--- title: HR 1759. Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1759 cite_as: HR 1759, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1759 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1759.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1759/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74222 date: 2026-03-18 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1758.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1760.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1759.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1759 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-18 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Victor Anderson - Trey Rhodes - Lynn Smith - Gerald Greene - Steven Meeks - John Corbett text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1759/2025 upstream_id: 2135902 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - state parks - Hurricane Helene recovery - Georgia Department of Natural Resources - legislative commendation --- # HR 1759. Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites; commend ## Text House Resolution 1759 By: Representatives Anderson of the 10th, Rhodes of the 124th, Smith of the 70th, Greene of the 154th, Meeks of the 178th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites manages the preservation of more than 60 properties across the state, including mountains, canyons, forests, waterfalls, lakes, battlefields, historic homes, Native American sites, and more; and WHEREAS, through these locations, the division maintains important habitats for plants and animals, provides the citizens of Georgia with places to enjoy the outdoors, and protects historic sites where future generations can learn about the past; and WHEREAS, the division continued to demonstrate its commitment to this state in 2025 through the efforts of its exemplary staff and volunteers, all of whom dedicated innumerable hours of their time and energy across numerous operations; and WHEREAS, Hurricane Helene presented one of the most significant weather-related challenges in the division's history, causing immense damage within five of the division's six regions and stranding many Georgians without access to power and emergency services; and WHEREAS, in response to this unprecedented natural disaster, a total of 118 park rangers contributed more than 6,600 work hours to clear debris, assess damage, and assist with emergency operations, and many division sites worked through this recovery phase without running water or power for extended periods of time; and WHEREAS, the division has further expended efforts over the past year to improve the visitor experience at its sites by resolving areas of noncompliance with ADA standards and implementing electronic Park Pass sales, eliminating the need for guests to leave their vehicle or visit a kiosk to begin their activities and hikes; and WHEREAS, the golf courses managed by the division continue to exceed previous years in both revenue generated and number of rounds played, earning numerous awards and top rankings in recognition of their excellence; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable division be appropriately honored during this special time. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites and extend best wishes for many more years of successful operation. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends the Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites for its work in 2025, including its response to Hurricane Helene. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recognizes and thanks the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites, which manages more than 60 parks and historic sites across the state. The resolution highlights the division's response to Hurricane Helene, when 118 park rangers logged more than 6,600 work hours clearing debris and helping with emergency operations across five of the division's six regions. It also notes improvements to accessibility compliance under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the rollout of electronic park pass sales, and strong revenue and rankings for the division's golf courses. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy to the division as a formal token of recognition. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends the Division of State Parks & Historic Sites for its work in 2025. - Highlights the division's Hurricane Helene response, citing 118 rangers and more than 6,600 work hours of disaster recovery effort. - Notes the division's progress resolving ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance issues and launching electronic park pass sales. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to the division. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or allocate any state funding. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites, its rangers, staff, and volunteers. It also indirectly touches Georgians who visit state parks and historic sites, since the resolution describes services and disaster response affecting park visitors and nearby communities. ### Why it matters Because this is a commendation rather than a law, it does not change any rights, requirements, or funding. Its main effect is a public, official statement of appreciation for the division's staff and their disaster response and visitor service work. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe the division's management of more than 60 properties and its 2025 Hurricane Helene recovery effort. - The resolved clause states that the House recognizes and commends the division and wishes it continued success. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to the division for distribution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-18) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-18) - Sponsors: Victor Anderson, Trey Rhodes, Lynn Smith, Gerald Greene, Steven Meeks, John Corbett - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74222 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1759.md?full=1