Baldwin County has been selected as one of 15 Georgia counties, cities and recreation authorities that could potentially receive grant money from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to improve conditions at local parks.

The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund helps communities acquire land, develop parks

and renovate existing properties.

The recreational grant program, administered by representatives through the DNR, received a total of 57 applications, which were in turn narrowed down to 15 that were recommended to the Georgia DNR Board at a June 25 meeting in Atlanta.

Baldwin County, if approved, would receive a matching grant of $45,000 from the DNR to laser level ball fields at Walter B. Williams Park and replace existing playground equipment at Coopers Park and Harrisburg Park.

“The laser grading will be for the baseball and softball fields. With most fields that are built, you use a laser to level the fields and make sure you have the proper crown on it and that everything is set up for draining purposes. Using a laser, you can tell the grade of the field,” Baldwin County Parks and Recreation Director Bill McNair said.

McNair has been the driving force behind the grant applications, which will have their final paperwork turned in on Thursday to the DNR.

Once the DNR receives the paperwork from the 15 candidates for grants, the DNR will in turn provide that paperwork to the National Parks Service, who will provide a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response on the application.

“Bill put the proposal together. He brought it in to us and he has been the motivating factor behind all of this,” Assistant County Manager Ralph McMullen said. “We always have need of new and additional equipment because we always want to provide what we can as close to the community as possible.”

McNair, a member of the Georgia Recreational and Parks Association, learned about the grant applications through his contacts within the state and through the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), which was provided feedback by Milledgeville residents in early 2007.

Criteria for the 15 candidates selected were based on four categories, according to Antoinette Norfleet, director of grants with the Georgia State Parks Division.

“Initially, there is a criteria that the county has to meet. They answer a list of 58 questions, some of which are project specific while others are more general. The questions are answered, submitted to us, and we examine what we receive. There were 57 applications that were received, and 15 that were recommended to the Board,” Norfleet said.

The four main categories of criteria for recommendation were acquisition, development, rehabilitation and disadvantaged communities (communities that would normally not compete well against the regular pool of applicants), according to Norfleet.

“If we receive the money, this will be a matching grant,” McNair said. “We will have to provide $45,000 as well. I would say that there is an immediate need for new equipment at the Harrisburg and Coopers parks. Myself and other recreational representatives visited the Harrisburg park last week, and there were some kids that came over and played while we were there. They liked the idea of having new equipment, as have all of the parents we have spoken with. The parents are always happy that we are upgrading the parks.”

The Middle Georgia Regional Development Commission is assisting McNair and Baldwin County in its bid for the $45,000 grant request, according to McNair.