Georgia Senate Press Office

ATLANTA – State Representative Lynn Smith (R-Newnan), chairman of the House Natural Resources & Environment Committee, and State Senator Lee Anderson (R-Grovetown), chairman of the Senate Natural Resources & Environment Committee, recently brought together members of the House and Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committees through the Legislative Environmental Policy Academy to strengthen their understanding of key environmental issues facing the state. 

“We are citizen legislators,” said Rep. Smith. “Learning the fundamentals of natural resource and environmental management helps us make informed decisions. The point of this program is not to convince anyone of anything – it is to give members an experiential learning opportunity so that we better understand the complex challenges facing our state.”

“Every region in Georgia is different,” said Sen. Anderson. “When we learn firsthand about an area, its people and its resources, we do our jobs better. Georgia has incredible resources that benefit each one of us every day.”   

The Academy provides members of the Georgia General Assembly with relevant information about current and developing environmental issues that affect Georgians. This year, members of the House and Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committees made a site visit to Jekyll Island, Brunswick and Folkston to learn more about the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge and topics such as land use, coastal conservation, habitat and wildlife protection, brownfields redevelopment and regional water planning.  

            The Academy is led by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and is supported by the Dobbs Foundation. As a Public Service and Outreach unit of the University of Georgia, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s mission is to inform, inspire and innovate so that governments can be more efficient and responsive to citizens, address current and emerging challenges and serve the public with excellence.

For more information on the Legislative Environmental Policy Academy, please click here.

Representative Lynn Smith represents the citizens of District 70, which includes portions of Carroll and Coweta counties. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1996, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Natural Resources & Environment Committee. She also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and the Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment and Rules committees.

Senator Lee Anderson represents the citizens of District 24, which includes Elbert, Greene, Hart, Lincoln, Oglethorpe, and Wilkes County and most of Columbia County. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Natural Resources & Environment Committee and Vice Chair of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee. He serves as a member of the Appropriations and Rules committees and the Appropriation Subcommittees for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Government Operations.

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