Do high property taxes influence family forest land Tenure decisions?

Studies have repeatedly documented high property taxes as being a major determinant of a landowner's decision to divest of its forest land. To empirically investigate the relationship between property tax burden and forest land sale activity, property tax data and over 5300 Minnesota forest land sale records from 2000 to 2008 were assembled. Analyses were carried out to identify statistically significant relationships between several measures of private forest land sale activity and forest land property tax burden. The analyses failed to find a statistically positive relationship between the two. Statistically significant negative associations were found between some measures of forest property tax burden and forest land sale frequency, indicating forest land sales activity actually decreased with increasing property tax burden. While high property taxes, no doubt, influence forest land sale decisions, the findings from this study suggest its influence may not be as pervasive as once thought.     

Forest conservation programs and the landowners who prefer them: Profiling family forest owners in the New York City watershed

Voluntary forest conservation programs offer family forest owners (FFO) financial incentives in exchange for legally-binding land use restrictions and/or management obligations. Protecting family forests in the Catskill Mountains region of New York is an important policy objective, as these watersheds provide clean drinking water to New York City. Multiple methods were used to elicit preferences for forest conservation program attributes and to identify potential barriers to participation. Respondents to a mailed survey were grouped according to the program attribute that most influenced their likely participation into forest conservation programs. Respondents were identified as time-sensitive, payment value-sensitive, rights-sensitive, payment mode-sensitive, or harvest-sensitive. Comparing groups revealed significant differences in age, attitudes towards harvesting trees, income, and importance of timber production. Supplemental qualitative data was collected during three focus groups of survey respondents and analyzed for general themes. Focus group discussions revealed a lack of knowledge about conservation easement programs, reluctance to burden landowners’ children with encumbered land inheritances, concerns for resale values and tax assessment, and a simmering animosity towards New York City’s watershed management efforts. We offer strategies to address these concerns and to design programs that will foster greater participation among FFOs in the region.     

Property taxation and rural land values: Their effect on private forestland ownership structure in Texas

The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of property tax and rural land market value on the ownership structure of private forestland in Texas. Using county-level panel data in an Instrumental Variable regression framework, we estimated the effect of property tax rate and rural land value on two measures of ownership fragmentation: the total number of private forest landowners and the average size of private forest holdings. The results indicate that after controlling for the total amount of private forest area in a county, both property tax rates and rural land values increased ownership fragmentation. However, the rate of ownership fragmentation was relatively inelastic in both property tax rate and rural land value. While further restructuring local property tax rates might minimize the negative effect on private ownership dynamics, policy instruments that decrease the disparity between productivity value and market value of rural forestland might be needed to check the ongoing ownership fragmentation in Texas and elsewhere in the United States.     

Relationships between absenteeism,conservation group membership,and land management among family forest owners

Absentee landowners, or those who do not live on their forestland, own approximately 117 million acres of private forestland in the U.S. Thus, their land management decisions and activities influence the flow of forest-based goods and services. We explore the question of whether absentee family forest owners are less active land managers than resident landowners and whether membership in conservation organizations is associated with higher levels of land management activity by absentee owners. To examine these questions, we administered a mail survey to randomly-selected family forest landowners in Indiana. While we found some support for the contention that absentee owners are less active forestland managers than resident owners, we also found they are not necessarily inactive landowners. We found absentee owners were less likely to have: inspected their forestland for invasive plants, pulled or cut invasive plants, used herbicides to kill invasive plants, reduced fire hazard, or grazed livestock than resident owners. Absentee owners were more likely to be enrolled in the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands Program, a preferential forest property tax program. Absentee owners who are members of a conservation organization were more likely than absentee non-member owners to have undertaken a variety of land management activities, including: undertaking wildlife habitat improvement projects, inspecting their forestland for invasive plants, pulling or cutting invasive plants, enrolling in the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands program, and obtaining a management plan.     

Diversity of incentives for private forest landowners: An assessment of programs in Indiana, USA

 Many government and private programs provide incentives for non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners. Due to the complexity of this web of programs, the incentives of the programs are unclear. We focus on four specific programs that represent different rule structures—a federal cost-share program, a state tax incentive program, a nationwide private stewardship program, and a local private conservation organization. We perform institutional analysis of the formal and informal rules of the programs based on literature review, discussions with officers, and formal guidelines of the programs. We classify different types of rule structures, and explain them in relation to goals and organizational structures of the programs.     

