U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today applauded the inclusion of legislation he introduced, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Land Adjustment Act, in the Federal Land Management Act of 2017, which passed the Agriculture Committee unanimously.
Senator Perdue’s bill would improve management of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest by creating a more cohesive park boundary and also improve opportunities for recreation.
“This is an important step toward making the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest more manageable for park rangers,” said Senator Perdue. “Updated park boundaries will improve opportunities for hunting, fishing, and hiking in northeast Georgia while making better use of taxpayer money.
This legislation is a win-win, and I look forward to seeing it passed by the full Senate.”
The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Land Adjustment Act, is co-sponsored by Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Doug Collins (R-GA-9) on March 8, 2017. View the bill text here.
Senator Perdue said, "Currently, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) owns a substantial number of small, isolated tracts of land that are disconnected from the core lands of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. Encroachment from growth and development has caused these tracts to lose their principle value for National Forest purposes, as they are outliers from the core forest block. This legislation outlines a solution, authorizing the sale of 30 isolated parcels identified as desired disposal by the USFS.
"All proceeds from land sales will go directly to USFS and may only be used to buy inholding properties of high-value for conservation, recreation, and management from sellers within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest boundary. Additionally, selling isolated parcels puts this land back on county tax rolls and revenue generated can be used to buy inholdings from willing sellers."