Page 29 - Georgia Forestry - Summer 2018

Richard Royal:
A True Statesman
March 23 was a day of victory for
the Georgia Forestry Association’s government affairs team. For more than two years, the team has worked with membership and the Georgia legislature to update the valuation process for timberland, and the legislation passed both chambers just two days before sine die, the last day of the legislative session. One person was key to the success of the two-year effort — Richard Royal.
Royal is a 26-year veteran of the Georgia General Assembly and former Chair of
the House Ways & Means Committee. Retired from public service, he now serves as a consultant to the Georgia Forestry Association and to other agricultural and forestry interests in the state. Royal is a native of Camilla, GA, and well known as the authority on timberland taxation and the legal ins-and-outs of state property taxes.
He is usually all business, but on this
day, he cuts up with his colleagues in celebration. “Well, boys, it looks like we can quit early today,” he says with a soft smile. Royal has worked on this particular legislation for the last two years, and he celebrated just like you would expect
a Georgian to do — with a Chick-fil-a sandwich and a Coke. Royal is a Georgian, through-and-through, and, most of all, he is a statesman.
During his time under the Gold Dome as a legislator, Royal was instrumental in developing the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) law and the Forest Land Protection Act (FLPA).
“Richard cares deeply about the future of the state, and he understands the value of forestry and agriculture to the people and the economy,” said Andres Villegas, Royal’s colleague and president and CEO of the Georgia Forestry Association. “He could
be doing anything now, but he chooses to advocate for our natural resources, and we’re all better because of it.”
MATT HESTAD IS A COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL KEENLY FOCUSED ON PROMOTING THE BENEFITS OF WORKING FORESTS IN THE U.S. SOUTH.
Serving the Southeast for 30 years.
BEACH TIMBER COMPANY, Inc.
We are pole, piling, and mulch manufacturers, focusing on procuring wood and buying timber.
Gary Strickland, Owner
(912) 632-2800
www.beachtimber.com
P.O. Box 763 • Alma, GA 31510
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