A proposed amendment to Rule 391-1, Administration is under consideration by the Board of Natural Resources that will specify how the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will provide refund of fees. Senate Bill 121, passed during the 2011 legislative session, allows the Board of Natural Resources to establish by rule procedures to refund fees collected by the Department of Natural Resources in error or as an overpayment, or to refund fees which the department or the state is not otherwise entitled.

Previously, Georgia law did not allow the DNR to provide refunds of fees, and customers due a refund are currently required to submit an application for refund to the claims advisory board in the Secretary of State’s office. A new department-based refund process will be more immediate, will be appreciated by customers, and will save significant staff time.

A description of the proposed rule revision and the proposed rules are available for review on the Wildlife Resources Division Web page at www.georgiawildlife.com/ProposedRuleChanges. Call (770) 918-6400 to request a copy by mail.

The proposed rule will be considered by the Board of Natural Resources at its meeting at 9 a.m. on June 29 in the DNR Board Room at 2 Martin Luther King Jr., Drive, S.E., Suite 1252, East Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334. The meeting is open to the public.

Members of the public may submit written statements before close of business on June 27. Such statements should be emailed to michael.spencer@gadnr.org, or mailed to the attention of Michael Spencer at: Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division/LBRU, 2065 U.S. Highway 278, SE, Social Circle, GA 30025.

Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to Michael Spencer at the above address.