Private property and Mennonites are major drivers of forest cover loss in central Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

The role of land tenure and Mennonites as drivers of deforestation in the Central Yucatan Peninsula has not been empirically assessed. We evaluate different drivers and their relationship to forest cover change between 1986 and 2015 and assess how land tenure and Mennonite communities impact forest cover loss in the Municipality of Hopelchen, Campeche, Mexico. This study shows that forest cover loss has increased in the last decade (2005–2015), and that land tenure regime type is associated with this loss. Throughout the study period, statistical comparisons show rates of forest cover loss were significantly higher in private and federal property compared to forests in ejidos (communal property). Forest cover loss in Mennonite private property was also significantly higher than in non-Mennonite owned private property. The role of land tenure and the expansion of the agroindustrial production model as major drivers of forest cover loss in the region provide important insight into developing municipal land use plans and conservation strategies to reduce deforestation. Programs, incentives and policy directed towards forest conservation in the region that typically target ejido communities, will need to consider the growing trend of private property expansion within federal lands and work more closely with private property owners including Mennonite communities if deforestation reduction programs are to be successful.     

Are preserved farms actively engaged in agriculture and conservation?

This study addresses the question of whether farms enrolled in land preservation programs are actively engaged in agricultural or conservation activities. Data are drawn from an original survey administered to preserved farm owners in the states of New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware in 2011. “Actively engaged” is defined as investment in conservation projects, buildings, equipment, or irrigation since the land was preserved. Affirmative answers to the survey's investment questions range from a low of 19% for irrigation to a high of 69% for equipment. Special attention was paid to differences between lifestyle farmers and small and large commercial farmers, which are classified using the USDA typology developed in 2000. Regression analysis estimates differences in investment behavior across these groups as well as farm tenure categories, controlling for farm size, program/state location, and demographic variables. Only owners who employ tenants or managers exclusively on their land were found to invest significantly less than the largest professional farmers, and they did so across all four types of investment.This study's findings support preservation goals articulated by legislators and program administrators, because (1) agricultural and land stewardship investments appear to be widespread on preserved farms, partly due to administrators’ preference for larger parcels, (2) there is no evidence that “hobby farmers” are disproportionately attracted to farmland preservation programs – in fact the opposite seems to be true – while those that exist in our sample behave similarly to the largest commercial farmers, (3) although tenant farming is associated in the sample with lower rates of investment, it is less common on preserved farms than on all farms in the three study states. The matter of land tenure, highlighted in this as in other studies, has not yet become a primary focus of either farm-behavioral research or state agricultural policy.     

基于林纸结合的林地产权合作的调查与分析

对赣州市2个村与APP公司所属的赣州金太阳科技林业有限公司合作营造浆纸林基地情况进行了深入调查和分析,提出进一步推进林纸结合营造速生丰产浆纸林基地的发展并逐步解决中国造纸工业原料林短缺的对策:加快林业产权制度改革,明晰林地产权;建立健全林地产权流转制度,规范林地产权流转,使林地产权流转更加规范合理;建立健全林地产权流转服务体系,保证林地产权流转合理公平;进一步完善工业原料林建设的政策措施,制定全面配套的、对合作各方均有激励效益的政策措施;保持工业原料林的生态效益,防止生态功能下降。     

Factors associated with landowner involvement in forest conservation programs in the U.S.: Implications for policy design and outreach

One-third of the forestland in the U.S. is owned by 10.4 million family forest owners. Their collective decisions have a great impact on the sustainability of forest landscape across the country. Public policies and programs for encouraging landowners to properly manage their land include cost-share, forest certification, and conservation easements. However, to date, less than 6% of the family forest owners have participated in a cost-share program, less than 1% have certified their land, and less than 2% have an easement. By analyzing data from USDA Forest Service's National Woodland Owner Survey, we examined the characteristics of family forest owners who had participated in these programs and identified strategies to capitalize on these landowner characteristics to improve current programs and attract a wider range of participants. We found that family forest owners with larger land holdings were more likely to participate in all three types of programs. Obtaining forest management information or advice was important for program participation; however, the effects differed depending on the types of programs and the sources of information. Income was not significant in predicting participation in cost-share programs, implying family forest owners from lower-income strata were not more likely to use cost-share program. The results also suggest the importance of targeting the right audience when promoting forest certification programs, namely those who are participants of cost-share programs, own forestland for reasons other than farming or ranching, and plan to harvest sawlogs or pulpwood in the future. Age was not significant in any of the empirical models. This result is particularly intriguing in the context of conservation easement, considering recent discussions about the high cost of dying unprepared and the potential for promoting conservation easement as part of estate planning among older family forest owners. Finally, few variables were significant in the model predicting landowner decision about donating or selling an easement, suggesting the easement decision is very different from cost-share and forest certification decisions and further efforts are needed to understand the dynamics of this increasingly popular conservation policy tool. In summary, this study provides a better understanding of the relationship between program participation and the demographics, attitudes and behaviors of family forest owners. This understanding contributes to the development of outreach strategies for improving landowner interest in forest conservation programs.     

