Above: The Gold Dome of the Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta.





We're at the state capitol every day of the legislative session pushing for conservation-minded bills and fighting against legislation that would roll back the advancements that we've already made. If you are interested in receiving our weekly legislative updates, please



The 2013 legislative session was a successful one for Georgia's natural resources. Bills that had the potential to harm our state's environment through deregulation, poor policy or bad science were either voted down by our legislators or shelved for further study in 2014.



A number of bills that we supported in 2013, or worked with our legislators to improve, passed both chambers of the legislature and were signed by the Governor Nathan Deal. Additionally, Gov. Deal and the General Assembly set aside $11 million for land conservation.



The 2014 Legislative Session will be busier than most years because the legislature will work for 40 straight work days, taking no recesses, due to the timing of the spring election cycle.





The following bills were of high importance to the Conservancy in 2013, and we will continue to keep an eye on them during this legislative session:





Flint River Drought Protection Act - Senate Bill 213



SB 213, sponsored by Sen.



SB 213 would authorize the state to fund projects that â€œaugment stream flowsâ€ in the Flint River basin. To be clear, the state has already used $5.1 million of available funding to build an underground well in two aquifers along the Flint â€“ a water storage technology called â€œaquifer storage and recovery." Water from the Floridian aquifer, which is very close to the Flintâ€™s surface waters, would be pumped into the deep cretaceous aquifer during wet seasons. In times of drought, the state could pull water from the cretaceous aquifer and send it down the Flint River, augmenting the riverâ€™s flow.



The Conservancy has several concerns with SB 213.

Welcome to the Georgia Conservancy's legislative preview for the 2014 Legislative Session.We're at the state capitol every day of the legislative session pushing for conservation-minded bills and fighting against legislation that would roll back the advancements that we've already made. If you are interested in receiving our weekly legislative updates, please click here . We will provide you with updates every Friday of the legislative session.The 2013 legislative session was a successful one for Georgia's natural resources. Bills that had the potential to harm our state's environment through deregulation, poor policy or bad science were either voted down by our legislators or shelved for further study in 2014.A number of bills that we supported in 2013, or worked with our legislators to improve, passed both chambers of the legislature and were signed by the Governor Nathan Deal. Additionally, Gov. Deal and the General Assembly set aside $11 million for land conservation.The 2014 Legislative Session will be busier than most years because the legislature will work for 40 straight work days, taking no recesses, due to the timing of the spring election cycle.SB 213, sponsored by Sen. Ross Tolleson (R-20), would amend a current law called the Flint River Protection Act of 2000. In response to historically low flows in the Flint River basin, the original act sought to provide users of water within the basin with financial incentives not to irrigate their land. However, the measure didn't adequately help to stabilize or increase water flows within the watershed, and extremely low flows continue to be a critical issue year-round.SB 213 would authorize the state to fund projects that â€œaugment stream flowsâ€ in the Flint River basin. To be clear, the state has already used $5.1 million of available funding to build an underground well in two aquifers along the Flint â€“ a water storage technology called â€œaquifer storage and recovery." Water from the Floridian aquifer, which is very close to the Flintâ€™s surface waters, would be pumped into the deep cretaceous aquifer during wet seasons. In times of drought, the state could pull water from the cretaceous aquifer and send it down the Flint River,the riverâ€™s flow.The Conservancy has several concerns with SB 213.

Aquifer storage and recovery, or ASR, could pose a number of public health, ecological and geological issues for the Flint River basin. For example, what are the water quality impacts of pumping water from an aquifer close to surface rivers, streams and creeks, into southwest Georgiaâ€™s most pristine aquifer? In periods of drought, who gets to use the water that the state retrieves from the cretaceous aquifer and sends down the Flint River? Provisions in SB 213 would allow the stateâ€™s Environmental Protection Division (Georgia EPD) to deny users of water who live and work downstream of the ASR well the right to any of that water. This language would threaten long-standing riparian rights for downstream users, potentially setting an unwelcome precedent regarding water rights in the state. State law allows landowners the "reasonable use" of water that flows through their land, but SB 213 would restrict the "reasonable use" doctrine. EPD is already spending $5.1 million on an ASR well along the Flint, apparently without the legal authority to do so. SB 213 would give the state this authority retroactively , and that authority would extend beyond the single project in which they have already invested. Building the systems and infrastructure for ASR is extremely costly to taxpayers, as well.



SB 213 passed the Senate in 2013, but it did not come up for a vote in the House. It will be taken up by the House again this year.



The Conservancy is opposed to SB 213 as it is written and will be working with lawmakers and other organizations to improve this piece of legislation.





Georgia Legacy Program - Senate Bill 210



In the 10 years since the last state land conservation program was created, Georgia has seen recession, severe drought and new questions regarding how to best conserve our land and water as population growth continues to increase.



SB 210, sponsored by Sen.



The Georgia Conservancy, along with many of the stateâ€™s premier public and private environmental organizations, has worked tirelessly to develop and promote the Georgia Legacy program.











In 2013, Senate Bill 210 overwhelmingly passed the Senate, but it did not come up for a vote in the House before the end of the legislative session.



The Georgia Conservancy supports the passage of Senate Bill 210 and will continue to work with stakeholders in 2014 to perfect the bill.





Water Emergency Response Procedures - House Bill 549



HB 549, sponsored by Reps.



