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Georgia Senate committee hears competing claims over river 'right of passage' bill
Summary
Supporters told the Senate Transportation Committee that Senate Bill 511 would clarify a public easement for passage on rivers and streams to protect outfitters and tourism; opponents including farm and landowner groups said the language would infringe private property rights and could amount to an uncompensated taking. The panel requested a formal legal opinion and took no vote.
Senate Transportation Committee members heard sharply divided testimony on Senate Bill 511, a short measure the sponsor said would “clarify” a public right to travel (‘‘passage’’) down Georgia rivers and streams used for recreation.
The bill’s sponsor told senators the measure is intended to protect what he called “Georgia river heritage” and to confirm that people may transit waterways “solely for passage,” while prohibiting stopping to fish, hunt or disturb stream banks. Rena Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers, told the committee, “Floating is not tied to the land. It’s an easement.” She and other supporters said outfitters and tourism businesses need legal certainty to operate without harassment.
“Nanahala Outdoor Center…employs 600 people,” a written statement read into the record and cited by Peck, who said the bill would…
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