school children were selected as statewide winners in the Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division. More than 5,000 kindergarten through 5th-grade students from 45 public schools, private schools and home-school groups took part in the 18th annual conservation art competition.
   Statewide finishers in the four grade divisions included:
   --Kindergarten 1st place:  Morgan Mathews, Pike County Primary School, Zebulon. 2nd place: Daniel Tetterton, Tate Elementary School, Tate. 3rd place: Tori Caldwell, Ephesus Elementary School, Roopville.
  --1st-2nd grade 1st place: Brittany Phillips, Lincoln County Elementary School, Lincolnton. 2nd place: Ambus Powell, Tiftarea Academy, Chula. 3rd place: Kaitlin Barton, St. Joseph Catholic School, Athens.
  --3rd-4th grade 1st place: Keeren Daya, Fayetteville Intermediate School, Fayetteville. 2nd place: Drew Wulff, Heard County Elementary School, Franklin. 3rd place: Ana Edwards, Centralhatchee Elementary School, Franklin.
  --5th grade 1st place: Cynthia Kirk, Centralhatchee Elementary School, Franklin. 2nd place: Addison Fisher, Robert Toombs Christian Academy, Lyons. 3rd place: Brianna Todd, Ephesus Elementary School, Roopville.
   These top 12 winners will be showcased in the 2008-2009 Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest calendar. All state-level entries will be on display in the Conservatory at the State Botanical Garden in Athens through Wednesday, April 5.
  Participants entered the contest at the local school level with drawings that depict their observations of Georgia's native plants and animals. Posters followed the 2008 contest theme, "The Sights and Sounds of Wild Georgia." Top school-level entries proceeded to the state contest at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.
   Poster contest sponsors include the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia and The Environmental Resources Network Inc. (T.E.R.N.).
   For more information on the contest, visit www.georgiawildlife.com and www.uga.edu/botgarden or contact Wildlife Resources Nongame Conservation Section, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029; telephone, (478) 994-1438.
   Georgians can support important conservation, recreation and education efforts like the Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest and other conservation programs for Georgia's nongame wildlife through buying a nongame wildlife license plate for their vehicles and donating to the Give Wildlife a Chance State Income Tax Checkoff. Check www.georgiawildlife.com for details.

DNR'S NEW ONLINE REPORTS HIGHLIGHT STATEWIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY ON A WEEKLY BASIS

 Curious about recent law enforcement activity in your area?  The Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) is making it easy for residents to keep up with what's going on in and around their county with a new online weekly law enforcement activity report.  Each week's report portrays a sampling of the enforcement activities occurring across the state. 
  WRD rangers provide detailed information on natural resource related illegal activity and issued citations, as well as information on local WRD events and educational programs.  To view the report, visit the WRD Web site, www.georgiawildlife.com and click on the "Law Enforcement" link under the "General Info" menu.
  "We've been posting the weekly report online for a little over a month now, and interest from the general public is steadily increasing," says WRD chief of law enforcement Col. Terry West. "This is a great way for our law enforcement officers to keep the public informed on our activity throughout the week."
   The law enforcement section of the WRD is responsible for protecting Georgia's wildlife populations by enforcing laws, rules and regulations pertaining to game and nongame animals, threatened and endangered plants and animals, exotic animals, boating safety, litter and waste control and other natural resource issues.  Law enforcement also administers the state's hunter education and boating safety programs.  Conservation Rangers investigate violations of wildlife laws, as well as hunting and boating incidents.  They also conduct classes and programs to educate citizens about wildlife laws and safety practices. For more information on the online reports, posted weekly at www.georgiawildlife.com, or for more information on the law enforcement section, call the WRD law enforcement headquarters office at (770) 918-6408.

20,000 ACRES OF STATE FOREST LAND PERMANENTLY PROTECTED

Georgia Land Conservation Program Invests $35 Million

 In Paulding, Decatur and McIntosh Counties

  Standing on the bank of Corley Lake in Paulding County with a scenic view of the Paulding Forest behind him, Governor Sonny Perdue announced a monumental investment in land conservation.  The state of Georgia, through an investment of $35 million and additional federal, local and private funds, will protect approximately 20,000 acres of pristine forest lands in Paulding, Decatur and McIntosh Counties. 
  "On the opposite shore of this lake, you see a rolling hillside with a beautiful stand of timber on it.  Today I am proud to announce that due to the hard work and investment of many partners, we can guarantee views like this will be protected for generations to come," said Governor Sonny Perdue.  "As a part of the Land Conservation Program, the state of Georgia, along with federal, local and private partners, will purchase and conserve nearly 20,000 acres of land at three sites across our state." Joining Governor Perdue for todays announcement was Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives Glenn Richardson and Paulding County Commission Chairman Jerry Shearin.   Speaker Richardson has represented Paulding County in the General Assembly since 1997. 
  "I'd like to thank the Governor and all of those involved in this process for their efforts in creating a partnership between the state and the county so that we could preserve this valuable natural resource for hunters, families, outdoor enthusiasts, and future generations to enjoy," said Speaker Glenn Richardson.
   Chairman Shearin was instrumental in the passage of a bond referendum in November 2006 that approved $15 million to match the state funding toward the purchase of Paulding Forest.  The bond referendum passed with 72 percent of the vote.
   "The citizens of Paulding County voted overwhelmingly to tax themselves to protect this valuable natural resource," said Chairman Shearin.  "We recognized the value of the partnership the Governor had envisioned for protecting Georgias wild spaces."
   The lands approved for protection today through the Georgia Land Conservation Program (GLCP) include properties in Paulding County at Paulding Forest, in Decatur County bordering Lake Seminole, and in McIntosh County along the Altamaha River.  The three properties will be managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as wildlife management areas and will provide opportunities for outdoor recreation as well as the long-term conservation of important wildlife habitats. These acquisitions represent an investment of $34,740,289 in state funds, combined with $58,216,107 from federal, local and private partners.  Two of these three properties account for $30 million of the $42 million set aside as part of the FY2008 budget for the Georgia Land Conservation Program (GLCP). 
   Additional information on these three properties is highlighted below. See the attached background summaries for more information on each property.
  
Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area

The Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area is a $45.8 million acquisition that includes 6,865 acres previously leased by the DNR and the Georgia Forestry Commission.  DNR will acquire approximately 4,350 acres, Paulding County will acquire approximately 2,500 acres, and The Nature Conservancy will purchase and hold approximately 320 acres.  The state and county property will be managed by DNR through a Memorandum of Agreement.  The property protects a tributary of the Etowah River as well as the remnants of a rare montane longleaf pine forest.  It is used by hunters, anglers and other wildlife enthusiasts and protects vast forest lands along the Silver Comet Trail.
   The total project cost is $45,866,156 which includes a $15,177,320 GLCP grant.  Matching sources include Paulding County ($15,000,000), Polk County ($100,000), federal Forest Legacy and Endangered Species Recovery Land Acquisition grants ($7,788,836), and private foundations and organizations ($7,800,000) including the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and The Conservation Fund through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Nature Conservancy will purchase and hold 320 acres until additional federal funding is appropriated.  It will then sell this acreage to DNR.

Silver Lake Tract at Lake Seminole Wildlife Management Area

   Silver Lake Tract at Lake Seminole Wildlife Management Area includes 8,430-acres in Decatur County on Lake Seminole near Bainbridge.  This property has been managed by International Paper as a research forest and contains extensive stands of mature longleaf pine with a population of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.  Over several phases, the state will acquire this property from The Conservation Fund at a cost of approximately $38.6 million.  The first phase will include approximately 3,900 acres at a cost of $20.4 million.
   The total project cost is $38,600,000 which includes a $15,000,000 GLCP grant and DNR Nongame and Wildlife Conservation and Wildlife Endowment Funds ($2,500,000).  Matching sources include federal Wildlife and Wildlife Restoration Grants ($2,300,000), The Conservation Fund through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation ($500,000), and the Georgia Ornithological Society ($100,000).   A combination of federal and local funds as well as funds from private foundations is expected to be used for the additional phases of the project ($18,200,000).

Fort Barrington Tract at Townsend Wildlife Management Area

   Georgia is working in partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps through the U.S. Navy to protect 4,162 acres as part of the Fort Barrington Tract at Townsend Wildlife Management Area.  This acquisition will not only protect critical wildlife habitat and provide recreational opportunities on the Altamaha River, but will also help provide additional buffer around Townsend Bombing Range.  This tract will add to a corridor of conservation lands along the Altamaha River that connect the Townsend Wildlife Management Area and the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area.   The entire corridor will consist of more than 46,000 adjoining acres. The total project cost is $8,490,240 which includes a $2,062,969 in DNR bond and nongame funds.  Matching sources include federal coastal protection funds totaling $2,077,271.  The Nature Conservancy contributed $2,000,000, the Georgia Wetland Trust Fund $550,000 and additional funds may come from the Department of Defense to cover the cost of the restrictive easement, lowering the acquisition cost to the state. 
   The GLCP is managed by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) and projects are approved by the Georgia Land Conservation Council.  The program offers grants for fee title or conservation easement purchases from the Georgia Land Conservation Trust Fund.  It also offers low-interest loans for fee title or conservation easement purchases from the Georgia Land Conservation Revolving Fund.  Tax incentives are also available for donations of conservation lands or conservation easements.  Since the programs inception, forty projects totaling 59,628 acres have been endorsed by the GLCP.
   Conservation lands are permanently protected lands that are undeveloped and meet one or more of the goals of the Georgia Land Conservation Act. The goals include water quality protection, flood protection, wetlands protection, reduction of erosion, protection of riparian buffers and areas that provide natural habitat and corridors for native plant and animal species.  The goals also include the protection of prime agricultural and forestry lands, protection of cultural and historic sites, scenic protection, recreation (boating, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting) and the connection of areas contributing to these goals.
   Governor Perdue introduced the Georgia Land Conservation Act to encourage the long-term conservation and protection of the states natural, cultural and historic resources in the 2004 session of the General Assembly.  The Georgia Land Conservation Act passed with broad bipartisan support and Governor Perdue signed it into law on April 14, 2005.
   Applications for land conservation grants or loans are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.  Applications and more information about the program can be found at www.glcp.org.