State Botanical Garden of Georgia to potentially close

[Daniel Mosquin]

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is on the chopping block. Via the Plant Conservation Alliance mailing-list:

Due to budget cuts, the University of Georgia may eliminate the State
Botanical Garden. See the links below for more information.

http://www.usg.edu/news/release/chan...e_subcommitte/

From
http://www.usg.edu/fiscal_affairs/do...reductions.pdf

"Eliminate the State Botanical Garden; this will eliminate 29 filled positions (state and nonstate funded).

$875,688

The closing of the Garden will reduce research and instructional opportunities for students as well as eliminate the outreach programs designed to increase public involvement in gardens. A minimal security and custodial staff would be retained at each facility to protect the State's property investment until a disposition plan could be developed and executed."

Other cuts of note to horticulture / plants in the "summary of reductions" document (there are a few others, too):

Close ½ of UGA’s County Extension Offices; this will eliminate 169 filled positions.

$5,000,000

The UGA Cooperative Extension Service provides educational programming, information delivery and hands on technical assistance in support of the agriculture industry in Georgia.

Agriculture and agribusiness is Georgia’s largest industry, contributing $92 billion annually to the state’s output. Closing one‐half of the Extension Service Offices would close 79 offices around the state, would result in 169 immediate layoffs, and would severely curtail the University’s ability to support this significant economic sector.

Close Bamboo Farm & Coastal Gardens, Savannah; this will eliminate 5 filled positions.

$125,925

National and international horticultural societies locate world‐class exhibits of plant collections at the BFCG at no cost to UGA. One example of this is the camellia species collection, and when it is complete it will be the largest collection of its kind. The site draws an average of 120,000 visitors per year, and many more thousands attend educational events there. A new master plan for development has been completed with pledges from potential donors of $1.5 million being secured toward implementation of the plan. Closing this facility would cost 6 full time jobs, 3 part time jobs, would discontinue the county funding and generated income of almost $250K and would end the development of the new master plan and associated private funding.

[Ron B]

Pretty much impossible to respond to a report like this without making political comments.

[Daniel Mosquin]

Yes, I know. But people need to be aware. I suppose I could close the thread and leave it as information-only, but maybe the discussion will be civil.

[Margaret]

A timely wakeup call to all who value such institutions as the UBC Botanical Garden and this site.
Margaret

[terrestrial_man]

Glad I dropped by and saw this. I have linked over the Botanical Society of Georgia. Don't know if anything can be done to prevent this but if anyone there is able or has some ideas in mind then maybe they can accomplish a miracle??
http://www.gabotsoc.org/

[Michael F]

Is this likely to affect Forestry Images http://www.forestryimages.org/ and Bugwood http://www.bugwood.org/ ?