A coastal lawmaker wants to make it easier for filmmakers to use Georgia’s shoreline, but a fellow lowcountry representative urges caution.
Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, the chairman of the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee, has introduced House Bill 402, which would allow the Department of Natural Resources to issue temporary permits for filming on the beach if there will be no environmental impact.
The current permitting process takes up to six months, Stephens said, which limits projects in places such as Tybee Island or Jekyll Island.
“It’s an absolute prohibition for filmmakers,” Stephens said.
The department has asked for the bill to add flexibility. The movie and television industry has become a $3 billion concern in Georgia after lawmakers adopted a series of tax breaks to lure the entertainment sector.
The bill also would make the coastal setback lines uniform. Current law restricts development to where the first vegetation grows, Stephens said. His bill would establish a 100-foot setback.
But Rep. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, a vocal advocate for protecting the state’s coast, said any proposed change to laws that protect the shoreline must be considered carefully.
“What should happen here, this is clearly one of those things where we should have a study committee and look at what’s being proposed,” Chapman said. “That needs to be given close scrutiny and make sure we’re basing it on facts and good knowledge.”
David Egan, co-director of the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island, said the bill would result in “a net loss of shore protection.”
“In an era of sea level rise, it simply does not make sense to reduce the jurisdictional area of the (Shore Protection Act) and thus allow for the possibility of new development within 100 feet.”
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