Woodlands Management Topics Archives - Vermont Woodlands Association

Use Value Appraisal: Interpretation of the “20% Rules” for Open Idle/Ag land, Site IV lands, and Ecologically Significant Treatment Areas (ESTA)

December 3, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

Use Value Appraisal: Interpretation of the “20% Rules” for Open Idle/Ag land, Site IV lands, and Ecologically Significant Treatment Areas (ESTA) Approved by Commissioner Snyder October 23, 2019 Background: In all cases, parcels enrolled in the Forestry Program of Use Value Appraisal (UVA) must have a minimum of 25 acres enrolled of which at least

3 December

Forest Health Report for July 2019

August 8, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

July: Hot with Late Boomers Perhaps the most memorable weather-related observations in July were at the tail-end of the month, when severe thunderstorms on July 30 and 31st rocked many locations in Vermont. Considered by many the most intense storm of the summer, damage on July 30th included downed trees and power outages, notably in

8 August

Insect and Disease Observations— June 2019

July 12, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

Forest Health Report || Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation || June 2019 Sweater Weather in June Like May, June featured below-normal temperatures and above normal rainfall. According to weather reporter Matt Sutkoski, the Champlain Valley ended the month near normal temper-ature-wise, but areas away from the lake were cooler. In his July 1 blog,

12 July

China Hardwood Tariffs

July 7, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

China Hardwood Tariffs will depress prices for now, hurt U.S. sawmills. Of the hardwood lumber produced in the U.S., 24 percent is exported to China and 22 percent is exported to other countries. The new retaliation tariff by China on incoming hardwood lumber to their country from the U.S. will eliminate much of the sales

7 July

Guide to Current Use

July 3, 2019
vwa_admin

Do you own forestland in Vermont? Is it at least 25 acres? The Vermont’s Use Value Appraisal (UVA) program, also called “Current Use” or “Land Use,” enables landowners who practice long-term forest management to have their enrolled land appraised for property taxes based on its value for forestry rather than its fair market (development) value.

3 July

Woodworkers take a tour of the Treehouse Hardwoods mill and shop

Technical Assistance for Working Lands Businesses

July 1, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

The Vermont Legislature launched the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative in 2012. Working Lands funding is available for farm and forest enterprises at start-up and growth stages. In addition to business grants, Working Lands also funds service and technical assistance providers who can help with many types of business and technical services. The forest and wood

1 July

New Cap on Capital Gains Exclusion

June 28, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

New cap on capital gains exclusion The existing 40% exclusion for capital gains will be capped at $350,000 under Act 71, Sec. 1, effective July 1, 2019. This means that any gain above $875,000 will be taxed at standard income tax rates. Taxpayers who are considering a sales of a large capital asset may want

28 June

Photo of Northern long-eared bat with white nose syndrome

Northern Long-Eared Bat, Final Ruling

June 26, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

Final Ruling on the Northern Long-Eared Bat Summary The northern long-eared bat population has been devastated by the White Nose Syndrome (WNS) throughout the eastern United States. This disease has caused a mortality rate of up to a 90-100% where present. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has listed the northern

26 June

Workers’ Comp for Loggers

June 26, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

New safety program to help loggers and reduce workers’ comp Governor Phil Scott today announced a new initiative to address the high cost of workers’ compensation insurance for logging contractors in Vermont’s forest economy. The Vermont Logger Safety and Workers’ Compensation Insurance Program—developed collaboratively by the Departments of Financial Regulation, Labor and Forests, Parks and

26 June

Planning Family Forests: How to Keep Woodlands Intact and in the Family

June 25, 2019
Kathleen Wanner

Planning Family Forests by Thom McEvoy In his seventh forestry book, Professor McEvoy after 9 years of research compiles stories of forest-owning families representing every major timber type in the United States; narratives and analyses that tell the trials, missteps and successes of an older generation of woodland owners sufficiently committed to keeping their forests

25 June