Title 12

(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘‘change in services’’ means the: (1) Permanent change of a primary existing operational function; (2) Reduction by 50 percent or more of the hours of operation or services; or (3) Closure of any state park, historic site, or recreationa…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department is authorized to retain all miscellaneous funds generated by the operation of its park, historic, and recreational sites and facilities for use in the operation and maintenance of those sites and facilities. Any such fund…

There is created as a joint committee of the General Assembly the Recreational Authorities Overview Committee to be composed of three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and three members of the Senate appointed by the …

The state auditor, the Attorney General, and all other agencies of state government, upon request by the committee, shall assist the committee in the discharge of its duties as set forth in this part. History. — Code 1981, § 12-3-21, enacted by Ga. L. 1995, p. 105, § 2.

The Stone Mountain Memorial Association, the Jekyll Island—State Park Authority, the North Georgia Mountains Authority, and the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority shall cooperate with the committee, its agents, the Attorney General, the state auditor, the state accounting …

In the discharge of its duties, the committee shall evaluate the performance of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, the Jekyll Island—State Park Authority, the North Georgia Mountains Authority, and the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority consistent with the following …

(a) The committee is authorized to expend state funds available to the committee for the discharge of its duties. Said funds may be used for the purposes of compensating staff personnel; paying for services of independent accountants, engineers, and consultants; and paying all ot…

The committee shall report in each of its annual reports to the chairperson of the standing committees of each house of the General Assembly whether or not any of the authorities named in this part have undertaken activities having a projected cost of over $1 million without havi…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Governing authority of a county’’ means the county commissioner, board of county commissioners, judge of the probate court, or other person or body of persons at the time entrusted by law with the administration of the fiscal affai…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Lake Lanier Islands’’ means such islands and adjacent land located in Lake Lanier, Hall County, Georgia, which are at present or in the future may be licensed to the State of Georgia by the United States through its agency, the Un…

(a) The State of Georgia is authorized to make grants, as funds are available, to any county, municipality, or other local government, or any combination thereof, or to any public authority, agency, commission, or institution, for the purpose of acquiring, establishing, developin…

The commissioner of natural resources, with the approval of the Governor, is authorized to implement the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, by creating within the Department of Natural Resources or within any other department of the executive branch an office t…

The office created by the commissioner of natural resources under Code Section 12-3-6 shall be considered as the state agency authorized to deal with the secretary of the interior pursuant to the requirements of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, and in thi…

The commissioner of natural resources, with the approval of the Governor, is authorized to establish a fund to be known as the state assistance fund which may be used to match federal, municipal, and county funds to acquire lands for recreational purposes and to improve, expand, …

(a) The Board of Natural Resources is authorized to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations relating to: (1) The use or occupancy of state parks, historic sites, and recreational areas; and (2) The protection of the health, safety, and welfare of persons using state parks, his…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Disabled veteran’’ means a veteran discharged under honorable conditions from any branch of the armed forces of the United States who has a physical disability which was incurred during the period of service in the armed forces an…

As used in this article, the term: (1) ‘‘Land’’ means upland; land under water; the water of any lake, pond, or stream; any and all incorporeal hereditaments; and all rights, estates, interests, privileges, easements, encumbrances, and franchises, legal and equitable, in land or …

All parks and recreational areas acquired by the state, whether before or after November 1, 1982, shall constitute the state park system and shall be under the immediate control and management of the department. History. — Ga. L. 1937, p. 264, § 9.

(a) The Department of Natural Resources is empowered and directed: (1) In cooperation with other state and local agencies and any agency of the United States government, to study and ascertain the state’s present park, parkway, and recreational resources and facilities, the need …

Any county, and any municipality therein, may use any available funds to aid in the purchase of any land or other property within the county which is to become the property of the state for incorporation into the state park system, provided that the department shall have first agr…

(a) The Department of Natural Resources is authorized to issue revocable permits for the construction, maintenance, and use of boat docks and boat shelters on High Falls Lake by the owners or lessees of private property abutting the high-water mark of such lake. Such permits shal…

(a) The Department of Natural Resources shall have the following powers and duties: (1) To promote and increase knowledge and understanding of the history of this state from the earliest times to the present, including the archeological, Indian, Spanish, colonial, and American er…

(a) It is declared to be the public policy of the State of Georgia, in furtherance of its responsibility to promote and preserve the health, prosperity, and general welfare of the people, to encourage the preservation of historic properties which have historical, cultural, and ar…

(a)(1) The Department of Community Affairs shall establish, maintain, and expand an inventory and register of historic places in this state, which register shall be known as the Georgia Register of Historic Places. Such register shall include: (A) Historic property which is liste…

