Keeping Georgia Forested: Leading Policy to Protect and Expand Timber Markets
This project was developed along the way as we moved through our AGL experience. Georgia’s forestry industry faces a growing threat of declining timber markets, fewer mills, and decreasing incentive for landowners to keep productive forest in use. In response, GFA alongside of a coalition worked to identify policy solutions to bolster existing timber markets and create new ones. My role in this process developed into a key leadership role as GFA was looked to as the natural leader for the coalition effort to pass legislation at the state level aimed at combating the issue of declining markets. This effort was not and could not have been a one man show – meaning my focus had to be around building and supporting a strong group of coalition partners who came together for a common purpose and goal. This coalition worked ahead of the 2026 legislative session to identify policy ideas, which were then carried to Atlanta and advocated for before the Georgia General Assembly. The successful passage of HB 134 – the Keep Georgia Forested Act – is not where this story nor my leadership project ends however. The project now evolves into using this policy tool we created through HB134 to make Georgia stand out as the premier place for new forestry investment. Finally, my hope is to use this platform as a way to expand the policy tool to benefit the broader ag and rural economies here in Georgia. If the program/credit established by HB134 is successful in the forestry sector, there will be a real opportunity to work with those coalition partners to apply the same concept across various commodities and business areas where we need it most. There is much work left to be done but I am extremely happy to have accomplished the first major milestone of this project and for what it will allow us to do going forward.
“The goal of my project was to play a leadership role in assembling a team/coalition around a legislative effort aimed at successfully passing legislation that supports Georgia’s forestry industry in a time of real need. Furthermore, my goal is to then use the tool that the legislation provides as a platform to bolster existing forest product manufacturing facilities and recruit new ones to our state. Finally, I hope to explore in future years ways this tool can be expanded to benefit the broader agricultural and rural economies of Georgia.”