Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) has successfully advanced bipartisan priorities aimed at bolstering Georgia’s forests by offering amendments to existing bills and promoting two others to boost Georgia's forestry and aid forest landowners.
The Senator offered an amendment during the committee markup to the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA) that would provide state forestry agencies a more active role in the federal government’s effort to shore up wildfire preparedness.
The amendment to the FOFA would ensure state forestry agencies have a voice in a new interagency National Hub and the Wildland Fire Intelligence Center. It would also cement state foresters’ role as voting members in the federal governing board.
Warnock also advanced the Benton MacKaye Trail Feasibility Study Act, which would authorize conducting a feasibility study on designating the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail (NST) within the National Trails System.
For context, the Benton MacKaye Trail is a scenic non-motorized trail that traverses 287 miles over some of the forests of Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct the study within a year of being passed.
Warnock's effort also includes the Disaster Reforestation Act, a bill that would amend the tax code to allow forest landowners to deduct the value of their timber prior to the loss caused by a natural disaster.
For context, forest landowners receive no guaranteed federal funding from disaster relief. This fix would provide permanent assurances and help landowners recover when their timber crops are destroyed by a natural disaster. The legislation was considered, but not voted on, during the markup.
The Senator expressed pride in being able to advance these initiatives while highlighting the importance of protecting Georgia’s forests. They strengthen Georgia’s economy and give the state a greater natural beauty.
“Georgia’s forests are vital to our state’s economy,” Warnock stated. “I’m proud to advance these bipartisan priorities to help ensure Georgia’s forest landowners are better protected from natural disasters, and so the people of Georgia can continue to enjoy our forests and green spaces for generations to come.”
