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Georgia Mountain & River Corridor Protection — DNR Minimum Planning Standards (GA)

Tracked preemption from the Georgia overlay bundle.

Overview

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Effective
1991-07-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:GA
Other Georgia preemptions
Georgia Short-Term Rentals — No State PreemptionGeorgia Density / ADU / Design Review — No State PreemptionGeorgia Tree Canopy / Tree Ordinance — No Statewide PreemptionGeorgia Military Installation & Airport Compatible-Use Zoning ReviewGeorgia Local Hazard Mitigation Plan — FEMA Stafford Act §322 ComplianceGeorgia Service Delivery Strategy Act (HB 489) — Intergovernmental Coordination MandateGeorgia Groundwater Recharge Area Protection — DCA Part V Environmental Planning CriteriaGeorgia Wetlands Protection — DCA Part V Environmental Planning Criteria

Trigger predicate

When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.

OR
  • city.in_mountain_protection_area == True
  • city.in_river_corridor_protection_area == True

Preempted fields

3 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.

FieldOpValueNote
base_districts[*].min_protected_river_buffer_ftfloor_at100100-ft natural vegetative buffer required along protected rivers (perennial rivers with average annual flow ≥400 cfs)
base_districts[*].mountain_protection_slope_threshold_pctoverride25Mountain protection criteria apply to slopes ≥25% at elevations ≥2,200 ft above mean sea level
base_districts[*].mountain_protection_max_disturbance_pctcap_at30Maximum 30% land disturbance on protected mountain slopes per DCA Part V criteria

Citation

Authority source
O.C.G.A. §12-2-8 (DNR minimum planning standards); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-3-16 Rules for Environmental Planning Criteria (Mountain Protection; River Corridor Protection)
§ §12-2-8; Rule 391-3-16-.05 (River Corridor Protection); 391-3-16-.07 (Mountain Protection)
https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/391-3-16

Research notes

Implements the Georgia Planning Act of 1989 through DNR Part V environmental planning criteria. Local governments must adopt implementing ordinances meeting the state minimum to retain DCA Qualified Local Government (QLG) status and grant eligibility. Mountain protection applies primarily to the North Georgia counties (Towns, Union, Rabun, White, Lumpkin, Habersham, etc.) at elevations ≥2,200 ft on slopes ≥25%. River corridor protection applies to perennial rivers with ≥400 cfs average annual flow; local governments map the corridors and adopt 100-ft buffer ordinances. Stricter local standards permitted.