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Georgia timber harvest notification system now in effect

As of July 1, Georgia counties requiring loggers to notify their governments of timber harvests conducted within their boundaries and loggers harvesting in these counties must be registered with the online Timber Harvest Notification (THN) system housed on the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) website at gatrees.org.

This system was created in response to Georgia legislation that passed in 2020. The legislation creating the uniform statewide harvest notification system clarifies a myriad of conflicting timber harvest notification requirements previously used in different counties across Georgia, which resulted in confusion and, in some cases, breaches of the law. Under Georgia House Bill 897, OCGA 12-6-24 was updated, increasing fines from $500 to $1,500 for failure to comply with requisites. 

County-linked input entered in the online notification system provides details about harvests, such as specific road and plat locations, contact information and planned logging dates. The information requirements were generated by county officials & staff, forestry industry representatives, and staff from the GFC, Georgia Forestry Association, and Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

To date, 92 counties, one city, and 193 harvesters are utilizing the THN system, which has been a voluntary practice for the past year.

For information about the deadline or the THN procedure, visit https://gfb.ag/timberharvestnotification or email timberharvest@gfc.state.ga.us or call 478-751-3485.

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