---
title: HB 983. Conservation and natural resources; prescribed burning for silviculture purposes is exempt from certain burning notice and permit requirements; clarify
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb983
cite_as: HB 983, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb983
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb983.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb983/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72243
date: 2026-05-06
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 948
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb983.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 983
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-06
last_action: Effective Date 2026-07-01
sponsors:
- Leesa Hagan
- Charles Cannon
- Steven Meeks
- James Burchett
- Russ Goodman
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB983/2025
upstream_id: 2083443
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- forestry
- prescribed burning
- land management
- local ordinances
- wildfire prevention
---
# HB 983. Conservation and natural resources; prescribed burning for silviculture purposes is exempt from certain burning notice and permit requirements; clarify
## Text
House Bill 983 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Hagan of the 156th, Cannon of the 172nd, Meeks of the 178th, and
Burchett of the 176th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to forest resources, so as to clarify that prescribed burning for silviculture purposes
is exempt from certain burning notice and permit requirements; to revise requirements for
prescribed burning; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
forest resources, is amended by revising subsection (d) of Code Section 12-6-90, relating to
permit required for burning woods, lands, marshes, or other flammable vegetation and
exceptions, as follows:
"(d) In addition to the notice and permit requirements set forth in this Code section, any
county or municipality of this state may, by law or by ordinance, resolution, or regulation,
provide additional notice or permit requirements for burning; provided, however, that no
such additional requirements shall restrict prescribed burning, as such term is defined in
Code Section 12-6-147 The notice or permit required by this Code section shall be in
addition to any other notice or permit or other requirement for burning provided for by law
or by ordinance, resolution, or regulation of any county or municipality of this state;
provided, however, that no additional restrictions provided by local ordinance shall prohibit
burning the understory for the health of the forest and wildlife or prohibit the landowner's
ability to reduce fuel loads on the forest floor for the safety of the community; provided,
further, that the foregoing exception shall not apply to the burning of leaf or brush piles not
necessary to accomplish the purposes of prescribed burning."
SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended by revising Code Section 12-6-147, relating to definitions,
as follows:
"12-6-147.
As used in this part, the term:
(1) 'Commission' means the State Forestry Commission.
(2) 'Prescribed burning' means the controlled application of fire to existing vegetative
fuels for silviculture purposes, which is confined to a predetermined area, is conducted
under specified environmental conditions and following appropriate precautionary
measures, which causes the fire to be confined to a predetermined area and accomplishes
one or more planned land management objectives or to mitigate mitigates catastrophic
wildfires. Such term shall include, but shall not be limited to, burning for site preparation
of land for timber cultivation, hazard fuel reduction, understory control, wildlife habitat
improvement, natural regeneration, longleaf pine ecosystem maintenance, and timber
stand improvement.
(3) 'Silviculture' means the science and practice of managing the establishment, growth,
composition, health, and quality of forests, including, but not limited to, harvesting,
planting, thinning, and burning, to maintain or improve forest productivity, ecological
health, wildlife habitat, and economic value."
SECTION 3.
Said article is further amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 12-6-148, relating
to requirements for prescribed burning and limitation on liability, as follows:
"(a) Prescribed burning conducted under the requirements of this part shall:
(1) Be accomplished only when an individual with previous prescribed burning
experience or training is in charge of the burn and is present on site until the fire is
adequately confined to reasonably prevent escape of the fire from the area intended to be
burned;
(2) Be considered in the public interest and shall not create a public or private nuisance;
(3) Be considered a property right of the landowner; and
(4) Be conducted in accordance with a permit issued under any requirements set forth
in Part 3 of this article."
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would rewrite state forestry law to spell out that local governments cannot use ordinances to block prescribed burning done for silviculture (forest management) purposes, and it defines those terms more precisely.
### Plain-language summary
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.
### What it does
- 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.
### Who it affects
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.
### Why it matters
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.
### Key provisions
- 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.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-06)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-07-01 (2026-05-06)
- Sponsors: Leesa Hagan, Charles Cannon, Steven Meeks, James Burchett, Russ Goodman
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72243
> The history, votes, and amendments (948 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb983.md?full=1