A bill sponsored by Pierce County’s representative to the state senate to provide relief for foresters who suffered losses in Hurricane Helene was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp last week.
The legislation, sponsored by Representative Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell) is designed to deliver urgently needed relief to forest landowners and rural communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Helene is estimated to have caused more than $1.28 billion in timber losses across Georgia’s most productive forestlands.
Goodman represents Pierce County in the Georgia House of Representatives.
The legislation passed with strong bipartisan support and delivers both immediate recovery tools and longterm support to ensure Georgia’s forestry sector — the largest in the nation — can recover, replant and remain a pillar of the state’s economy.
The relief package includes:
• refundable reforestation tax credit for planting and restoration efforts;
• a state income tax exemption for federal disaster aid;
• a sales tax exemption for certain farm rebuilding materials; and
• ad valorem harvest tax relief for landowners in affected counties — paired with state reimbursements to protect local government budgets.
These measures mirror the real-world needs voiced by landowners, loggers and mills in the aftermath of Helene.
“Our farmers and foresters are tough people,' said Governor Brian Kemp. “Their commitment to moving forward after all they’ve faced is an inspiration to us all. There is still more work to be done, but I’m proud to sign these bills and deliver on our promises to the men and women who are the backbone of our state. I'm also grateful for the dedicated efforts of all of our partners in the General Assembly whose steadfast leadership and determination helped make today possible.”
Georgia leads the nation in forestry, with 22 million acres of commercially available forestland, over 141,000 jobs, and $42 billion in annual economic impact. The forestry sector is foundational to rural economies, global markets and environmental stewardship.
