Page 12 - Georgia Forestry - Issue2 - Spring 2019

$20 million
in emergency funding for forest debris cleanup efforts
The State Steps Iin to Help
n November, the state legislature passed two measures to make deci- sions less difficult for foresters and their clients. One of these was House
Bill 1EX, which provided $270 million for immediate and direct relief for those who had suffered from the storm, includ- ing $20 million in emergency funding for forest debris cleanup efforts, and $7 million in funding for new heavy fire- fighting equipment, to be administered through the GFC and the Georgia Develop- ment Authority (GDA). The other measure, House Bill 4EX, created a $200 million income tax refund or tradeable tax credit for forest landowners attempting to recoup the value of their timber loss, with a cap at $400 per acre. So long as they planned to reforest their property, any tree farmers who owned land within the 28 counties touched by the hurricane could apply.
Shortly after these measures were passed, GFC Forest Management Chief
Scott Griffin attended a meeting in Miller County — where the effects of the hurricane were severe — answering questions about who was eligible, how to sign up, and encouraging people to get in touch with a licensed consulting forester. Some landowners had been on the fence about intervening in areas with moder- ate storm damage, but after hearing Griffin speak, they were persuaded to take advantage of the state’s programs, given the resources that were available, and the risk they would assume if fire breaks were overwhelmed with fuel. The people Griffin spoke with were generally grateful for the help, and many took the hurricanes as a sign to be more proactive with trees that were still standing. Some- times, by leaving a full-grown stand of timber uncut, landowners could expose themselves to a possible loss.
“A lot of people, they’re waiting on better markets. Or people fall in love with the trees,” Griffin said later. “That’s fine. But if you’re in it for revenue, or if it’s any part of your equation, you’ve got to give serious thought to the risk you
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