Two Small Victories in Week Four
 House Bill 1107 & SB 453

House Bill 1107, known to many of us as the Land Conservation Tax Credit, which provides for a 25% state income tax credit up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations who place their land in a permanent conservation easement or a qualified donation to state, county or municipal governments, or a charitable nonprofit organization, passed the House Way and Means on Tuesday, January 30, 2006.

Further, the month of February began on a good note for the greens. Another environmentally-minded bill, Senate Bill 453, which requires local school vehicles and those in the government fleet to run on a minimum of 2% biofuel by the year 2010, also passed its committee this week. It was sent by unanimous vote to Senate Rules by the Senate committee on Transportation on Wednesday, February 1, 2006.

We will follow both these bills as they pass through the legislative process.

Find the bill... 

 Get Your Marshland Here: $1
 HB 1123 Sells Out Georgia's Coast

House bill 1123 proposes an amendment to Georgia's Coastal Marshlands Protection Act by leasing marshlands and water bottoms for $1 Currently, marshlands and water bottoms are leased at "fair market rental value" to dock and marina builders. This rental value reflects use of publicly-owned coastal marshland and water bottoms. Environmentalists are wary of the impacts this could cause Georgia's coast.

The Georgia Water Coalition, comprised of 130 organizations from around the state, issued a press statement on Thursday with concerns that HB 1123 "defies all economic and resource management logic by essentially giving away the most ecologically significant and fragile coastal resources." Opponents of the bill further point out that reducing rent to $1 is unconstitutional gratuity and is, therefore, illegal.

Read HB 1123... 

 Georgia Water Law
 Wayne Allen Addresses Committee

On Thursday, February 2nd, Legislative Council Wayne Allen gave a presentation to the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee meeting regarding Georgia's Water Laws. In efforts to highlight a dense and confusing topic, Allen discussed the different standing doctrine and case law regarding surface water, groundwater, and tidewater. For more detailed information, see below:

Read memorandum on Georgia Water Law...