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A summary of activities important to Georgia's forestry community from Week Three of the 2017 session of the Georgia General Assembly.
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Capitol Forestry Report | Week Three
Click the image above for a brief video message on the progress at the State Capitol and the Association's advocacy efforts from Georgia Forestry Association Director of Government Affairs Tom Beyer and Political Consultant Richard Royal. 

We Need Your Help!

There is legislation of critical impact moving through the House Ways and Means Ad Valorem Subcommittee. If you or your company are represented by any of the members below, please reach out to Tom Beyer or Andres Villegas and volunteer to be a grassroots advocate for GFA. Your efforts will help guide this legislation through the subcommittee to ensure it benefits the entire forestry community:

  • Brett Harrell, Subcommittee Chairman (R-Snellvillle)
  • David Knight Subcommittee Vice Chairman (R-Griffin)
  • Patty Bentley (D-Butler)
  • Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City)
  • John Corbett (R-Lake Park)
  • Geoff Duncan (R-Cumming)
  • Spencer Frye (D-Athens)
  • Penny Houston (R-Nashville)
  • Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta)
  • Don Parsons (R-Marietta)
  • Bert Reeves (R-Marietta)
  • Trey Rhodes (R-Greensboro)  
To determine whether you reside in one of these legislator's districts, check this webpage.

The Legislative Landscape

Committees in both the House and Senate held organizational meetings this week to adopt rules and introduce new members. Legislation has started to move through the committee process. Legislation of interest to the Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) is outlined in detail below. GFA Government Affairs Team will continue to monitor and be a part of conversations surrounding any bill that impacts Georgia’s forest landowners and manufacturing community.  

Perhaps the most important activity in the General Assembly this week was the passage of the mid-year FY2017 budget by the House. The Senate will now review and vote on the legislation. The House version included the Governor’s recommendation to provide $10 million to the Georgia Forestry Commission to help it replace outdated firefighting equipment. The fires of 2016 served as a stark reminder of the very real threat to private property and lives presented by wildfires.

Key Focus: Eminent Domain and Private Property Rights

GFA played an important role in supporting the passage of House Bill 1036 last year, which addressed eminent domain concerns shared by many private property owners and established the State Commission on Petroleum Pipelines. Since then the State Commission met multiple times and has prepared a report with recommendations for Georgia’s lawmakers, and legislation is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.

Bill Tracker

House Resolution 51
Sponsor: Rep. Jay Powell, R-Camilla
Position: Support
This constitutional amendment would change the Forest Land Protection Act (FLPA) to address inequities in the formula that is used to reimburse counties for losses in tax revenue from the FLPA program.

House Bill 85
Sponsor: Rep. Jay Powell, R-Camilla
Position: Under GFA Review
This is the enabling bill to HB 51, the FLPA constitutional amendment. In its current form, the bill has several issues that should be addressed. GFA looks forward to substitute language being introduced in subcommittee that addresses our concerns.

House Bill 4
Sponsor: Rep. Jason Spencer, R-Woodbine/Brunswick
Position: Oppose
Landowners not current on ad valorem tax payments would automatically be considered in breach of the covenant on their lands. This legislation is troubling because a landowner in the middle of an appeals process could be penalized without cause.

House Bill 55
Sponsor: Rep. Rick Williams, R-Milledgeville
Position: Under GFA Review
This legislation would establish term limits on individuals serving on professional license boards. No individual would be allowed to serve more than eight consecutive years. GFA is reviewing to understand the impacts to Georgia’s State Board of Registration for Foresters.

House Bill 56
Sponsor: Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah
Position: Oppose
This legislation would establish a 1.5 percent tax on rental equipment that rental companies would hold in escrow. We are concerned that this bill creates an open door for unreasonably increasing costs to the agriculture and forestry community that leases equipment.

House Bill 76
Sponsor: Rep. Jasperse, R-Jasper
Position: Under GFA Review
This legislation would change provisions relating to the information and certifications provided by land surveyors on certain documents.

On the Horizon (No Legislation)

Water Buffers
Environmental interests including the Southern Environmental Law Center are discussing legislation that would expand Georgia’s definition of water buffers. GFA is monitoring this situation closely.

River Trails
A draft text for a resolution has been written that would encourage the use of “river trails.” While there is nothing inherently wrong with Georgians enjoying the outdoors on a river trail, this must not come at the expense of private property rights.

Firefighter Insurance Coverage
Legislation has yet to be introduced, but adding firefighters to the list of occupations that has automatic presumption for coverage for work-related cancers would remove firefighters’ need to file a worker’s compensation claim.

Container Ban Restriction
The Senate last year passed a bill to prohibit local governments from banning paper and plastic containers. That bill failed on the House floor, but proponents hope to revive the measure this year. (Source: Georgia Paper & Forest Products Association)

Advocacy News

Midyear budget clears Georgia House, adds $1.1 billion in spending

The Georgia House passed a midyear budget Thursday that adds $1.1 billion in new state spending, mostly for schools and road projects.

The midyear budget takes the state through the end of the fiscal year, June 30. The Senate is expected to approve its version in the next few weeks.

Read more →

For Science and Industry, Field Survey Takes Stock of Billions of Trees

In some parts of the U.S., you can’t see the forest for the subdivisions.

But wooded acres cover a third of the country, and to ensure the vigor of this vast natural resource, teams of foresters trek into the woods each year to take stock.

For the record, 96.6 billion trees at least 5 inches in diameter populate the nation’s forests.

Read more →

Copyright © 2017 Georgia Forestry Association, All rights reserved.


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