FORSYTH, GA — The Georgia Forestry Association recently launched the Fair Forest Tax grassroots engagement campaign in support of a monumental forestland tax legislation that will be considered on the November general election ballot. The Association is seeking grassroots champions and financial support to increase awareness of the amendment with Georgia voters.
Passed by the Georgia General Assembly and signed by Governor Nathan Deal, House Resolution 51, a constitutional amendment, and House Bill 85, its enabling legislation, are focused on creating more uniformity in forestland valuation for property taxation in Georgia. Primary provisions of the legislation include:
- Uniformity: Establishing a new class of land that is assessed at fair market value as determined by the Department of Revenue
- Conservation: Increasing the acres eligible for conservation under the Forest Land Protection Act
- Funding: Maintaining Local Assistance Grants for counties and schools under the Forest Land Protection Act
“We are very excited to launch this constitutional amendment campaign in support of more uniformity and fairness in forestland valuation for property tax purposes,” Andres Villegas, GFA President and CEO, said. “The opportunity to make changes like these in support of private forest landowners don’t come very often. We need a champion in all 159 counties to ensure this important legislation crosses the finish line.”
More than 70 individuals have signed up as Fair Forest Tax grassroots champions to help spread the word in their local communities. In addition, several organizations, including the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Tall Timbers, Georgia SFI Implementation Committee and Georgia Tree Farm Program have announced that they will support the amendment.
To find out more about the legislation, donate to the campaign or sign up as a grassroots champion, please visit www.fairforesttax.org. If you have any questions, contact Tom Beyer at tom@gfagrow.org.
About the Georgia Forestry Association
Since 1907, the Georgia Forestry Association, headquartered in Forsyth, Georgia, has served the state’s forest landowners, forest-based businesses and forest product manufacturers, advocating for a healthy business and political climate for forestry in the state. Learn more at www.gfagrow.org.