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Forest Reserve Program Meetings

blake

Life Member
Direction of Forest</ST1:p Reserve Program Topic of Public Meetings


The Iowa Department of Natural Resources Forestry Bureau is hosting six meetings across the state to discuss the potential changes to the Forest Reserve Program to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
><st1:State alt=
</st1:State><ST1:pIowa landowners.


Two proposed bills impacting the Forest Reserve Program include House File 680 that would eliminate the tax exemption in 2021 and House File 681 that would limit landowners to enrolling only 15 percent of their available acres in the Forest Reserve Program and it included provisions penalizing landowners who enroll in Forest Reserve Program and lease-hunt their enrolled acres.

Each meeting will have a 30 minute presentation followed by a chance for the public to speak about the Forest Reserve Program and the legislative proposals. Comments will be collected for the legislators as they discuss the future of the program. The meetings are planned for two hours.

Meetings are planned for Oct. 4, 8 a.m., at Pilot Grove Savings Bank, 506 North Main St., Donnellson; Oct. 6, 9:30 a.m., Yellow River State Forest, 729 State Forest Road; Oct. 11, 7 p.m., State Forest Nursery, 2404 South Duff Ave., Ames; Oct. 13, 7 p.m., EB Lyons Interpretive Center (Mines of Spain State Park), 8991 Bellevue Hts., Dubuque; Oct. 18, 7 p.m., Pin Oak Marsh, south of Chariton on Hwy. 14; Oct. 20, 7 p.m., Loess Hills State Forest, 206 Polk St., Pisgah.

The meetings on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6 will be held in conjunction with the Shimek and <ST1:place w:st="on">Yellow River</ST1:place> forestry field days. Attendees should plan to arrive 15 minutes early for registration.

If planning to attend the field day session, contact Jesse Randall at 515-294-1168. Lunch will be provided for the field day session.

More information on the field days is available:
[URL]http://www.extension.iastate.edu/forestry/[/URL]

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The content for this post came from the <ST1:p<st1:State w:st="on">Iowa</st1:State></ST1:p DNR website
 
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Just another avenue for government to get more $. The 5% or so of forest that's in IA- raise taxes on those folks that own it. It never ends.... I pay a LOT in Fed taxes (more than 25%), 7-8% to state, 6% in sales tax, TONS in property taxes of ag-ground & buildings & a TON in taxes each year for my house, FICA, Medicare, fees, license costs, surcharges, gas taxes, fees to everything, etc, etc, etc. Tax folks more.... Unintended consequences... Folks selling their timber, dozing for more cattle or crops, etc, etc. With only 5% timber, let's see how far we can reduce that?!?! Government will never quit trying to get every nickel it can, this is just 1 of 100 things I expected that piss me off from all these MONEY WASTING, MONEY HUNGRY idiots. What a SHOCKER announcement with everything else we've heard lately, Gov wanting more $, WOW, I'm just so surprised and shocked!!!
WHO is proposing these bills??? Names/parties???
 
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Funny this topic came up. I was just thinking today, that as much as everyone is clearing all the trees they can to plant more corn, there should be an even better incentive to leave some timber. So much for that thought I guess. Its a shame how greedy everyone is today and nobody thinks much about the future. Guess I'll keep doing my part and plant more trees and cover every year on my place and hopefully some of the neighbors will begin to change their ways.
 
I am as big of a small government/low taxes person that there is, but I see this situation differently than some do apparently. In some counties in Iowa a pretty fair percentage of timbered acres have been enrolled in Forest Reserve, removing those acres from the property tax base for those counties. I do not favor timbered acres being exempted from taxation as I am sure that almost everyone that owns non-taxed timbered acres would not hesitate to call the sheriff, funded by property taxes largely, to their farm when they have a need for law enforcement.

If someone is NOT paying taxes and I am, then in effect, I am picking up their share to keep the deputies paid, etc. I also do not favor TIF deals where developers get exemptions from taxes in exchange for building something, etc. Everyone should pay their share and then if they want to maintain timber that is great.
 
