Very few activities have a more direct influence on forest health and productivity harvesting timber. The first step in conducting the most successful and sustainable timber sale possible is having a sound forest management plan to follow. A forest management plan spells out sustainable management techniques that are tailored to your unique forestland. Management plans not only encompass harvest specifications to address the timber but also protect and enhance other critical forest resources such as water quality, wildlife, rare/threatened/endangered species and geological attributes among other facets. Additionally, a management plan ensures that the silvicultural practices that are to occur on your property directly reflect the specific goals you as a landowner have mapped out for your property. A management plan helps to provide a set of guidelines to attain those goals.
Michigan Tax Benefits for Management Plan Development
In Michigan, there are two forest management programs that allow forestland owners to realize a property tax break for having a forest management plan/actively and sustainably managing their property. VanOss Forestry Services, LLC has been certified by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MI DNR) to provide plan writing services for application and entry to both of these programs.
Michigan Qualified Forest Property (Public Acts 378, 379 and 380)
The Michigan Qualified Forest Program(QFP) was developed as an incentive to encourage non-industrial private forestland owners to actively and sustainably manage their forestlands by providing a break on their property taxes (exemption from some school and operating taxes). Unlike its counterpart, the Commercial Forest Program, forestland owners participating in this program are not required to allow public access on their property. Eligibility requirements for this program are entering at least 20 contiguous acres and having a management plan written by a MI DNR certified QF plan writer. Buildings/structures may be on the land. Participating landowners are required to report the total volume of timber products removed during a harvest by the end of a calendar year from property that is enrolled in the Qualified Forest program.www.michigan.gov/qfp
Michigan Commercial Forest Program
Like the Michigan Qualified Forest (QF) program, Michigan’s Commercial Forest (CF) program was developed to provide private forestland owners in Michigan with an incentive to retain and actively and sustainably manage their property. Forestland owners participating in this program are required to allow public access on their property (hunting, trapping, and fishing only); however, they are not required to be signed as Commercial Forests and may be fenced and/or gated.www.michigan.gov/commercialforest
Transitional Qualified Forest Program
On June 28th, Governor Snyder signed into law Public Acts 260, 261, and 262 of 2016. These acts provide an opportunity for landowners to transfer Commercial Forest (CF) property into the Qualified Forest Program (QFP) without payment of a CF withdrawal penalty. This is accomplished by PA 260 of 2016, which creates the Transitional Qualified Forest Property specific tax act (TQF). The legislation also provides for a graduated return to ad valorem property taxes by allowing a five (5) year incremental return to full tax liability. Landowners must own the CF property they intend to transfer to TQF no later than September 1, 2016. The amount of acreage that can be transferred from CF to the TQF under waiver of the CF withdrawal penalty is capped at 160 acres per landowner, per township. The sunset on the legislation is September 1, 2021, meaning that landowners will have until September 1, 2021 to submit a complete application to transfer property from CF to the TQF under waiver of the CF withdrawal penalty. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/TQF_factsheet_530090_7.pdf
Very few activities have a more direct influence on forest health and productivity harvesting timber. The first step in conducting the most successful and sustainable timber sale possible is having a sound forest management plan to follow. A forest management plan spells out sustainable management techniques that are tailored to your unique forestland. Management plans not only encompass harvest specifications to address the timber but also protect and enhance other critical forest resources such as water quality, wildlife, rare/threatened/endangered species and geological attributes among other facets. Additionally, a management plan ensures that the silvicultural practices that are to occur on your property directly reflect the specific goals you as a landowner have mapped out for your property. A management plan helps to provide a set of guidelines to attain those goals.
Michigan Tax Benefits for
Management Plan Development
In Michigan, there are two forest management programs that allow forestland owners to realize a property tax break for having a forest management plan/actively and sustainably managing their property. VanOss Forestry Services, LLC has been certified by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MI DNR) to provide plan writing services for application and entry to both of these programs.
Michigan Qualified Forest Property (Public Acts
378, 379 and 380)
The Michigan Qualified Forest Program(QFP) was developed as an incentive to encourage non-industrial private forestland owners to actively and sustainably manage their forestlands by providing a break on their property taxes (exemption from some school and operating taxes). Unlike its counterpart, the Commercial Forest Program, forestland owners participating in this program are not required to allow public access on their property. Eligibility requirements for this program are entering at least 20 contiguous acres and having a management plan written by a MI DNR certified QF plan writer. Buildings/structures may be on the land. Participating landowners are required to report the total volume of timber products removed during a harvest by the end of a calendar year from property that is enrolled in the Qualified Forest program.www.michigan.gov/qfp
Michigan Commercial Forest Program
Like the Michigan Qualified Forest (QF) program, Michigan’s Commercial Forest (CF) program was developed to provide private forestland owners in Michigan with an incentive to retain and actively and sustainably manage their property. Forestland owners participating in this program are required to allow public access on their property (hunting, trapping, and fishing only); however, they are not required to be signed as Commercial Forests and may be fenced and/or gated.www.michigan.gov/commercialforest
Transitional Qualified Forest Program
On June 28th, Governor Snyder signed into law Public Acts 260, 261, and 262 of 2016. These acts provide an opportunity for landowners to transfer Commercial Forest (CF) property into the Qualified Forest Program (QFP) without payment of a CF withdrawal penalty. This is accomplished by PA 260 of 2016, which creates the Transitional Qualified Forest Property specific tax act (TQF). The legislation also provides for a graduated return to ad valorem property taxes by allowing a five (5) year incremental return to full tax liability. Landowners must own the CF property they intend to transfer to TQF no later than September 1, 2016. The amount of acreage that can be transferred from CF to the TQF under waiver of the CF withdrawal penalty is capped at 160 acres per landowner, per township. The sunset on the legislation is September 1, 2021, meaning that landowners will have until September 1, 2021 to submit a complete application to transfer property from CF to the TQF under waiver of the CF withdrawal penalty. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/TQF_factsheet_530090_7.pdf