HB65 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ben RobbinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Forever Wild Trust, carbon credits, receipts of funds provided for, const. amend.

Summary

HB65 would shift carbon-credit income from Forever Wild lands to the local county, and create a dedicated Stewardship Account to manage Forever Wild properties.

What This Bill Does

It would change the constitutional rule so carbon-credit income from Forever Wild forest resources goes to the county general fund where the land is located, instead of the state general fund. It creates the Forever Wild Land Trust Stewardship Account inside the Alabama Trust Fund and requires 15% of the land's appraised value to be set aside when land is acquired. It sets rules on how that money can be used for management (including a possible three-fifths vote to use corpus, but not to buy more land) and requires management guidelines to be developed within a year of acquisition. It also states that other income from Forever Wild lands would continue to go to the state general fund, not the counties.

Who It Affects

• County governments where Forever Wild lands are located, who would receive carbon-credit income into their county general fund instead of the state general fund.
• Forever Wild Land Trust, and related state entities (Alabama Trust Fund Board, Lands Division, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) that manage Forever Wild lands, as they would establish and manage the Stewardship Account and property management guidelines.

Key Provisions

• Carbon credits income from Forever Wild forest resources would be credited to the county general fund where the land is located.
• Create Forever Wild Land Trust Stewardship Account within the Alabama Trust Fund and require setting aside 15% of the appraised value of acquired land (or affected land) for stewardship.
• Invest and manage the Stewardship Account; allow the Department to expend interest income for management and, with a 3/5 vote, funds from the corpus for management for the next fiscal year (but not to purchase additional land).
• Within one year of acquisition, develop management and allowable-use guidelines; coordinate multi-agency management to protect resource values while allowing multiple uses.
• Public hunting and fishing rights remain, subject to Department rules.
• All income from non-carbon-credit sources remains as interest income to the Alabama Trust Fund and goes to the state general fund; carbon-credit income is diverted to the county general fund.
• The amendment would be put to voters in an election for approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Alabama Trust Fund