Speaker promotes merging tax programs

The programs give tax savings to owners of woodlands and agricultural land.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CANFIELD -- If a proposal to combine two tax savings programs becomes law, it would help to clear up some confusion for landowners while incorporating the best of both programs.
That was one of the main points brought up at Thursday's Northeastern Ohio Forestry Association meeting at the Mahoning County Experimental Farm on state Route 46. Speaking to the 60 or 70 people at the session were Mark Ervin and Richard Cappell, both of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry.
Ervin and Cappell said that the proposal would bring together portions of the Ohio Forest Tax Law and the Current Agricultural Usage Value program, both of which mean a reduction in property taxes for those in the programs who own woodlands and property used for agricultural purposes. Both have a lot of overlap, however, which is often confusing for many landowners, they added.
Benefits
Benefits of merging the two real-estate tax laws include having more woodlands under better management, allowing the ODNR and county auditors to share more responsibilities and letting tax-reduction programs be equally applied for productive forest lands, Ervin and Cappell noted.
CAUV is a method of valuating land for agricultural purposes, which means much lower property taxes than for those who have residential property, for example, Ervin explained. One of the requirements for the program is to have at least 10 acres committed to farming, he continued.
The state forest tax law gives those who own a minimum of 10 acres of woodlands a tax reduction of about 50 percent, Ervin noted. Requirements include following a management plan and having clearly marked property boundaries, he said, adding that if the proposal for combining the CAUV and OFTL becomes law, it could mean additional tax savings for those in the OFTL.
The Salem-based Northeastern Ohio Forestry Association is set up to encourage through education a conservation program for multiple uses of forests, explained David Hively, president. The organization also tries to promote good forest management practices and give landowners sensible ways to sell timber and receive market value, Hively noted.
"Forest land is a very valuable commodity," he added.