HB 983: Conservation and natural resources; prescribed burning for silviculture purposes is exempt from certain burning notice and permit requirements; clarify

Georgia law already lets landowners burn woods, brush, and undergrowth under certain notice and permit rules, and it already limited how much counties and cities could restrict that burning. This bill rewrites those protections. Instead of a general ban on local rules that would 'prohibit burning the understory' or block landowners from reducing fuel loads, the new language says counties and municipalities can add their own notice or permit requirements for burning generally, but none of those local rules can restrict 'prescribed burning' as defined in the forestry code, except burning of leaf or brush piles not needed for that purpose. The bill also rewrites the definition of prescribed burning to specifically tie it to silviculture (forest management), listing examples like site preparation for timber, hazard fuel reduction, wildlife habitat improvement, and longleaf pine ecosystem maintenance. It adds a new definition of 'silviculture' itself. Finally, it removes a reference to burning under a 'permit issued under' Part 3 of the forestry article, replacing it with a broader reference to 'any requirements set forth in' that part.

• Clarifies that county and municipal ordinances cannot restrict prescribed burning done for silviculture purposes, while still letting local governments add other notice or permit rules for burning generally.
• Narrows the local-restriction exception so it does not cover burning of leaf or brush piles unless necessary to accomplish prescribed burning's purposes.
• Rewrites the legal definition of 'prescribed burning' to tie it specifically to silviculture and lists covered activities such as timber site preparation, hazard fuel reduction, wildlife habitat improvement, and longleaf pine ecosystem maintenance.
• Adds a new statutory definition of 'silviculture' covering the science and practice of managing forest establishment, growth, harvesting, planting, thinning, and burning.
• Changes the requirement that prescribed burning follow 'a permit issued under' Part 3 of the forestry article to instead require compliance with 'any requirements set forth in' that part.

Forest landowners and timber companies who conduct prescribed burns for forest management, county and municipal governments that regulate burning through local ordinances, the State Forestry Commission, and nearby residents affected by burning notice and permit rules.

Landowners who burn forestland for timber management, wildlife habitat, or wildfire prevention would have clearer legal protection against local ordinances that try to restrict that burning, while counties and cities retain some ability to set their own notice and permit rules for burning in general.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 12-6-90(d) so local governments may add notice or permit requirements for burning but cannot restrict prescribed burning as defined in § 12-6-147, with an exception for leaf or brush piles not needed for the burn's purpose.
• Section 2 revises the definition of 'prescribed burning' in § 12-6-147 to link it to silviculture purposes and lists specific covered activities, and adds a new definition of 'silviculture.'
• Section 3 revises § 12-6-148(a)(4) to require prescribed burning to follow 'any requirements set forth in' Part 3 of the article rather than 'a permit issued under' that part.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-06Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-06Act 429
3. 2026-05-06House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-16Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-16Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2026-02-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2026-02-24Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)Primary sponsor
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Steven Meeks (R, HD-178)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 12, 2026

   160 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 10 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #509

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 16, 2026

   51 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #724

• forestry
• prescribed burning
• land management
• local ordinances
• wildfire prevention