§ 12-6-6 — Management, conservation, and protection of forest lands; sale of forest products from land managed by commission; production and sale of seedlings

(a) Any other provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the State Forestry Commission is authorized to manage, conserve, and protect any forest lands or forest properties belonging to or under the jurisdiction and control of any department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or authority of state government. The State Forestry Commission shall manage such forest lands or forest properties subject to the special needs of the department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or authority and the use of such lands or properties by such department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or authority. Such management shall conform to the principles of sound forest management where consistent with the use of such lands or properties. Management of forest lands or forest properties shall be undertaken by the State Forestry Commission only upon the written request of the department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or authority to which the lands or properties belong or which exercise control and jurisdiction over such lands or properties. (b) The State Forestry Commission is authorized to sell, contract for the sale of, offer, and accept bids for the sale of timber and other forest products grown or produced on lands subject to the management of the commission under this Code section. Such actions may be taken by the State Forestry Commission without the prior approval of any other department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or authority. The sale of such timber or forest products shall be made in the same manner as the sale of timber or forest products grown or produced on lands belonging to or under the jurisdiction and control of the State Forestry Commission. Any funds derived from the sale of any such timber or forest products shall be paid into the general fund of the state or to the department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or authority to which the forest lands or forest properties belong or which has jurisdiction and control over such lands or properties in the same manner as if such timber or forest products had been sold directly by the department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or authority. (c) In order to foster, improve, and encourage reforestation and in furtherance of its other duties and powers, the commission is authorized to contract for the production of seedlings, for the purchase of such seedlings for resale to Georgia forest owners or for fulfilling contractual obligations to Georgia forest owners, or for the sale of seedlings to other states and to the United States. (d) In order to carry out the provisions of subsection (c) of this Code section, the commission is authorized to enter into contracts with other agencies and instrumentalities of the state and local governments of Georgia, with other states, with the United States, with private persons, with corporations, or with other entities. Such actions may be taken by the commission without the prior approval of any other department, board, commission, bureau, agency, or authority of the state. The purchase or sale of such seedlings shall be made in the same manner as the purchase or sale of such seedlings grown or produced on land belonging to or under the jurisdiction and control of the commission.