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Senate committee advances study on preserving Georgia farmland, timber and water supplies
Summary
The Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee approved a resolution to create a nine-month study committee to examine farmland preservation, timberland, industry expansion and water supply protection. Senator Billy Hickman said development and solar leases are shrinking farmland and urged action; the measure passed by voice vote.
Senator Billy Hickman, a farmer and certified public accountant, told the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee that a newly approved resolution would create a seven-member study committee to examine preservation of Georgia farmland, timberland and water supplies and recommend any necessary legislation.
Hickman said the resolution (LC 442558) grew out of farmer concerns in his region as development accelerates near new industrial projects. "We live in a county that's got a 20 26 percent poverty rate," Hickman said, and added that economic growth must be balanced with protecting food production. He described local land pressures in blunt terms: "farmland is renting for a $100 an acre if you're drawing cotton on it, but it's selling for…
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