I do not favor timbered acres being exempted from taxation as I am sure that almost everyone that owns non-taxed timbered acres would not hesitate to call the sheriff, funded by property taxes largely, to their farm when paid, etc. Everyone should pay their share

Let's keep in mind a few points..... I will bet a small pile of $ I have left after I pay gov every nickel I must.... that the guys who own timbered ground have tillable and the "RICH" have buildings on it too- both of which are taxed very nicely. i personally only know a very small hand-full of folks that own all timbered tracts. Those folks with let's call "hunting farms" that are paying taxes on their tillable, CRP, FOOD PLOT, POND GROUND AND BUILDINGS OF ANY TYPE (I got a tax bill 2 years ago for a deer blind I constructed on my place.... happy to prove that claim) are ALSO paying gas tax, federal tax, state tax, sales tax to IOWA, county charges, FICA, Medicare, county licenses (DOT), hunting licenses, alcohol or cig tax if you indulge, hunting tags, fishing licenses, business licensing, etc, etc, etc. The list never ends- I could go on..... I understand there will be a person at every level that justifies another tax, another reason why we need to pay more, another reason to pay "our fair share", etc. It never ends.

Let's look at the "rich guy" that owns a 500 acre farm and pays taxes on 300 acres THEN has to pay 33% Fed income taxes, 6% sales tax, 6-8% (can't remember) to the state, FICA/SS/MEDICARE 7.5%, fees, licenses, tags, surcharges, etc, etc. can't you see that folks have had it?!?! DOES ANYONE THINK THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THIS GROUND DO NOT PAY THEIR SHARE OF TAXES & BEYOND????????????
I'm all for keeping the funding going for the county & sheriff, we agree on that. This isn't how to do it, raise taxes on the LITTLE timbered ground we have left and reap the unintended consequences and get next to nothing in the process. I've had it with all these CLOWNS!!! I appreciate the response, it's just we've been down this road a million times and enough is enough!
 
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I am as big of a small government/low taxes person that there is, but I see this situation differently than some do apparently. In some counties in Iowa a pretty fair percentage of timbered acres have been enrolled in Forest Reserve, removing those acres from the property tax base for those counties. I do not favor timbered acres being exempted from taxation as I am sure that almost everyone that owns non-taxed timbered acres would not hesitate to call the sheriff, funded by property taxes largely, to their farm when they have a need for law enforcement.

If someone is NOT paying taxes and I am, then in effect, I am picking up their share to keep the deputies paid, etc. I also do not favor TIF deals where developers get exemptions from taxes in exchange for building something, etc. Everyone should pay their share and then if they want to maintain timber that is great.
I am going out on a limb here and say that most farms are not 100% timbered with part of the ground being ag ,crp, etc so you would be paying taxes on part of it. That is the way my place is anyway and as the person mentioned above about clearing ground to get that extra acre in you probably will see more of that in the future because at $7 a bushel it doesn't take long to recoup that dozer bill so yes this would make landowners lean towards clear cutting more. Maybe if there were less lazy welfare recipients out there draining the working taxpayer we wouldn't need stupid ideas like this
 
Here's my latest favorite nobama quote "for us to solve this problem.. everyone must pay their fair share". Hahaha.. we'll see how well that works... I wish I could just become jeremiah johnson and leave all this government crap behind
 
so if someone is leasing acres that are in the forest preserve, who do you call to turn them in?
 
Could be either Party behind this. Republicans are on the war path to CUT spending and programs. Democrats are beating the SONG,,tax the Rich. If you own land,,I guess you are RICH? I agree,will just lead to less Timber land. Next on the docket,,CRP.
 
will just lead to less Timber land. .

Yep. There's a reason this program is in place... Iowa wanted to protect the tiny amount of timber it had left. So much of it is gone, trashed by cows (which you can't put grazed timber in Forest Reserve), gets dozed each year, etc, etc. We live in the most "transformed" state in the US & IA's timber needs all the help it can get- why we also have REAP programs to get our oaks back, etc. This program has a purpose and this never ending government greed will have bad consequences for us if continued at this rate.
 
Maybe if there were less lazy welfare recipients out there draining the working taxpayer we wouldn't need stupid ideas like this <!-- / message -->

DING!!!! DING!!!! DING!!!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!

Thing is no one wants to cut this it would cost too many votes. I have thoughts on how to solve this but I not soft harted for low lifes.
 
Let's keep in mind a few points..... I will bet a small pile of $ I have left after I pay gov every nickel I must.... that the guys who own timbered ground have tillable and the "RICH" have buildings on it too- both of which are taxed very nicely. i personally only know a very small hand-full of folks that own all timbered tracts. Those folks with let's call "hunting farms" that are paying taxes on their tillable, CRP, FOOD PLOT, POND GROUND AND BUILDINGS OF ANY TYPE (I got a tax bill 2 years ago for a deer blind I constructed on my place.... happy to prove that claim) are ALSO paying gas tax, federal tax, state tax, sales tax to IOWA, county charges, FICA, Medicare, county licenses (DOT), hunting licenses, alcohol or cig tax if you indulge, hunting tags, fishing licenses, business licensing, etc, etc, etc. The list never ends- I could go on..... I understand there will be a person at every level that justifies another tax, another reason why we need to pay more, another reason to pay "our fair share", etc. It never ends.

Let's look at the "rich guy" that owns a 500 acre farm and pays taxes on 300 acres THEN has to pay 33% Fed income taxes, 6% sales tax, 6-8% (can't remember) to the state, FICA/SS/MEDICARE 7.5%, fees, licenses, tags, surcharges, etc, etc. can't you see that folks have had it?!?! DOES ANYONE THINK THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THIS GROUND DO NOT PAY THEIR SHARE OF TAXES & BEYOND????????????
I'm all for keeping the funding going for the county & sheriff, we agree on that. This isn't how to do it, raise taxes on the LITTLE timbered ground we have left and reap the unintended consequences and get next to nothing in the process. I've had it with all these CLOWNS!!! I appreciate the response, it's just we've been down this road a million times and enough is enough!

Sligh - I think you are mixing quite a few subjects there(fed income, sales, Fica, etc.) and I am only talking about property taxes. All of us pay some form of "other" taxes before considering property taxes, so I think those other forms of tax are not central to this thread. (The thread started in relation to Forest Reserve and property tax exemption.)

I will also say that I strongly agree with you that we are over taxed as a whole and I support a range of ideas to address that, but I have a problem with tax "exemptions" in general and even when I can personally benefit from them, I would like to see them eliminated. I think it behooves all of us to keep the tax codes simple, because otherwise the stage is set for some to be able to avoid tax where others are paying, etc.

FWIW, I have chosen not to enroll any of my timber acres in Forest Reserve, while I know many that have and several have advised me to do so to avoid paying tax. I feel like I should pay tax on that property and support the region where my farm is located. (My farm is in a different county than the one I live in.)

It looks like we have an honest difference of opinion on this, I am fine with that and I appreciate your point of view. While we may see this item differently, I suspect we would be in large agreement on a wide range of other tax related issues.
 
Funny this topic came up. I was just thinking today, that as much as everyone is clearing all the trees they can to plant more corn, there should be an even better incentive to leave some timber. So much for that thought I guess. Its a shame how greedy everyone is today and nobody thinks much about the future. Guess I'll keep doing my part and plant more trees and cover every year on my place and hopefully some of the neighbors will begin to change their ways.

Butch, I hope your referring to the government when you say everyone is greedy. How can anyone honestly blame the land owner? With the current prices of grain you can recoup your costs to put land into production in the first few years, when was the last time this was possible. And as an incentive to TAKE LAND OUT the government is going to tax it, where no taxes were before... I am all for FRP and have a large portion of my property in the program but how much out of my own pocket to I have to pay to keep this ground in its natural state?

