Georgia is one of the leading states for forestry, ranking first in annual harvest volume and the export of forest products. The state’s forests that are managed for a commercial product offset about a third of Georgia’s greenhouse gas emissions. But a recent rash of paper mill closures coming on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which decimated trees across much of Georgia in 2024, has brought the industry to a crisis point. Last week, in the final days of Georgia’s legislative session, lawmakers passed several bills to help the state’s struggling forestry industry. Among them is a measure that would allow forest landowners who get the state’s conservation tax benefits to also take part in carbon markets. (Researchers and industry groups are working to establish a Georgia-specific carbon credit market.) They also passed a tax credit update aimed at attracting forestry manufacturers to Georgia and a bill to block local governments from banning mobile sawmills on agricultural land.…