Georgia’s 4-H program may be saved, despite a proposed plan by the University System of Georgia (UGA) that would eliminate it entirely.

“The proposal that UGA officials offered included cutting the 4-H program to help meet the $60 million cuts to its budget by the state,” explained Jenkins County Extension Service Coordinator Wade Parker.

The plan initially offered by UGA officials represented a 33.6 percent overall cut to the Cooperative Extension Service.

“Elected officials have now assured us that cuts to our organization would be proportional to every other agency,” Parker said.

This word came last week after protests were voiced by not only local residents, but from those across the state.

Locally, 459 students are involved in the 4-H program with two students holding leadership positions on the district level. Brandon Cherry currently serves as a District Junior Officer holding the position of president. Lavonte Lovett currently serves as a Senior District Board Member, and is also president.

UGA officials initially offered a proposal that would not only eliminate the entire 4-H program which serves 156,000 students statewide, but would also close half the Cooperative Extension Service offices statewide, close all five 4-H Centers, including Rock Eagle, shut down several experiment stations and eliminate the State Botanical Gardens.

Parker said it was not known which extension offices would have been slated for closure because “the proposal has not passed the General Assembly.”

“I would like to thank all of our citizens who contacted elected officials and voiced disagreement with the proposal. I also want to thank Rep. Jon Burns and Sen. J.B. Powell for their efforts,” Parker said.

“Of course, we won’t know for sure about the proposed cuts until the Governor signs the budget, but I am cautiously optimistic,” he added.

The 4-H program can be found in every county in every state, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and over 80 countries around the world. The organization employs 3,500 staff, 518,000 volunteers and has 60 million alumni.