Madison County native Ray Smith has been promoted to Assistant Director for Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, a Division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). For the last three years, Smith has been the Region Supervisor for the Thomson region of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the appointment of two new deputy commissioners: Thomas Barnard as Deputy Commissioner for Operations and Trevor Santos as Deputy Commissioner for Governmental and Public Affairs, Communications, and Grants.

“I am pleased to congratulate Thomas and Trevor on their new roles with the DNR team,” said Commissioner Walter Rabon. “Both of these individuals have a wealth of experience and expertise in their respective fields, and I am confident that they will be valuable assets to our agency as we work to protect and conserve Georgia’s natural resources.”

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has announced the grant applicants who have been selected to move forward in the approval process to receive approximately $9.6 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant program. These funds will be used for the acquisition, development, and renovation of outdoor recreation areas all across the state.

The cooler temperatures, the smell of pumpkin-spiced lattes, and waves of red and gold leaves spark the start of fall. Knowing that the fall colors will soon make their appearance, and the trees will transform into a kaleidoscope of color, many leaf peepers find themselves planning their autumn escapes to get a front-row view. Although Mother Nature is in charge of when peak leaf season will hit, Georgia State Parks has launched “Leaf Watch 2023” to help leaf lookers track fall color as it moves across the Peach State. Found at GaStateParks.org/LeafWatch, the travel planner is filled with top trails and overlooks, mountain cabins and campsites, fall events and safe hiking tips.

Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Walter Rabon has named Angie Johnson as Director for Georgia’s State Park and Historic Site system. For the past year, she has served as Assistant Director of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, overseeing more than 60 state parks, historic sites and regional offices.

When the sun retreats and the stars align, overnight visitors of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites can experience the unseen side of the parks.