Private forest taxation policy position - Society of American Foresters

[Peter Smallidge]

The Society of American Foresters (SAF) has reissued its position statement on the taxation of private lands.  In NY, land taxes hover at the top of the list of concerns held by private forest owners.  The full SAF position is here, and the summary position is pasted below.

From the SAF eforester website

The Society of American Foresters (SAF) believes federal tax policies based on equality and
certainty are required to encourage the nation’s private forest landowners to make sustained,
long-term capital investments in forest management. Rather than distorting market forces,
taxation should place private forest landowners on near-equal playing fields with other capital
ventures, including agriculture, as this will encourage practices that retain forests as working,
contributing assets to the nation. Tax policies need to recognize the unique and long-term
characteristics associated with timber and forest management investments, including the
intergeneration transfer of forest assets, to alleviate uncertainty in tax treatment. Ultimately, the
nation should strive for sustainable forests, where the economic, environmental, and social
values provided from forests are in balance. Sound tax policy will ensure the sustained
environmental and social benefits within a predictable economic framework.