09 LC 94
1118
Senate
Resolution 589
By:
Senators Tolleson of the 20th, Powell of the 23rd, Hudgens of the 47th, Hawkins
of the 49th, Chapman of the 3rd and others
ADOPTED
SENATE
A
RESOLUTION
Requesting
that the Congress of the United States take legislative action to change the
current definition of renewable biomass and prevent the passage of any
legislation that would control forest management practices on private forest
lands; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
Georgia's 24 million acres of forests represent major land use in the state,
occupying two-thirds of Georgia's total land area of 37 million acres, with 92
percent of forest land privately owned; and
WHEREAS,
the members of the Georgia Senate understand the importance of promoting the
rights of private property owners and support the adoption of sound land
management practices to ensure that forests are managed in a sustainable manner,
and continue to provide clean air, clean water, soil conservation, wildlife
habitats, beauty, and recreational opportunities; and
WHEREAS,
there is an indisputable link between reforestation and sustainable management
of Georgia's private forests and the vibrant market for the wood and fiber
produced in these forests; and
WHEREAS,
the health of Georgia's forests which provide wood and fiber directly
contributes to the success of the industry that converts these materials to
thousands of commercial products; and
WHEREAS,
forestry is a leading industry in Georgia, creating more than 150,000 jobs and
having a $28 billion annual economic impact; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia's forests can provide biomass material to emerging biomass energy
production businesses and position Georgia as a national leader of energy
production from renewable resources; and
WHEREAS,
the development of a forest bio-energy industry will provide additional jobs and
retain jobs in Georgia's rural communities; and
WHEREAS,
using forest biomass to produce energy products offsets fossil fuel use,
significantly reduces net carbon emissions and other pollutants, reduces fossil
fuel imports, and keeps Georgia's energy dollars in Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
forest biomass harvests are a cost-effective method to improve wildlife
habitats, reduce wildfire hazards, improve residual tree growth, and remove
diseased and infested trees; and
WHEREAS,
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 placed restrictions unsupported
by science on the source of biomass from privately-owned forests, resulting in
the disqualification of approximately 15 million acres of private forests in
Georgia from being utilized for biomass energy production; and
WHEREAS,
the restrictions placed by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
discourages good conservation by unduly restricting the ability of the forester
or other professional natural resource managers to apply science, site-specific
forest information, and landowner objectives to forest management decisions;
and
WHEREAS,
restricting the source of biomass being harvested, processed, and delivered to
bio-energy facilities will add undue costs and burdens and could set a precedent
for federal control of specific conservation practices and forest production
methods on privately owned property; and
WHEREAS,
the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 does not restrict the ability of
local resource managers to properly manage forests, and it provides an
appropriate definition of "renewable biomass" by including "any organic matter
available on a renewable or recurring basis" in the definition; and
WHEREAS,
the State of Georgia, through the Georgia Forestry Commission and other
agencies, provides best management practice guidelines, sustainability
assessments, and monitoring of forest resources to ensure sustainability and
good conservation.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body request
that the United States Congress take action to correct the restrictive and
intrusive definition of renewable biomass in the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007 and prevent additional federal actions that would control
forest management practices on private forest lands by defining "renewable
biomass" in a restrictive manner.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body request that all federal
legislation related to biomass follow the uniform definition of renewable
biomass as contained in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to members of the Georgia
congressional delegation.