Columbia County commissioners on a unanimous voice vote authorized a memorandum of agreement with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to explore a Gateway Outdoor Center on the county'9s 500-acre site north of town.

The proposed center would be a multi-phase, regional hub for outdoor education and recreational "gateway" activities such as fishing and hiking, FWC regional director Chris Wynne said in a presentation to the board. Wynne said the proposal is conceptual and that approval of the MOA would allow staff and FWC to begin planning and next steps.

The MOA seeks county approval to sign and to begin joint planning for a possible phase 2 or phase 3 outdoor center where the county is starting construction of soccer fields in phase 1. "The vision here is to create a regional hub for hands on exploration and education of outdoor conservation and agricultural opportunities," Wynne said. He showed a short promotional video produced by FWC staffer Ashley Williams and asked the board for feedback and signature authority on the agreement.

Commissioners who attended a field trip to the FWC'9s Go Fish facility in Perry, Georgia, described the site as a model and said they supported pursuing a similar partnership for local youth programming and outdoor education. After brief discussion the chair called for a motion; a commissioner moved and another seconded the request to approve the agreement and the chair called the vote. The board answered "aye" and the motion carried.

The MOA itself is a planning agreement; Wynne and staff said it does not commit the county to construction or specific funding. County staff will return with any required follow-up steps, timelines and details if planning proceeds into design or implementation phases.

The board also heard that the sports-park phase 1 development is underway; commissioners noted that the county previously collaborated with FWC on a fishing pier at Lake Montgomery.

Next steps: with the MOA signed, county staff and FWC will begin planning work and follow the agreement'9s provisions for further design, public engagement and potential funding steps if the project moves beyond the conceptual phase.