Unit forestry boards — Duties

The duties of the unit forestry board shall be to assist in the efficient performance of this part and in the general conduct of the forestry program in the fire protection unit. History. — Ga. L. 1949, p. 937, § 11. 718 12-6-88 FOREST RESOURCES & OTHER PLANT LIFE 12-6-89 12-6-88. Unit forestry boards — Annual forest fire protection plans appropriation of funds for public information campaign. The State Forestry Commission shall prepare for each unit forestry board a plan for forest fire protection for the fiscal year and shall present such plan at a meeting of the board prior to July 1 of each year. It is the intent of the General Assembly that funds be appropriated to the State Forestry Commission each year to provide a public information campaign as provided in Code Section 12-6-149 and for prescribed fire training throughout the state. History. — Ga. L. 1949, p. 937, § 12; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1285, § 2. 12-6-89. ‘‘Extreme forest fire emergency’’ defined; authority of Governor, forestry investigators, and peace officers in emergency; advice by director to Governor as to existence of emergency. (a) As used in this Code section, ‘‘extreme forest fire emergency’’ means a condition whereby forest fires within the state are of such number, size, severity, and intensity that they cannot be controlled by the existing facilities of the State Forestry Commission and are endangering life and property. (b) The Governor shall have authority to declare and determine the existence and termination of such emergency and, by order, rule, or regulation, to prohibit hunting, fishing, camping, or picnicking in any woods or lands of the state, or to prohibit the entering of such woods or lands for any other purposes which might cause a fire hazard or endanger the life or property of any person within such area. The Governor may direct and commandeer all state agencies and personnel to assist the State Forestry Commission in such emergency by executive order. (c) Forestry investigators and any and all other peace officers of this state, or of any county or municipality thereof, shall have authority to make arrests for violation of any order, rule, or regulation made pursuant to a declaration of extreme forest fire emergency. Any person who violates any such order, rule, or regulation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. (d) The director of the State Forestry Commission will notify the Governor from time to time what situation, in his judgment, constitutes an extreme forest fire emergency. 719 12-6-89 CONSERVATION & NATURAL RES. History. — Ga. L. 1949, p. 968; Ga. L. 1955, p. 309, §§ 37, 38; Ga. L. 1959, p. 72, § 2. 12-6-90