Community Development

Environmental Resources

Land Disturbance
Any activity which involves the moving of large quantities of dirt (within an area of 5,000 s.f. or more) on a site not being developed for a single-family residential building will require a land disturbance permit. There are instances when a Land Disturbance Permit may be required for the building of a home. To determine whether or not an LDP is required for the activity you are planning, please contact the Community Development Office at 770-467-4254.

Buffers are a protective tree lining along state waters, valuable in conserving land and water resources; therefore buffers should be protected. The buffer variance process will apply to all projects legally eligible for variances and to all state waters having vegetation wrested from the channel by normal stream flow, provided that adequate erosion control measures are incorporated in the project plans and specifications are implemented. The following are helpful links if contemplating construction within a buffer zone.

Variance Application for 25’ Vegetative Buffer Encroachment [Revised March 2014]
Buffer Variance Rules and Regulations [Revised September, 2013]

The Green Book
The forward of the Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia 2016 Edition, also known as “The Green Book” states: “Perhaps the most harmful damage to Georgia’s land and water resources is incurred through unchecked and uncorrected erosion and sediment deposition. Years of work have done much to remedy the situation. There has also been created an awareness that efforts must continue to further reduce the volume of sediment pollution in all the state’s waters. While ongoing work in soil and water conservation has been of considerable success, it was recognized that some state regulations of land-disturbing activities could add a needed dimension to the overall control effort. The General Assembly responded to this need, and in 1975, the Erosion and Sedimentation Act (O.C.G.A. § 12-7-1 et seq.) was passed. The Act has been amended several times since then. The Act requires counties and municipalities to have erosion and sediment control ordinances or be covered under state regulations. While the Soil and Water conservation Districts provide assistance in this at the local level, the State Soil and Water Conservation Commission provides expert, step-by-step guidance for activities under such ordinances through a comprehensive publication of reference information. Thus the “Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia” can serve as a technical guide in formulating plans for land-disturbing activities.”

Manual for Erosion Control in Georgia 2016 Edition