Influencing nonindustrial private forest management through the property tax system

Abstract

Minnesota currently offers property tax relief to private woodland owners through the 2b timberland class in the state's modified ad valorem tax system, and through the Tree Growth Tax Law (TGTL), a fixed rate, productivity tax. Enrollment in both these laws has dramatically increased in recent years, while the average tax payment has declined in both real and nominal dollars. A mail survey of nonindustrial private forest landowners found that participants in the TGTL generally pay much lower taxes than those in the ad valorem tax classes, and TGTL lands appear to be more intensively managed for timber. However, the TGTL's incentive for timber management may be its criteria for enrollment, not the tax rate. This study makes a strong case for requiring a management plan in order to be eligible for a lower tax rate.