For carrying out any of the objectives stated in Code Section 12-3-50, the department may accept grants and gifts from the federal government; the state government; any county, municipal, or local govern79 ment; any board, bureau, commission, agency, or establishment of any such …

(a) The State of Georgia, acting through the department and its authorized officers and employees, reserves to itself the exclusive right and privilege of exploring, excavating, or surveying all prehistoric and historic sites, ruins, artifacts, treasure, and treasure-trove, and o…

In order to implement the protective and research policies as outlined in Code Section 12-3-52, the department will appoint a state archeologist whose duties will be: (1) To direct, coordinate, and otherwise engage in fundamental archeological research on state lands containing s…

Any person who intentionally violates Code Section 12-3-52 or who intentionally defaces, injures, destroys, displaces, or removes an object or site of archeological or historical value located on areas as designated in Code Section 12-3-52 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Histor…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Commissioner’’ means the commissioner of community affairs. (2) ‘‘Department’’ means the Department of Community Affairs. (b) The heads of all state agencies shall assume responsibility for the preservation of historic properties …

(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘‘department’’ means the Department of Community Affairs. (b) The General Assembly recognizes that the State of Georgia has undertaken various efforts to revitalize the central business districts and in-town areas of municipalities in th…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Commissioner’’ means the commissioner of community affairs. (2) ‘‘Department’’ means the Department of Community Affairs. (3) ‘‘Local jurisdiction’’ means any county or municipality in this state and any duly authorized agency or …

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Commissioner’’ means the commissioner of community affairs. (2) ‘‘Department’’ means the Department of Community Affairs. (3) ‘‘Grant fund’’ means the historic preservation grant fund created under subsection (b) of this Code sect…

This part shall be known and may be cited as the ‘‘Heritage Trust Act of 1975.’’ History. — Ga. L. 1975, p. 962, § 1.

The General Assembly finds that certain real property in Georgia, because it exhibits unique natural characteristics, special historical significance, or particular recreational value, constitutes a valuable heritage which should be available to all Georgians, now and in the future…

As used in this part, the term: (1) ‘‘Board’’ means the Board of Natural Resources. (2) ‘‘Heritage area’’ means an area of land, marsh, or water which has been identified by the board as having significant historical, natural, or cultural value. (3) ‘‘Heritage preserve’’ means a he…

(a) The board shall have the following powers and duties with regard to the Heritage Trust Program: (1) To adopt and promulgate all policies, rules, and regulations necessary for the identification and acquisition of heritage areas and for the selection, dedication, management, an…

A heritage area which has been acquired by the Department of Natural Resources for the Heritage Trust Program may become dedicated as a heritage preserve after written recommendation of the board and approval by the Governor. Any other real property owned by the State of Georgia …

(a) Heritage preserves shall be held by the state in trust for the benefit of the present and future generations of the people of the State of Georgia. Each heritage preserve shall be put to the designated use or uses which confer the best and most important benefit to the public. …

As used in this part, the term ‘‘submerged cultural resources’’ means all prehistoric and historic sites, ruins, artifacts, treasure, treasure-trove, and shipwrecks or vessels and their cargo or tackle which have remained on the bottom for more than 50 years, and similar sites an…

(a) The custodian of all submerged cultural resources shall be the Department of Natural Resources. The Board of Natural Resources is empowered to promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to preserve, survey, protect, and recover such underwater properties and ar…

(a) Any person desiring to conduct investigation, survey, or recovery operations, in the course of which any part of a submerged cultural resource may be endangered, removed, displaced, or destroyed, shall first make application to the department for a permit to conduct such opera…

Any person who violates this part by failing to obtain a required permit or who intentionally defaces, injures, destroys, displaces, or removes any underwater cultural resource or portion thereof in any manner not in accordance with a permit issued by the department shall be guil…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the ‘‘Georgia Natural Areas Act.’’ History. — Ga. L. 1966, p. 330, § 1; Ga. L. 1969, p. 750, § 1.

The General Assembly finds that there is an increasing nation-wide concern over the deterioration of man’s natural environment in rural as well as urban areas; that there is a serious need to study the long-term effects of our civilization on our natural environment; that while th…

As used in this article, the term ‘‘natural areas’’ means a tract of land in its natural state which may be set aside and permanently protected or managed for the purpose of the preservation of native plant or animal communities, rare or valuable individual members of such commun…

It shall be the duty of the Department of Natural Resources under this article, and it shall have the power and authority, to: (1) Determine the acceptance or rejection of areas of special scientific interest that may be offered as a donation by individuals or organizations for pr…