Benton MacKaye, a forester from Connecticut, conceived the idea of the Appalachian Trail in 1921. Roy Ozmer, a woodsman, forester, and official trail blazer, and E. B. Stone, Jr., Assistant Georgia State Forester, were instrumental in extending the trail into Georgia. The Georgia Appalachian Trail Club [GATC] was organized in 1930 with an enrollment of 30 members. The purpose of the organization is to create a love of outdoor recreation, to practice conservation, to protect wildlife, and to encourage public interest in our national forests among hikers. By 1968 the GATC had become a corporation. The Comprehensive Plan, approved in 1981 in cooperation with the National Park Service, provided for the protection, management, development, and use of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.