--- title: HR 824. The acute and ongoing threat to Georgia's forest posed by the southern pine beetle, and encouraging all Georgia landowners to follow guidance by the Georgia Forestry Commission to mitigate the spread of this destructive pest; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr824 cite_as: HR 824, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr824 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr824.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr824/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71815 date: 2025-03-27 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/hr823.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr825.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr824.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 824 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-27 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Vance Smith - Lynn Smith - Charles Cannon - Debbie Buckner - David Huddleston text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR824/2025 upstream_id: 2016111 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - forestry - southern pine beetle - land management - rural economy - Georgia Forestry Commission --- # HR 824. The acute and ongoing threat to Georgia's forest posed by the southern pine beetle, and encouraging all Georgia landowners to follow guidance by the Georgia Forestry Commission to mitigate the spread of this destructive pest; commend ## Text 25 LC 60 0159 House Resolution 824 By: Representatives Smith of the 138th, Smith of the 70th, Cannon of the 172nd, Buckner of the 137th, and Huddleston of the 72nd A RESOLUTION Recognizing the acute and ongoing threat to Georgia's forests p osed by the southern pine1 beetle, particularly in the western region of this state, and e ncouraging all Georgia2 landowners to follow guidance by the Georgia Forestry Commission to mitigate the spread3 of this destructive pest; and for other purposes.4 WHEREAS, forestry is a vital economic driver for the State of Georgia, contributing more5 than $41 billion annually to the state's economy and supporting thousands of jobs in rural6 communities; and7 WHEREAS, Georgia's forests, particularly those that are properly managed, provide essential8 ecological, economic, and recreational benefits, including clea n air and water, carbon9 sequestration, wildlife habitats, and raw materials for a variety of industries; and10 WHEREAS, the southern pine beetle (dendroctonus frontalis) is a destructive native pest11 affecting pine forests in the southeastern United States, including Georgia; and12 WHEREAS, southern pine beetle infestations can cause significan t tree mortality, leading13 to economic losses for landowners, increased wildfire risk, and reduced forest health and14 productivity; and15 H. R. 824 - 1 - 25 LC 60 0159 WHEREAS, the western region of Georgia is currently experiencing a heightened outbreak16 of the southern pine beetle, resulting in extensive damage to pine stands and threatening the17 sustainability of the state's forest resources; and18 WHEREAS, the Georgia Forestry Commission has provided critical guidance and resources19 to landowners to implement sound forestry practices that reduce the risk of infestation by the20 southern pine beetle and improve overall forest resilience; and21 WHEREAS, thinning overcrowded stands, removing infested trees, and adhering to best22 management practices are the most effective means of controllin g and preventing further23 spread of the southern pine beetle.24 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that25 the members of this body:26 (1) Recognize the significant threat posed by the southern pin e beetle to Georgia's27 forests;28 (2) Recognize the acute and ongoing challenge of the southern pine beetle outbreak in29 the western region of this state; and30 (3) Encourage Georgia landowners to take all steps necessary to mitigate the spread of31 this outbreak through proper forest management and adherence to best management32 practices outlined by the Georgia Forestry Commission.33 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized34 and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution avai lable for distribution to the35 public and the press.36 H. R. 824 - 2 - ## 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 recognizes the threat the southern pine beetle poses to the state's forests, especially in west Georgia, and encourages landowners to follow Georgia Forestry Commission guidance to control it. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's forests are facing an outbreak of the southern pine beetle, a native pest that kills pine trees, raises wildfire risk, and can cause economic losses for landowners. The outbreak is described as especially severe in the western part of the state. This resolution does not create any new law, program, or funding. Instead, the House of Representatives formally recognizes the threat posed by the beetle and the ongoing outbreak in western Georgia, and encourages landowners statewide to follow best management practices recommended by the Georgia Forestry Commission, such as thinning overcrowded stands and removing infested trees. The resolution also directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of it to the public and the press. ### What it does - Formally recognizes the southern pine beetle as a significant and ongoing threat to Georgia's forests, particularly in the western region of the state. - Encourages Georgia landowners to follow Georgia Forestry Commission guidance and best management practices to reduce the beetle's spread. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies of the resolution available to the public and press. - Does not create any new statute, funding, penalty, or agency requirement; it is a statement of the House's position. ### Who it affects Georgia landowners who manage pine forests, especially in the western region of the state, along with the Georgia Forestry Commission, whose existing guidance the resolution highlights and encourages landowners to follow. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal force, it puts the House's attention on a pest outbreak that can kill pine trees, raise wildfire risk, and hurt landowners' income, and it publicly points landowners toward existing state guidance for managing the problem. ### Key provisions - The preamble (whereas clauses) states forestry contributes more than $41 billion annually to Georgia's economy and supports rural jobs. - The resolution identifies the southern pine beetle (dendroctonus frontalis) as a native pest causing tree mortality and describes a heightened outbreak in western Georgia. - Resolution clause (1) has the House recognize the significant threat the beetle poses to Georgia's forests. - Resolution clause (2) has the House recognize the acute outbreak specifically in western Georgia. - Resolution clause (3) encourages landowners to mitigate the outbreak through proper forest management and Georgia Forestry Commission best practices. - A final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-27) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-27) - Sponsors: Vance Smith, Lynn Smith, Charles Cannon, Debbie Buckner, David Huddleston - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71815 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr824.md?full=1