Greg S. Williams - February 8, 2009
Code enforcement officers say a crackdown is underway on unregistered timber companies operating inside Lamar County. In addition to lost tax revenue, officials say the heavy equipment is also taking its toll on�local roads.
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Citizens are encouraged to contact the board of commissioners at 770-358-5146 if they suspect�an illegal harvesting operation is in progress in their area.
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According to Bill Brown, Lamar County�s Director of Public Works, loggers are legally required to obtain harvest permits through the Board of Commissioners prior to the commencement of work. While there is no cost for the permit, operators must provide surety bonds equal to either $2,500 or $5,000, depending on the road surface at the worksite. The bond guarantees that the road and its rights-of-way will be restored to their original condition once the harvest is complete. A separate permit is required for each harvest location, he added.
�You have to watch them,� agreed�code enforcement officer Winfred �Wimpy� Vaughan last week. �Sometimes they slip in with �only four or five loads,� thinking they can get away with it.�
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Vaughan said he believes logging has continued through the slowed economy because individuals are cashing in their timber holdings to help them weather the economic storm.
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Some of the operators who�ve managed to skirt the registration requirements have also damaged roadways and ignored the payment of harvest taxes which are due when the trees are removed. Companies at two locations were cited in the past week and stop work orders and fines in the amounts of $100 were assessed in both instances.
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Brown said county code also requires loggers�to install culvert pipes at�street entrances and to spread heavy gravel at least 50 feet onto the work site in order to minimize mud and other damage to public thoroughfares.�Typically, we�ve ended up having to make repairs (after the fact) in order to make the roads passable for our citizens,� he noted.
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�We�ve initiated this within the past year - it�s not been enforced at all before then," Brown continued. "There is no charge if they apply for the permit before work begins. Later, after a stop work order has been issued because there was no permit, a fine of $100 must be paid before work can begin anew."
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"We also try to communicate with the tax commissioner�s office to notify them that logging is going on," he concluded.
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