Celebrating a Centennial of Conservation!
The Georgia Game & Fish Commission was founded on July 11, 1911, and now is known as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division.
This agency regulates hunting, fishing and boating, protects nongame and endangered wildlife, provides conservation education, manages habitat, and enforces laws for the protection and use of Georgia’s natural resources.
What can be accomplished in a century? The evidence is easy to find.
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Georgia’s deer herd has boomed from about 12,500 animals in 1937 to nearly 1 million.
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Sport fisheries are thriving in lakes, trout streams, rivers and public fishing areas.
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Some 200 conservation rangers patrol woods and waters, safeguarding wildlife and the public.
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Wildlife management areas provide almost 1 million acres of public hunting opportunity.
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A State Wildlife Action Plan guides conservation of nongame wildlife, helping preserve Georgia as a top-six state in biological diversity while also grappling with significant challenges such as habitat loss.
Where does the information found on this site come from? A variety of sources, including:
- Georgia Law Book
- Reports and Recommendations of the State Game and Fish Commissioner 1912-13
- Handbook of Georgia State Agencies (1988)
- An Organizational History of the Georgia State Game and Fish Commission (Gwendolyn Sorrell/Intern, 1966)
- History of Wildlife Conservation in Georgia (Larry McSwain, 2007)
- Valuable input from current and retired staff.
For more about Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division, visit www.georgiawildlife.com .
