The mass murders in Dallas and Orlando are, in a sad and odd way, good for wilderness in Georgia.

Fear, and politicians calls for stricter gun control laws, fuel gun sales. A little-known federal program slaps an excise tax on the sale of guns and ammunition, with the bulk of that money returned to states to boost wildlife conservation and land acquisition programs.

And, with gun sales soaring, Georgia is receiving record amounts of conservation money from Washington. The program sent more than $15 million Georgia's way last year — nearly three times the amount just five years earlier.

“Barack Obama is the greatest gun salesman that ever lived,” quipped O’Neill Williams, a hunting and fishing enthusiast from Atlanta with a show on AM 750 WSB.

Read more about it here.

About the Author

Keep Reading

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, (R-Ga.) speaks in the stat Senate chambers during legislative day 26 in the state Capitol, Monday, March, 3, 2025, in Atlanta. Voters from the 14th Congressional District interviewed by the AJC say they are sticking with the firebrand politician despite her recent breaks from Republican positions.  (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Featured

(Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC / Source: John Glenn for AJC, File)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC