What is the difference between the Land Productivity and Bare Land and Yield timber options?
  • The main difference is value per acre. Land in the Land Productivity (LP) option is assessed at a higher value per acre which also means slightly more property taxes per acre. This is because the value per acre includes the value of the land, the potential tree growth per acre per year, and a 5-year average stumpage value.
  • The Bare Land and Yield (BL&Y) option only values the bare land's potential to grow trees based on a 5-year average of stumpage values; it does not consider the yearly tree growth production and value until the trees are actually harvested. At the time of harvest, there is a 3% yield tax billed on the stumpage reported by the mills. This option is subject to a recapture of deferred taxes when the use of the land changes or when the ownership changes and the designation is removed. If the land has a change in use, the recapture tax is the difference in real estate taxes between the BL&Y value and full market value. When the land changes ownership, the recapture tax is calculated as the difference in taxes that was deferred between the two options. The Assessor's office can provide more detailed information that owners need to study before choosing an option.
  • The BL&Y option is taxed at $1.50 to $2.50 per acre on an average, and the Productivity option is taxed at $5 to $8 per acre on an average. The difference in taxes for the number of years that the land has been in the program up to 10 years is the deferred taxes collected.


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Show All Answers

1. How do I qualify lands for the timber program, and when?
2. What does contiguous parcels or acres mean?
3. What is entailed in the application? And how often do we need to apply?
4. What is the difference between the Land Productivity and Bare Land and Yield timber options?
5. What is needed in a Management Plan and who can prepare it?
6. What if I just want to let my land grow "natural"?
7. What if I'm not able to do any work and cannot afford to hire assistance to prepare a management plan?
8. Can I build a house on my timberland without losing the timber classification?
9. If I do not have much knowledge about timber management, how can I learn about it?