(a) There is created a body corporate and politic to be known as the Oconee River Greenway Authority which shall be deemed to be an instrumentality of the State of Georgia and a public corporation; and by that name, style, and title such body may contract and be contracted with, sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, and complain and defend in all courts of this state.

(b) The authority shall consist of the commissioner of natural resources or the designee thereof, the director of the State Forestry Commission or the designee thereof, the mayor of Milledgeville, the president of Georgia Military College, the chairperson of the governing authority of each county which is in the geographic jurisdiction of the authority or the designee thereof, and no more than four residents of each county which is in the geographic jurisdiction of the authority who have training or experience in biology, botany, or environmental science and who shall be appointed by the chairperson of the governing authority of such county.

(c) The authority shall elect its own officers. No vacancy on the authority shall impair the right of the quorum to exercise all rights and perform all duties of the authority.

(d) The members of the authority shall receive no compensation for their services on the authority but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred while discharging the duties imposed upon them by this part.

(e) The authority shall have perpetual existence. Any change in name or composition of the authority shall in no way affect the vested rights of any person under this part or impair the obligations of any contracts existing under this part.

(f) The members of the authority shall be accountable in all respects as trustees. The authority shall keep suitable and proper books and records of all receipts, income, and expenditures of every kind and shall submit for inspection all the books, together with the proper statement of the authority's financial position, to the state auditor.

(g) The authority is assigned to the Department of Natural Resources for administrative purposes only in accordance with Code Section 50-4-3.