FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, February 18, 2025

ATLANTA |Today, Lt. Governor Burt Jones issued a statement in support of Senate Bill 52, the "Timberlands Recovery, Exemption, and Earnings Stability (TREES) Act,” which passed the Georgia Senate with unanimous, bi-partisan support. Senate Bill 52, sponsored by Senator Russ Goodman (R – Cogdell), allows local governments within the Hurricane Helene federal disaster area to provide temporary relief from taxes for the harvest or sale of standing timber during the final quarter of 2024 and throughout 2025.

“As of November, the estimated losses to standing timber caused by Hurricane Helene were nearly $1.3 billion,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “Reducing costs and stabilizing the market to allow for quicker harvesting and recovery of lands where some timber is still salvageable is a priority for the Senate. Along with passing the TREES Act, I will prioritize adding additional funding in the amended fiscal year 2025 budget for recovery efforts. I will continue to work with Governor Brian Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns, state agencies and local communities to help our neighbors as they work to replant their crops and rebuild their businesses from generational loss. These efforts will help Georgians come out stronger than before.” 

Senate Bill 52 outlines a process a local government must follow to grant this relief and audits that must be performed by the Georgia Forestry Commission. Additionally, subject to appropriations, SB 52 establishes state grants to offset revenue losses suffered by local governments, as the result of the hurricane and the tax relief granted by the TREES Act.

Additional information on Senate Bill 52 can be found here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69629

Contact

Policy and Communications Director Ines Owens

[email protected]