南方集体林区林地产权、地理特征与农户林地投入行为

基于现有研究的缺陷和林农投资水平低的现实问题,构建"林权改革、地理特征-农户经济行为-林地投入"的理论分析结构,并以南方集体林区3省1248个农户样本为例,采用Double-Hurdle回归模型从微观层面检验林地产权、地理特征对农户林地资金投入和劳动力投入的影响。研究表明:安全、稳定的林地产权能够促进农户对林地的资金与劳动力投入,优越的地理条件(灌溉、地形)能够促进农户对林地的资金与劳动力投入,不便利的交通条件抑制农户对林地的投入。因此,建议重视保障林业经营者林地权利的安全性与稳定性,提高确权发证水平;加强集体林区林业基础设施建设,完善林业市场体制机制。     

Forester networks: The intersection of private lands policy and collaborative capacity

Privately owned forestland provides abundant ecosystem goods and services to society at scales beyond the individual forest parcel. However, successful mechanisms to encourage broad-scale management in privately owned, multifunctional, landscapes are relatively limited. In the United States, state agency and private foresters may be poised to help facilitate landscape-scale management given their role as gatekeepers to private landowner incentive programs or emerging markets for ecosystem goods and services. A key question remains as to the collaborative capacity of public and private sector foresters, especially in the face of evolving private forestry incentive programs, some of which have shifted toward public–private partnerships (PPP's). We used qualitative interviews and a social network survey with professional foresters in Northern Wisconsin, an area with a high demand for diverse forest ecosystem services, to identify the structure of current business networks among land managers in the region and characteristics of these relationships that may influence collaboration. Of the nearly 300 different individual professionals identified, most (86%) were state, consulting, or industry foresters, suggesting a relatively homogeneous network of professionals and potential need for other types of natural resource professionals to tie into existing foresters’ networks. We found that central network positions were occupied by all three types of foresters, while the qualitative analysis suggested the private forestry incentive program is likely driving, in part, network configuration. Interviews yielded a nuanced understanding of foresters’ relationships, including the impact of forest policy changes on public–private partnerships and specifically the growing role of private foresters in providing private lands forestry services and the need for successful mechanisms to reduce conflict and improve collaborative capacity among professionals.     

私有林补贴制度是深化林业产权制度改革的现实选择

评价和分析了私有林补贴制度的输入补贴与循环补贴的两种模式,通过施行服务型补贴制度,或者附加条件地施行激励补贴制度,有助于私有林补贴制度有效性的发挥。私有林补贴政策制度的有效实施将推动林业产权制度改革总体效益的提高,是深化林业产权制度改革的现实选择。     

森林碳生产的认识、方式与政策保障

森林的生产实践活动伴随人类社会文明进程变换其利用方式,森林减碳利用在应对全球气候变化过程中引人关注。森林碳生产作为森林减碳利用的具体表现形式,是森林生态文明的实践进步。本研究从生态、社会、经济等3个方面认识森林碳生产,分析人工造林、森林灾害防治、延迟采伐、土地利用变化等4种最为主要的碳生产方式,提出完善人工造林激励政策、完善采伐限额制度、采取适当的碳税和碳补偿政策、建立有效的碳排放权交易制度等4个方面的政策保障,进而更好地发挥森林在全球气候变化过程中的重要作用。     

天然林保护工程政策对中国现行林业政策的影响分析

从政策的视角分析了天然林保护工程实施10年对中国林业政策产生的影响,以期为完善二期"天保"工程的实施政策提供理论依据。研究结果表明:"天保"工程政策的实施在理论层面与实践层面对中国现行林业政策均产生影响,理论层面的影响表现在"天保"工程政策影响、改变了中国生态环境政策朝向与趋势,引领了制订林业政策指导思想的巨变;实践层面的影响表现在国有林区"天保"工程实施的主体政策内容以及工程实施的成效对林业政策的宏、微观方面的影响不尽相同。     

Taxation, life-time uncertainty and non-industrial private forest-owner's decision-making

The nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owner's consumption and harvesting decisions are investigated under inheritance and capital income taxes using a two-period model. The impact of the forest-owner's age is introduced into the analysis through a parameter of perceived probability of surviving through a future period. This allows us to study the impacts of ageing on consumption and harvesting decisions as well as to see how the impact of taxes changes among different age groups of forest-owners. The results show that current consumption first decreases and then increases when moving from younger to older individuals regardless of whether non-timber assets are more or less heavily taxed through bequests than consumption. In general, we find that tax effects are dependent on the forest-owner's age. Age tends to intensify the increasing effect of the forest bequest tax on harvesting. The same is true with respect to the decreasing effect on harvesting of the inheritance tax imposed on non-forest assets. Furthermore, the forest-owner's age tends to intensify the effect on harvesting of the capital income tax imposed on forest assets, but diminishes the effect on harvesting of the capital income tax imposed on non-forest assets.     

土地税费政策参与宏观调控的实践研究

通过分析耕地占用税、城镇土地使用税、土地增值税、新增建设用地有偿使用费（简称新增费）、土地闲置费等土地税费政策参与宏观调控实践效果,反应出我国土地税费政策参与宏观调控过程中存在税制结构不尽合理、土地取得环节税负偏低、保有环节征税范围过窄、流转环节税费政策实施难度大等问题。对策建议：优化土地税制设计,加强调控作用;在土地取得环节实行差别化税额标准;提高土地保有环节的税负;在土地流转环节加强税费征管。     

森林碳生产的激励机理分析

分析指出森林碳生产的激励原因在其经济属性,包括公共物品特性与生产的正外部性;运用供求曲线对森林碳生产进行经济解释;论证了产权制度安排与碳价格给付的森林碳生产激励办法;指出产权制度安排激励办法的现实困难,提出尽快开征碳税的建议。     

Legal framework of private afforestation: The case of Turkey

In Turkey, 99.9 % of the forest land belongs to the state, and according to the Turkish Constitution, the ownership of the state forests cannot be transferred to private parties or other non-state organizations. However, some permits have been granted to use and benefit from the state forests without transferring the ownership. One such is the private afforestation permit. Private afforestation aims to increase forest lands and the growing stock, to re-establish the deteriorating balance between soil, water, and plants, to improve the environmental value, and to provide income to natural entities. This study aims to identify the legal and administrative regulation dimensions of the land use policy on private afforestation in Turkey and to compare them with other successful international afforestation policies.The second part of this paper is a case study on the impact of the legal changes over time in private afforestation in the sample area. Interviews were conducted with participants in the program using questions addressing the socio-economic and cultural benefits of private afforestation along with their afforestation practices and problems. The overall conclusion of this survey was that private afforestation practice had contributed to the income level of the participants. Further, to increase the participation in the program, more public awareness was necessary and incentives to participate must be increased.     

Assessing economic instruments to steer urban residential sprawl,using a hedonic pricing simulation modelling approach

Over the past centuries, cities have undergone major transformations that led to global urbanization. One of the phenomena emerging from urbanization is urban sprawl, defined as the uncontrolled spread of cities into undeveloped areas. The decrease in housing prices and commuting costs as well as the failure to internalize the real costs associated with natural land, led to households moving-out into the urban fringe – resulting in fragmented, low-density residential development patterns that has multiple negative impacts. Awareness for this problem has fed the need for the implementation of effective policies against urban residential sprawl – a subject that has received considerable attention in literature, albeit little attention has been given to economic incentive instruments. Hence, the objective of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of different economic instruments in steering urban residential sprawl – assessing property taxes, land taxes and public transport subsidies. To this end, the Sustainable Urbanizing Landscape Development (SULD) model is used and adapted, and a case study is provided for the medium-sized City of Aveiro in central Portugal. Results show that a flat property tax and a public transport subsidy for low and middle-income households are the most efficient instruments, leading to a decrease in urban residential area, living space and housing quantity as well as an increase in real estate values. On the other hand, a land tax results in insignificant changes in urban residential development patterns.     

私有林与中国林业发展

发达国家和经济转型国家的私有林具有以下特征:木材生产大多由采伐公司承担,集约经营程度和竞争力与它的规模有较强的正相关性,公共品或准公共品性质趋强,以及非农林主增多、老龄林主增多、林地平均规模趋小等。根据国际经验判断,私有林也应成为中国林业发展的选择。在现阶段发展私有林,需要改进林木采伐管制,确保采伐指标的公平分配,削弱森林部门征收税费的能力,相信农民的能力,并规范政府的行为。