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Advocates press state committee for clearer river-access rules, citing lost public passage and business impacts
Summary
Paddle-Georgia coordinator Joe Cook told the Senate committee that inconsistent judicial decisions and unclear statutory definitions have left Georgians uncertain which streams are open for recreational boating, urging the legislature to act to protect passage and outdoor recreation businesses.
Joe Cook, paddle Georgia coordinator with Georgia Rivers, told the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee that state law and court decisions have left uncertainty about where the public may legally float, fish and hunt on Georgia streams.
Cook traced the issue to 19th-century and later case law, and said the current uncertainty follows the 2023 passage of Senate Bill 115, which affirmed a right to boat, hunt and fish on “navigable streams” but left the meaning of “navigable” unresolved. Cook said the House ultimately formed a study committee that recommended against creating a fixed list of…
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