The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has proposed formalizing private dock rules and there is public input June 24th until July 24th 2026.

For context:

• Georgia passed the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act in 1970
• The State owns most tidal water bottoms in Georgia (everything but the Kings Grants but that’s another rabbit hole for another day)
• The Governor technically has authority over those state-owned tidal water bottoms
• DNR has been involved with private docks since the 1990s, but much of the process used to work through a joint program with the Army Corps of Engineers
• That federal program expired in 2022 and was never renewed
• DNR then created an internal Standard Operating Procedure that mostly mirrored the old federal rules
• In 2023, Governor Kemp authorized the DNR Commissioner to act on his behalf in granting, denying, modifying, and revoking these licenses
• Now DNR is trying to formally codify those procedures into state rules after years of stakeholder meetings and public input

So this isn’t a completely “new” program, but the authority and process we have today is relatively new compared to how things worked just a few years ago.

For anyone wondering, Jill Andrews is the Chief of Coastal Management for DNR. She’s collecting comments and helping lead the process, but she isn’t the one adopting the rules. The Board of Natural Resources will ultimately vote on them in August.

What is already in place today:

• Federal approval is already required
• The state already issues revocable licenses
• CRD already reviews applications and applies environmental protections
• Inspections and enforcement already exist
• Most residential docks already do not require engineered plans unless there are unique circumstances
• There is already a process for addressing violations and compliance issues
• DNR has already been operating under an internal SOP since 2022

What they are proposing to formally add (which can cost YOU money):

• Written standards and definitions
• A formal variance process
• Public criteria for how applications are reviewed
• Larger allowable sizes for certain dock components
• More formal inspection and enforcement procedures
• Proof that an electrical permit application has been submitted before adding power to a dock
• Notification requirements for adjacent property owners
• The ability to require relocation or removal if changing waterways create navigation issues

What is not changing:

• No new fees (FOR NOW)
• No contractor licensing requirements (FOR NOW)
• No engineering requirements for typical residential docks (FOR NOW)
• No impact on commercial marinas or community docks (FOR NOW)

If DNR already has this authority and has already been operating under these standards for years, why do we need more rules and more bureaucracy around it?

This reminds me a lot of the proposed local historic district on the North End of Tybee. Homeowners were not against history or preservation. They just did not want a third layer of red tape and another group to get permission from after already going through existing processes. Do homeowners want more rules & extended process with docks now?

More government does NOT automatically mean better government. Most of the time it means MORE delays + MORE paperwork and eventually = MORE costs for the people trying to get something done at the private property.

And honestly have you ever tried getting a call back from DNR? I have been trying since November of last year to get answers on an unrelated issue on Tybee. I have gone through three levels of supervisors and still nothing. We even have someone who works for DNR living on Tybee, and I still cannot get a response. To me, it’s starting to look like a multi-agency mess up no one wants to take accountability for so the answer is just to not answer!

So when an agency already struggles to respond to the public, I have a hard time believing that adding more formal processes and more bureaucracy is the answer. I just don’t. Eventually, it ends up in some power-hungry person’s lap and they get to decide your fate. This is never good when transparency and accountability isn’t there.

One thing I am still curious about… if the Board of Natural Resources is the body actually voting on these rules in August, why aren’t comments also going directly to the board members instead of only through DNR staff? Just like with the GDOT proposal and the HPC proposal, staff summarize and present feedback, but wouldn’t it be better for the people making the final decision to hear directly from the citizens affected?

The Georgia Board of Natural Resources is made up of 19 citizens appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. They oversee DNR policy and approve administrative rules like these dock regulations.

Read it for yourselves and make your own decision, but I definitely have concerns.

LINK: https://coastalgadnr.org/News/DockRules260624

Ask that your comments be distributed to all board members before the August 25 vote. 

If you submit comments, consider copying both Jill Andrews at CRD and Taylor Fisher with the Board of Natural Resources so the people actually voting on these rules have the opportunity to read public input directly.

Jill Andrews

Chief of Coastal Management, Coastal Resources Division

crd.comments@dnr.ga.gov

And copy:

Taylor Fisher

Executive Assistant to the Board of Natural Resources

taylor.fisher@dnr.ga.gov