My state reps will definitely be hearing from me on this one. :thrwrck:
 
Timber Reserve

I think the forest reserve program is an excellent program. Keep in mind that taxes are paid on the sale of timber as well! So it is not completely tax exempt.

The Government should target the 30-40% of individuals that pay no income taxes in the US. Then we will make up some dollars.
 
FWIW, I have chosen not to enroll any of my timber acres in Forest Reserve, while I know many that have and several have advised me to do so to avoid paying tax. I feel like I should pay tax on that property and support the region where my farm is located. (My farm is in a different county than the one I live in.)

It looks like we have an honest difference of opinion on this, I am fine with that and I appreciate your point of view. While we may see this item differently, I suspect we would be in large agreement on a wide range of other tax related issues.
Good spirited disagreement and yeah, I am thinking we'll just disagree on this, which is totally cool. :)
A couple things though.... If your not giving enough to government paying for your crop/tillable land, pasture, ponds, food plot acres and buildings & you feel compelled to pay more (I guess you think we're under-taxed)- why not pay an additional $500 or $1000 past what's owed even with the timbered ground taxed? It obviously is "needed" and spent wisely. It's obviously better in the government's hands (whether that's state, fed or local) than in your hand our my hands. Let me know how much you ADD to your property tax bill this year BEYOND what's required even though you don't do FR. I'll challenge you to add another few hundred or a thousand bucks to it :)
Personally, when I contribute MORE than is required by government to community- it will be to charities, church, my personal relationships, etc. I PERSONALLY feel that's FAR BETTER $ spent and I know this way my $ isn't going to be WASTED, ABUSED, FULL OF INEFFICIENCIES & FRAUD. But, yes, that's my choice and getting a bit off topic here.
And last, the most important point I touched on earlier.... There's a very solid/valid reason IA has created this program.... We have a declining amount of timber, we're the #1 most transformed state out of 50, we have roughly 5% timber left and most of what's left has been raped for the last 100 years: select cutting/top end cutting, putting beastly cows in your timber, not managing it, dozing it, etc.

IT'S SIMPLE.... Tax what you want less of and incentivize what you want more of...... You want less timber?!?!? You want to reduce our quality timber, have it dozed, grazed, gone forever???... TAX IT MORE. I GUARANTEE YOU that's what will happen, GUARANTEE IT! Be careful what you wish for, a few more dollars here and there for Government (as if we aren't paying enough, even in property taxes- I'd love to share what my property taxes are as it is WITHOUT the timbered part- ridiculous!). I guarantee I know what will happen if they do away with FRP & the folks on here and our kids ain't gonna like it.

You want to preserve the little IA forest that's left or at least reduce the rate it's depleted, dozed, grazed, destroyed AND hopefully incentivise folks to keep, manage and improve their timber???.... Incentivise it- which is what the FRP does.

Good discussion though Daver, I get where you're coming from and it's all good that we disagree. Even though you're incredibly wrong :D
 
FWIW, I hate taxes as much as anyone else and maybe more than most. But I do feel it is reasonable for me to pay a modest amount per year to help fund local law enforcement, local schools, road maintenance, county government, etc. I knew what the tax liability was when I bought the place and I don't feel as though it is too high given what is provided in return.

If everyone could zero out their property tax bill then there wouldn't be a road in front of my place or a deputy to call or a county courthouse to record my deed, etc. My feeling is that far less waste occurs in a local setting than any federal level tax out there. I don't feel compelled to pay more, but I also do not feel right about potentially paying NOTHING, while still receiving those services.
 
FWIW, I hate taxes as much as anyone else and maybe more than most. But I do feel it is reasonable for me to pay a modest amount per year to help fund local law enforcement, local schools, road maintenance, county government, etc. I knew what the tax liability was when I bought the place and I don't feel as though it is too high given what is provided in return.

