--- title: HR 1889. Termed and perpetual conservation easements; important tools for promoting conservation practices; express support collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1889 cite_as: HR 1889, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1889 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1889.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1889/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74413 date: 2026-03-31 status: introduced 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/hr1888.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1890.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 185 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1889.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1889 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-25 last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported sponsors: - Charles Cannon - John Corbett - Jaclyn Ford - Robert Dickey - Jutt Howard - Debbie Buckner text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1889/2025 upstream_id: 2138426 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - conservation easements - land conservation - private property rights - agriculture - wildlife habitat --- # HR 1889. Termed and perpetual conservation easements; important tools for promoting conservation practices; express support ## Text House Resolution 1889 By: Representatives Cannon of the 172nd, Corbett of the 174th, Ford of the 170th, Dickey of the 134th, Howard of the 71st, and others A RESOLUTION Expressing support for termed and perpetual conservation easements; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, conservation easements provide important wildlife habitats on our nation's private lands, supporting opportunities for hunters by increasing available habitats for iconic game species while providing many other environmental benefits; and WHEREAS, conservation easements are a completely voluntary, free-market, incentive-based contract—the terms of which are agreed upon by the landowner—for the conservation of natural, agricultural, and historical resources on private land; and WHEREAS, conservation easements protect private property rights and enable landowners to monetize the environmental and habitat values of their land; and WHEREAS, perpetual easements ensure that conservation values are managed forever while providing landowners with clearly defined assurances through written easement contracts; and WHEREAS, conservation easements enable agricultural producers to maintain and expand their operations and pass their land on to their heirs, if they so choose, while benefitting rural economies by keeping private land in agricultural production; and WHEREAS, conservation easements provide capital that enables landowners to grow or maintain agricultural operations or reinvest in the landscape. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body express their support for termed and perpetual conservation easements as important tools for promoting conservation practices on private lands while rewarding landowners for their voluntary participation. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## 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 would formally express the House's support for termed and perpetual conservation easements as tools to encourage voluntary land conservation on private property. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law. Instead, it states the Georgia House of Representatives' support for conservation easements, which are voluntary legal agreements landowners can enter into to limit development or certain land uses in exchange for compensation or tax benefits, in order to protect natural, agricultural, or historical resources. The resolution describes both termed (temporary) and perpetual (permanent) conservation easements as beneficial for wildlife habitat, hunting opportunities, agricultural production, and rural economies. It states that these easements protect private property rights because landowners voluntarily agree to the terms. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available to the public and the press, but it creates no new program, funding, or legal requirement. ### What it does - States the House of Representatives' support for termed and perpetual conservation easements as tools for promoting voluntary conservation on private land. - Describes conservation easements as voluntary, free-market contracts that let landowners monetize environmental and habitat values of their property. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press. - Does not amend any Georgia statute, create funding, or impose any new legal requirement on landowners or agencies. ### Who it affects The resolution mainly speaks to private landowners, agricultural producers, and hunters who might use or benefit from conservation easements. It has no direct legal effect on state agencies, courts, or the general public since it does not change any law. ### Why it matters Because this is a resolution rather than a bill that changes law, it carries symbolic weight rather than legal force. It signals the House's favorable view of conservation easements, which could influence future legislation or public perception, but landowners' options and obligations remain unchanged for now. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses lay out the House's reasoning: conservation easements support wildlife habitat, hunting, agricultural production, and rural economies. - The resolved clause formally states the House's support for termed and perpetual conservation easements as conservation tools on private lands. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-03-25) - Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported (2026-03-31) - Sponsors: Charles Cannon, John Corbett, Jaclyn Ford, Robert Dickey, Jutt Howard, Debbie Buckner - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74413 > The history, votes, and amendments (185 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1889.md?full=1