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As a private timberland owner (only 20 acres), let me chime in a little here on the assertion regarding reduced property taxes - at least in Oregon.
What the reduced taxes are is a program that allows tree farms (including XMas tree farms) the ability to enroll their timber producing land in a tax *deferral* program. Instead of paying a tax on the full value of the land (including the full value of the trees) every year, a person in the program will pay a lower property tax on the value of the land without the value of the trees.
Then when the trees are harvested and leave the land, the owner pays a "severance" tax (on the volume harvested) and or "yield" tax on the value of the trees, plus an income tax on the income from the trees.
This recognizes the fact, that like other farmers, we are taxed on the crop when we harvest it, not on its full market value while it grows, and then get taxed again when we harvest and have income. The difference between someone who raises a yearly crop of wheat or potatoes and tree farms like mine is that tree farms take 40+ years to get to a harvest after planting.
This also recognizes the fact that there is value to the environment by keeping the land, especially small tracts like mine, forested instead of harvested. The trees also hold the soil and soak up rain (conifers especially drink up a LOT of water) reducing flood and erosion damage/risks.
I thinned a few acres (2 to 3) this year, but kept about a third to half the trees on that acreage (spread out) - i.e., I did not clear cut because I like trees and I feel they increase the appeal of the land when I go to sell it (in about 5 years when I retire). I cleared a lot of brush (scrub, maple, oak and alder) and had some mature deciduous trees cut too. It looks a lot better now and you can actually walk through those acres without a machete to clear the path.
I've already spent the pre tax income I got from the logs I sold (and then some) on property improvements and I will spend even more cleaning up the brush piles and planting more conifers over the coming years - cedar, spruce and redwood to provide a more diverse set of conifer species from the existing fir trees (I will not plant any of the native hardwoods - they don't need it as they grow up wild like weeds already - besides, I prefer the conifers).
What the reduced taxes are is a program that allows tree farms (including XMas tree farms) the ability to enroll their timber producing land in a tax *deferral* program. Instead of paying a tax on the full value of the land (including the full value of the trees) every year, a person in the program will pay a lower property tax on the value of the land without the value of the trees.
Then when the trees are harvested and leave the land, the owner pays a "severance" tax (on the volume harvested) and or "yield" tax on the value of the trees, plus an income tax on the income from the trees.
This recognizes the fact, that like other farmers, we are taxed on the crop when we harvest it, not on its full market value while it grows, and then get taxed again when we harvest and have income. The difference between someone who raises a yearly crop of wheat or potatoes and tree farms like mine is that tree farms take 40+ years to get to a harvest after planting.
This also recognizes the fact that there is value to the environment by keeping the land, especially small tracts like mine, forested instead of harvested. The trees also hold the soil and soak up rain (conifers especially drink up a LOT of water) reducing flood and erosion damage/risks.
I thinned a few acres (2 to 3) this year, but kept about a third to half the trees on that acreage (spread out) - i.e., I did not clear cut because I like trees and I feel they increase the appeal of the land when I go to sell it (in about 5 years when I retire). I cleared a lot of brush (scrub, maple, oak and alder) and had some mature deciduous trees cut too. It looks a lot better now and you can actually walk through those acres without a machete to clear the path.
I've already spent the pre tax income I got from the logs I sold (and then some) on property improvements and I will spend even more cleaning up the brush piles and planting more conifers over the coming years - cedar, spruce and redwood to provide a more diverse set of conifer species from the existing fir trees (I will not plant any of the native hardwoods - they don't need it as they grow up wild like weeds already - besides, I prefer the conifers).