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Senate debate centers on timber relief bill to aid counties hit by storm; sponsors seek tax suspensions and grants
Summary
Senator Goodman presented SB 52 (LC 500970), the TREEES Act, proposing a temporary suspension of the timber severance tax and a grant program to help FEMA‑declared counties recover from a major storm that damaged timberland statewide.
Senator Goodman (sponsor) presented SB 52 (LC 500970), the Timberlands Recovery Exemption and Earnings Stability (TREEES) Act, describing it as a legislative response to a recent storm that caused widespread damage to timber and agricultural assets.
The bill would, for counties declared disaster areas by FEMA, suspend the timber severance (ad valorem) tax for the last quarter of 2024 and for all of 2025 while landowners try to harvest storm‑damaged wood. It also would create a state grant program allowing eligible counties to apply for compensation based on their three‑year average timber tax collections, aiming to stabilize local government revenues hit by sudden…
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