2005 House Bill 5462

Tax breaks for productive forestland

Introduced in the House

Nov. 29, 2005

Introduced by Rep. David Farhat (R-91)

To authorize a property tax exemption for certain forestland that is productive of wood products and is managed for at least 40 years according to approved good forestry principles through a development rights agreement. Property meeting the specified requirements would be exempt from 18 mills of local school operating taxes, and instead the state would pay the amount of foregone revenue to the local school district out of its general fund revenue. House Bill 5457 requires all or part the tax savings to be repaid if the property is removed from forestry in less than 40 years. This is part of a commercial forestry incentive package comprised of Senate Bills 912 to 919 and House Bills 5453 to 5468 and 5462.

Referred to the Committee on Conservation, Forestry, and Outdoor Recreation

Feb. 3, 2006

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Feb. 7, 2006

Substitute offered

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance of the bill as previously described.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Matthew Gillard (D-106)

To require the required public hunting and fishing easements on all the land subject to this tax break to be in writing. Reportedly many of the properties entered into this tax break progaram before 1995 were subject to verbal agreements. The bill specifies that written easements are required for all post-1995 agreements.

The amendment failed 48 to 57 (details)

Passed in the House 65 to 40 (details)

Received in the Senate

Feb. 8, 2006

Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Tourism