GEORGETOWN - The state Department of Natural Resources office at 1601 N. Fraser St. will close permanently Sept. 1, the victim of state budget cuts.

Conway's DNR office is spared until Jan. 15, 2005, but all 46 county offices will close and operations will be run from four district offices in Charleston, Florence, Columbia and Greenville.

The news was so stunning to Capt. John McClellan that he decided to retire after 28 years in state government.

"I was planning on staying three more years, I loved my job," McClellan said while standing in the Georgetown office that is plastered with wildlife and scenic photos and prints, racks of hunting and fishing information and potted plants.

He was to be captain of the Charleston district office but decided he didn't want to make the daily commute more than 60 miles one way.

Office assistant Lane Peters, however, chose to transfer to Charleston to keep her job.

The other 15 people stationed at the office will work out of Samworth Game Management Area, 16 miles north of Georgetown.

"Any public services that were offered in Georgetown will be offered at Samworth," said Mike Willis, a DNR spokesman.

McClellan said the public will not be able to get to Samworth as easily as the Georgetown office, which is just north of the Wal-Mart.

Willis said the agency was faced with a third year of deep budget cuts and decided to close locations rather than lay off workers who protect wildlife or enforce wildlife and game management laws, as well as recreational and commercial fishing regulations.

During the past three years, few people who quit or retired were replaced, so that helped DNR stave off the layoffs that are affecting other state agencies where budgets were slashed because of the drop in state revenue.

"We've lost close to 200 positions in the agency," about 75 of them among the law enforcement division, Willis said. That is almost a third of the force.

Hunting lands and heritage preserves will not be affected by the staff changes, but some places, such as Santee Coastal Reserve south of Georgetown, won't have anyone around to help visitors, Willis said.

People who need permits or boat registrations are advised to get the forms online and mail them in or call headquarters in Columbia to request forms.

State Rep. John "Bubber" Snow, D-Hemingway, is a member of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. He said he was not aware such drastic action needed to be taken and is disappointed that the local offices are being shut down.

He said he does not know if his committee can do anything about it when legislators reconvene in January.