Background on Amendment 1:
Georgia is blessed with millions of acres of pristine forest
land. These forests provide jobs, enhance our environment,
and make Georgia a beautiful place to live. Unfortunately,
Georgia’s forests are facing a threat more destructive
than pine beetles, wildfires, or urban sprawl. Our state’s
outdated tax code is threatening the preservation of our
most valuable natural resource. However, you can help stop
the threat
when you go to the ballot box this November.
Our Forests
Many Georgians appreciate the natural beauty of our forests,
but these trees do much more than paint a pretty landscape.
Our forests are like giant air filters that take in carbon
dioxide and return oxygen to our atmosphere. They protect our
land from erosion and our water supply from sedimentation.
They provide a safe habitat for an abundance of wildlife and
numerous consumer products that improve our daily lives. These
are only a few of the many benefits of our forests and only
a sampling of the reasons we must protect them.
Amendment 1
Amendment 1 is the final step in a remarkable conservation
effort. Earlier this year, members of the General Assembly
joined together in a bipartisan effort to protect Georgia’s
forests. Our state legislators understood that property tax
assessments reflected a very different time in Georgia’s
history and had become a deterrent to the preservation of larger
tracts of timberland. In a near unanimous vote, the state legislature
passed the Georgia Forest Land Protection Act of 2008. If Amendment
1 is approved by the voters in November, the Act will help
preserve tracts of forest land 200 acres or greater. Under
the Act, landowners could enter a 15 year covenant to protect
the tracts from development and, in return, receive a property
tax reduction. The value of this incentive would be determined
by the Georgia Department of Revenue, and much, if not all
of the lost revenue to local governments would be reimbursed
by the State.
The Supporters
The overwhelming support that the Georgia Forest Land Protection
Act received in the General Assembly has been matched by a
groundswell of public support for Amendment 1. The broad coalition
of organizations endorsing Amendment 1 includes:
Georgia Forestry Association
Georgia Agribusiness Council
Georgia Conservancy
Georgia Conservation Voters
Georgia Farm Bureau
Georgia Wildlife Federation
Satilla Riverkeeper
The Nature Conservancy
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Sierra Club- Georgia Chapter
Heritage & Wildlife Conservation Council
Georgia Hunting and Fishing Federation
Quality Deer Management Association
Georgia Paper and Forest Products Association
For more information about how you can help us protect our
forests, please visit: www.ForOurForests.com or contact Jason
Rooks at jasonrooks@comcast.net.
