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Subcommittee hears request to restore $7 million for Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act
Summary
Chairman Jesse Petrie told the General Government Appropriations Subcommittee that revenue for the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act has fallen about $7 million and asked the committee to add that amount to bring funding back to prior levels; committee members discussed adjusting the statute's funding formula but took no formal vote.
Jesse Petrie, Chairman, asked the General Government Appropriations Subcommittee to consider adding $7 million in the House budget to restore funding for the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act (GOSA), which he said has experienced a roughly $7 million decline in proceeds this year.
Petrie told the committee the decline appears tied to post-pandemic reductions in purchases that generate GOSA proceeds. "My ask is that we, through this committee and our budget in the house, add something. I would like to see $7,000,000 to bring it up to parity," he said. He noted the program supports land preservation, trail improvements and other outdoor-recreation projects funded through sales of outdoor equipment and related items.
The committee discussed the statute's funding trigger and formula. The committee chair said the group should consider altering the formula to avoid recurring shortfalls that would otherwise reduce GOSA disbursements when sales decline. No formal motion or vote to appropriate general funds for GOSA was recorded in the transcript.
Why it matters: GOSA (Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act) directs proceeds from certain outdoor-equipment and ammunition sales toward land preservation and outdoor recreation; a $7 million reduction in proceeds would limit projects statewide at a time of population growth, the subcommittee heard.
Committee members urged staff and lawmakers to consider a statutory change to stabilize funding, while leaving open the option of a one-time appropriations adjustment in the budget to restore prior-year levels. The record shows discussion and inquiry but no committee action on a change or an appropriation during this meeting.
