GA Code § 12-5-235 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 12 - Conservation and Natural Resources|Chapter 5 - Water Resources|Article 4 - Coastal Waters, Beaches, and Sand Dunes|Part 2 - Shore Protection|§ 12-5-235. Shore Protection Committee

  There is created the Shore Protection Committee within the department. The committee shall be composed of five members, including the commissioner of natural resources and four people selected by the board. Each of three persons selected by the board shall be a resident of Camden, Glynn, McIntosh, Liberty, Bryan, or Chatham County. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum. The members of the committee shall be entitled to and shall be reimbursed from moneys appropriated to the department for their expenses, such as mileage and per diem, as set by the board.   The committee shall have the authority to issue orders and to grant, suspend, revoke, modify, extend, condition, or deny permits as provided in this part. Permits may, at the committee's discretion, be revoked, suspended, or modified upon a finding that the permittee is not in compliance with permit conditions or that the permittee is in violation of any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to this part.   The chairperson of the committee, upon application by the permittee, may issue renewal of a permit previously granted by the committee. Such action must be based upon recommendations of staff, past committee actions, and the results of public comments. The chairperson may refer the request for renewal to the committee to decide on renewals that, in his or her judgment, should receive broader consideration. A committee member may choose to have the full committee decide on renewals that the member feels should receive broader consideration.   Any permit for minor activity may be issued by the commissioner based on the recommendations of staff, past committee actions, and the results of public comments. The commissioner may refer the application to the committee to decide on permits for minor activities that, in his or her judgment, should receive broader consideration. A committee member may choose to have the full committee decide on permit applications for minor activities that the member feels should receive broader consideration.     (Code 1981, §12-5-235, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 1362, § 1; Ga. L. 2004, p. 400, § 1; Ga. L. 2015, p. 385, § 2-2/HB 252; Ga. L. 2019, p. 493, § 3/HB 445.)    The 2019 amendment,  effective May 3, 2019, for purposes of promulgating rules and regulations and for all other purposes effective December 30, 2019, in subsection (c), substituted "chairperson" for "chairman" in the first and third sentences, and inserted "or her" in the middle of the third sentence; and added subsection (d).   Editor's notes.   - Ga. L. 2019, p. 493, § 10/HB 445, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval for the purposes of promulgating rules and regulations necessary to administer the provisions of this Act and shall become effective on December 31, 2019, for all other purposes." The Act was approved by the Governor on May 3, 2019.   Administrative Rules and Regulations.   - Shore protection, Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, Subject 391-2-2.   JUDICIAL DECISIONS    Cited in Ctr. for a Sustainable Coast, Inc. v. Ga. Dep't of Natural Res., 319 Ga. App. 205, 734 S.E.2d 206 (2012); Ga. Dep't of Natural Res. v. Ctr. for a Sustainable Coast, Inc., 294 Ga. 593, 755 S.E.2d 184 (2014).