Public Comment Period on
Proposed New and Improved Regulations Now through Sept. 19; Two Virtual
Public Comment Hearings Scheduled Sept. 13
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos
today announced proposed changes to the implementing regulations for Real
Property Tax Law Section 480a, also known as the Forest Tax Law. The
comprehensive overhaul of these nearly 50-year-old regulations will
lessen the administrative burden on participating forest landowners, help
DEC promote compliance with requirements in place, and maintain and
improve sustainable timber management on enrolled lands.
"The Forest Tax Law
Program provides private forest landowners a significant real property
tax reduction on enrolled forest lands in exchange for managing their
timber resource for the long-term with the support of professional
foresters," said
Commissioner Seggos. "Privately
owned forests make up to 74 percent of the total forest land area in New
York, and healthy, well-managed forests are essential for supporting our
economy, protecting water and air quality, providing wildlife habitat,
and improving forest carbon storage and sequestration, supporting the
State's climate efforts."
To encourage the long-term
management of woodlands to produce forest crops and encourage a more
stable forest economy, the State of New York enacted the 480a
forest tax law in 1974. Nearly 1.4 million acres owned by
approximately 4,000 private forest land are currently enrolled in the
Forest Tax Law program. While the program has benefited many forest
landowners, DEC is improving this successful program to further ensure
the sustainability of forest ownership over time.
Prior to developing these new
regulatory proposals, DEC Lands and Forests staff held 10 meetings across
the state with stakeholders to discuss proposed changes to 480a that
would increase compliance, reduce administrative burdens to landowners
and DEC, and improve forestry outcomes. The feedback resulted in proposed
changes that benefit both participating landowners and assist DEC in the
administration of the program by enhancing standardization and will help
improve compliance. They would not alter the annual tax benefit, stumpage
tax, commitment period, or penalties for non-compliance.
The proposed changes include:
·
Extending the period an approved forest
management plan would cover from 15 years to 20 years and requiring fewer
plan updates;
·
Providing more flexibility to enrolled
landowners to complete forestry treatments by changing the work schedule
from year-by-year deadlines to a 10-year work window;
·
Strengthening forest sustainability
requirements on enrolled lands, such as explicitly banning high grading
and requiring efforts to establish adequate forest regeneration. High
grading involves removing most of the commercially valuable trees at the
expense of future growth and future financial return, often leaving a
forest in poor condition; and
·
Establishing a training requirement for
consulting foresters working with Forest Tax Law clients to help set
clear expectations and standardize Forest Tax Law administration across
the state.
The proposed changes would go
into effect on March 1, 2023.
DEC is holding two virtual
public comment hearings on Sept. 13, and will be
accepting public comments through Sept. 19. The public is encouraged to
submit comments in writing to: NYSDEC Private Lands and Forest
Utilization Section, Bureau of Forest Resource Management 625 Broadway,
Albany, NY 12233-7254 or by email to: bslmregs@dec.ny.gov.
The virtual public comment hearings will be held on Sept. 13, at 1 p.m.
and 6 p.m. For more information about the new and revised regulations,
as well as how to participate in the public comment hearings, visit DEC's
website.
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