If everyone could zero out their property tax bill then there wouldn't be a road in front of my place or a deputy to call or a county courthouse to record my deed, etc. My feeling is that far less waste occurs in a local setting than any federal level tax out there. I don't feel compelled to pay more, but I also do not feel right about potentially paying NOTHING, while still receiving those services.

Good response Daver. In real quick/short summary.... I don't know hardly ANYONE that isn't paying a reasonable amount for taxes, even if they have some FR- very very RARE the amount of tracts that are all timber & vast majority don't have all timber and are already currently paying a hefty chunk in taxes. I have 1/2 timber and my property taxes on land alone are many thousands. I think there's very FEW people who will ever pay zero in property taxes and most these folks are also paying whopping property taxes on their personal house to add to it. We pay 5 figures in property taxes each year w/forest reserve and I'm paying far more than "my fair share" and I think most folks with FOREST RESERVE land also fit into that scenario: paying MORE than their fair share. And I don't disagree with paying your "fair share" but we already are and then some. Bottom line: these folks that will be impacted by this are paying MORE than THEIR FAIR SHARE ALREADY! I guarantee most folks with ANY FR ground have very large property tax bills on every other property they have- THEY ARE PAYING! And, just keep in mind the consequences to our state if the FR program goes away- it was created for good reason. That's pry my last point I just wanted to clarify... These landowners pay their fair share and beyond that already. Then there's another class of folks who contribute NOTHING, ZERO, ZILCH and live on taxpayers and get everything paid for year after year after year, how about we deal with those folks (like limiting the blood-sucking to 2 years max OR you have to work while on welfare) so we don't have hose the folks that already pay up the nose! :)
 
Y'know, one side says cut government programs...and the same side says cut taxes. The reality is that lower taxes result in fewer government services and programs. However, anybody that knows details about tax levies knows that putting more lands back on the tax rolls lowers taxes for everyone else.

Just sayin.

I for one support the program, but that program and CRP are pretty hard to salvage with all of the people screaming CUT, CUT, CUT!!!

On a side note, I personally think that these timber programs need more oversight. Participating hunters don't cut invasive honeysuckle, cuz deer eat them.
 
The reality is that lower taxes result in fewer government services and programs. However, anybody that knows details about tax levies knows that putting more lands back on the tax rolls lowers taxes for everyone else.

On a side note, I personally think that these timber programs need more oversight. Participating hunters don't cut invasive honeysuckle, cuz deer eat them.

LOWER TAXES RATES OFTEN = HIGHER REVENUE There's a threshold of where you can raise taxes so much that folks quit & say "what's the point, you're gonna take it all and give to everyone else". Like, if we put the tax rate to 99%- you think revenue would go up? NOPE. Maybe for a month and then it would crash. I could get REALLY NITTY-GRITTY here with bell-curves and way beyond what a deer hunting site is for (and anyone wants to hear or read) BUT you'll see that raising taxes often decreases revenue and has all sorts of unintended consequences.

I agree we need to pay a "reasonable" tax rate, totally agree. BUT, ONE LITTLE GUY'S OPINION: we are way over-bloated with all sorts of programs, our government has DOUBLED in size in roughly 7-8 year and folks are taxed too hard- well, except the 47% of wage earners that pay no income tax. For the contributors, we're getting hammered with 25-33% fed rate, 7-8% state, 7.5% Fica/medicare/SS, 6% sales tax, 4 or 5 digit $ figures on property taxes and the list just never ends.... Personally, I send over 50% of my money to government in one form or another- yes, so they can spend my $ on all those stupid projects they use to buy votes and give someone else something for free so they keep em needing it and voting for them. I agree, this is a discussion about a THRESHOLD of what's reasonable and what point we say "enough is enough" and I'm to that point, when over 1/2 my money goes to these clowns & it's wasted, abused, corrupted & unconstitutional- folks just ain't gonna continue to let the leeches get more and more. Gotta end.
 
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