Short course helps ease the transfer of forest land to the next generation
It’s been said that death and taxes are the only two sure things in life. While neither is fun to talk about, an upcoming course for woodland owners will do just that. Focusing on Land Transfer to Generation “NEXT” has been developed with an eye to helping sustain a viable forest land base in Virginia by assisting landowners in successfully transferring their property from one generation to the next.
The two-day program will take place on Aug. 13 and 20 from 12:30 to 7 p.m. at the Fredericksburg Country Club in Fredericksburg, Va. The cost is $60 for up to two people from the same family and $30 for each additional family member; it includes dinner each evening and a copy of the award-winning workbook “Ties to the Land: Your Family Forest Heritage.” Participants can register online or by mail. The registration deadline is July 31.
Participants will be provided information and various planning tools to minimize tax burdens and ensure continued management of their forest resource.
Virginia’s woods are a valuable asset to society as a whole, providing clean air and water as well as wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, and renewable wood resources. Almost two-thirds of Virginia’s woodlands are owned by private individuals; what these private forest landowners do with their land affects every Virginian.
Few challenges faced by Virginia’s 373,000 family forest landowners are more important than the issue of passing the forest on to the next generation. Many landowners want to preserve their family lands but don’t know how to get started, what options they have, or how to engage the future owners. The course is designed to address these issues and more.
The course is co-sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Department of Forestry, with support from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment, the Virginia Tree Farm Committee, and the Piedmont Environmental Council.
For more information, email the Northern District Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Program or call 540-948-6881.
