Georgians voted for more than just a President on Tuesday, they also voted to enhance private conservation. Voters overwhelmingly passed the Georgia Forest Land Protection Act (Amendment 1) during the election, which will give a tax break to owners of tracts of forest land greater than 200 acres. In order to receive the break, the owner must agree to keep the land as it is and not sell it for development for at least 15 years. If the owner does subdivide the land, he/she has to pay the back taxes they received from the tax break.
The amendment is designed to slow down rapid development throughout Georgia by giving landowners (many of which are farmers) economic incentive to hold on to the land.