The districts represented by Reps. Burns and Tankersley include the Ogeechee River. One of the largest fish kills in state history occurred on the Ogeechee in 2011, when over 38,000 fish died as a result of waste water discharged through an unpermitted pipe owned by King America Finishing Company.



Georgia has seen a number of hazardous waste incidents and violations on its waterways in recent years, most notably on the Ogeechee River and Trail Creek, near Athens. This bill was prompted by the lack of state and local coordination and timely response to such incidents and violations by responsible authorities.



During the 2013 session, House Bill 549 was not introduced in time to be voted on before Crossover Day and will be available for vote by the House in the 2014 session of the General Assembly.



The Georgia Conservancy, among many other organizations, testified in support of House Bill 549 and thanked Reps. Burns and Tankersley for their leadership. The Conservancy supports the creation of proper emergency response procedures, as well as timely communication among federal, state and local agencies.





Fee Appropriations - House Bill 127, House Bill 276



Since the economic downturn began in 2007-2008, Georgia lawmakers have relied on a practice of diverting to the stateâ€™s general fund fees that are collected for specific purposes.



For example, the $1 fee on new tire purchases that is supposed to fund the clean-up of dangerous tire dumps has been diverted to the general fund and spent on other programs. This diversion of fee income has left the state with inadequate funds to properly clean-up these tire dumps that pose a threat to the environment and to public health.



HB 127, sponsored by Rep.



The language in HB 127 was also added to



In 2013, House Bill 127 and the combined version of House Bill 276 passed the House. On March 14, 2013, the Senate struck from the HB 276 language that prohibited the diversion of fees from their original purpose. This version of the bill was passed by both chambers of the legislature and signed by Gov. Deal.



The Georgia Conservancy supports the restoration of language that prohibits the diversion of dedicated fees. House Bill 127, which includes language that prohibits the diversion of dedicated fees, will be taken up by the General Assembly in 2014.





Expand Reservoir Fund to Include Water Supply Systems - House Bill 199



The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) Reservoir and Water Supply Fund, under current law, only funds projects or enhancements relating to reservoirs.



HB 199, introduced by Rep. The Conservancy is opposed to SB 213 as it is written and will be working with lawmakers and other organizations to improve this piece of legislation.In the 10 years since the last state land conservation program was created, Georgia has seen recession, severe drought and new questions regarding how to best conserve our land and water as population growth continues to increase.SB 210, sponsored by Sen. Ross Tolleson (R-20), would create an umbrella program called the Georgia Legacy program to administer state funding for land and water conservation from the new Georgia Legacy Trust Fund and Georgia Legacy Revolving Loan Fund. These funds would amend two funds currently in existence â€“ the Land Conservation Trust Fund and the Land Conservation Revolving Loan Fund â€“ and the Legacy funds would be administered by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).The Georgia Conservancy, along with many of the stateâ€™s premier public and private environmental organizations, has worked tirelessly to develop and promote the Georgia Legacy program. Click here for a comparison of Georgia Legacy with its predecessor, the Georgia Land Conservation Trust Fund. Click here to watch Georgia Conservancy Senior Vice President Allie Kelly discuss Georgia Legacy on GPB's PrimeTime Lawmakers.The Georgia Conservancy supports the passage of Senate Bill 210 and will continue to work with stakeholders in 2014 to perfect the bill.HB 549, sponsored by Reps. Jon Burns (R-159) and Jan Tankersley (R-160), would establish emergency response procedures relating to pollution of Georgiaâ€™s waterways. It also creates a statutory mandate for the State Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to provide proper and timely notice to the public, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and local authorities.The districts represented by Reps. Burns and Tankersley include the Ogeechee River. One of the largest fish kills in state history occurred on the Ogeechee in 2011, when over 38,000 fish died as a result of waste water discharged through an unpermitted pipe owned by King America Finishing Company.Georgia has seen a number of hazardous waste incidents and violations on its waterways in recent years, most notably on the Ogeechee River and Trail Creek, near Athens. This bill was prompted by the lack of state and local coordination and timely response to such incidents and violations by responsible authorities.The Georgia Conservancy, among many other organizations, testified in support of House Bill 549 and thanked Reps. Burns and Tankersley for their leadership. The Conservancy supports the creation of proper emergency response procedures, as well as timely communication among federal, state and local agencies.Since the economic downturn began in 2007-2008, Georgia lawmakers have relied on a practice of diverting to the stateâ€™s general fund fees that are collected for specific purposes.For example, the $1 fee on new tire purchases that is supposed to fund the clean-up of dangerous tire dumps has been diverted to the general fund and spent on other programs. This diversion of fee income has left the state with inadequate funds to properly clean-up these tire dumps that pose a threat to the environment and to public health.HB 127, sponsored by Rep. Jay Powell (R-171), would prohibit the diversion of dedicated fees to fund activities unrelated to the original purpose of the law imposing the fee.The language in HB 127 was also added to HB 276 , which specifically deals with solid waste fee appropriations. HB 276 adds language that will discourage any misuse of funds by reducing the amount of the dedicated fee if, in a previous year, funds were diverted to other uses. Click here to read Gov. Deal's signing statement (scroll to bottom).The Georgia Conservancy supports the restoration of language that prohibits the diversion of dedicated fees. House Bill 127, which includes language that prohibits the diversion of dedicated fees, will be taken up by the General Assembly in 2014.The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) Reservoir and Water Supply Fund, under current law, only funds projects or enhancements relating to reservoirs.HB 199, introduced by Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-54), seeks to amend the Georgia state law to expand the fund to include water supply systems, and to cover: