Page 10 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 2 - Spring 2022

The Timber Harvest Notification landing page is on GFC’s website at GATrees.org/ forest-management-conservation.
county notifications that accompany them. Logging companies were strug- gling to comply with different systems that varied from county to county, which resulted in confusion and frustration for logging companies and counties alike. In addition, some counties had different bond requirements, which made it more difficult for business owners to operate across county lines.
When the new law took effect in 2021, counties, harvesters and landowners began seeing tangible changes. They learned that the allowable fine for failure to comply with requirements had increased from $500 to $1,500. The scope for when a bond could be used was narrowed, though a county could not be prevented from pursuing other remedies to recoup damages to county roads or rights of way. The law also
A Forest Carbon Program for All American Landowners

Request a free property assessment today Visit:
8 | GEORGIA FORESTRY
allows for incremental bond increases for harvesters who have previously caused damage to county roads and/or rights of way.
A ‘One-Stop Shop’
Site for Notifications
A major feature of HB-897 was a charge to GFC to create a website that would serve as a statewide platform for har- vesters to notify counties of timber harvesting. It was an arduous planning and design project that took the needs of all sectors of the forest industry into consideration.
Website designers on GFC’s Informa- tion Technology team focused on “ease of understanding” as they drafted a framework to fulfill the intent of HB-897.
“The information collected had to follow the law,” said GIS Specialist Michael Torbett. “Nothing more, nothing less.” Known affectionately by the group as the “wizard behind the curtain,” Torbett said he and his design team used the ArcGIS hub platform to develop the needed interactive digital forms and notification systems. Compatibility with various mobile devices and computer configurations was paramount.