With one notable exception, most of the measures the Georgia Conservancy is watching this session relate to conservation funding or designation. Some of the specific bills the Conservancy is watching are carryovers from last session, while others are yet to be introduced but something the group is hoping to see accomplished this session.
One of the most high profile bills on the agenda for the Conservancy is the reauthorization of the Land Conservation Tax Credit. The credit was set to be extended last session but unrelated add-ons derailed it before passage. The credit expired on the last day of 2021 and both the Conservancy and the Association of Georgia Land Trusts insist its reauthorization is essential for conservation of land and habitat across the state. The incentive is up to 25 percent of fair market value of the land but capped at $250K for individuals and $500K for corporate donors, such as logging companies or farms. The credit is one of the key pieces of private land conservation efforts in the state and will get a big push from environmental groups at the Gold Dome.
For Central Georgia, and of course the state as a whole, the biggest issue may be the push for the establishment of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve. Currently a national historic park, the area is home to the Ocmulgee Mounds, a site of particular significance to pre-Columbian native Americans living east of the Mississippi. Georgia is home to a number of these mound sites but the Ocmulgee site is the one of the largest archaeological collections in the National Park Service system. Its elevation to “National Park” status would make it the first national park in the eastern U.S. in some time and could mean a big economic impact for the Macon area. The park could potentially extend from Macon, south along the Ocmulgee River, all the way to Hawkinsville in Pulaski County. The Georgia Conservancy will be working with the state legislature to help pressure Congress in D.C. on the formation of the park.
That notable exception relates to coal ash legislation the Conservancy would like to see passed. It is the most “preventative” of measures they are hoping to see passed. A number of bills were introduced during the 2021 session to further regulate the storage and disposal of coal ash but none made it through. Despite the strong power of Southern Company and Georgia Power at the Gold Dome, many of these coal ash ponds are in rural areas that are represented by the Republican majority and residents in these areas are known to make their voices heard on the issue.
Rep. Vance Smith (R-133 Pine Mountain) sponsored a bill last year that made it out of committee but didn’t make final passage. Some high profile spills from coal ash ponds over the years brought the issue to the forefront and Georgia Power is already closing nearly 30 of the pits across the state but environmental groups contend just closing them, at least 10 of which will be closed in unlined pits, is not enough and leakage mitigation has to be done up front.
