Georgia Natural Areas Act

The act establishes a state program for identifying, designating, and protecting natural areas — lands of ecological, scientific, or scenic value that are worth preserving in a largely undisturbed condition. It sets out how such lands enter the system, whether by acquisition, dedication, or agreement with owners, assigns a state agency and governing board responsibility for planning and administering the system through rulemaking and public hearings, and creates a dedicated account to fund the work. Protective mechanisms include limits on condemning or developing designated areas, allowance for existing uses to continue, deference to any more restrictive protections that already apply, public access to records and proceedings, consultation with affected parties, and periodic reporting to the legislature.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.