Franklin BOC to Take Up Timber Ordinance Tonight

Franklin County commissioners are moving forward with a plan to adopt a county timber ordinance.

Last March, the Board tabled passing the new law until the State had approved revisions to the State timber ordinance.

Under the State law, a person who cuts down trees illegally can be arrested up to four years after the crime.  The suspect may then be charged with trespassing and subject to arrest and fines from the state.

Additionally, those harvesting timber with the property owner’s permission must also supply the timber owner with the exact weight of the timber cut, the date it was cut, and in which county within 20 days of harvest.

At their work session last week, the Board heard from County Manager Beth Thomas who said now that Georgia lawmakers have approved changes to the State law, the County can now go ahead with their creating a local timber ordinance.

“We’ve been looking at it for about a year now to try to formulate an ordinance,” Thomas said. “What it is mainly is a notification process. The loggers or the land owners who want to harvest timber will have to notify the County and pay a bond. The ordinance will follow the state code.”

Franklin County is one of the few counties in North Georgia with no laws regarding how and when timber should be cut.

According to the County Engineer John Phillips, that has presented a problem with damaged roads and debris left behind for the county to clean up after.

Thomas said the County cannot charge a logger a fee for harvesting timber, but they can require the County be notified.

If the County is not notified of a plan to harvest timber, the logger, property owner or company can be fined by the County. The County will also require a bond or letter of credit from the harvester to cover any damage done to the road. 

Commissioners plan to discuss the ordinance again tonight at their regular meeting, which begins at 6p at the Justice Center on Highway 145 in Carnesville.