Classified Forest Program Threatened
Important Message from Liz Jackson
Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association
There is [a] bill we need to watch. Senate bill 308 increases the assessed value per acre of classified forest land, classified windbreaks, and classified filter strips from $1 per acre to $13.29 per acre for the January 1, 2017, assessment date. For assessment dates after January 1, 2017, increases the assessed value by the annual percentage change in the consumer price index.
This is NOT coming from the Division of Forestry or the DNR, this is coming from the tax people and neither us nor the DNR knew in advance. The additional assessment goes to the county, not to the Division. This could be the effective end to the Classified program, we think this would be nearly a wash between Classified and Ag assessment for woodlands (analysis is pending). The Classified program has been a very important and effective way to grow our forested acres and keep them forested so this is not a good thing. Too early to tell if this will move forward but it is riding with other language to fix problems with ag assessments, so it could move.
It has been assigned to the Senate Tax & Fiscal Policy committee. If any of you have these senators, please consider sending them a message telling them that you oppose these changes to the Classified program as it is a critical program that helps keep our lands in woods and preventing conversion to other uses.
Sen. Brandt Hershman
Sen. Travis Holdman
Sen. James Buck
Sen. Ed Charbonneau
Sen. Luke Kenley
Sen. Pete Miller
Sen. Ryan Mishler
Sen. James Smith
Sen. Greg Walker
Sen. John Broden
Sen. Jean Breaux
Sen. Frank Mrvan
Sen. Lonnie Randolph
Liz Jackson
Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association
1007 North 725 West
West Lafayette, IN 47906-9431
Phone (765) 583-3501 FAX (765) 583-3512
jackson@purdue.edu