Orange approves forestal land use

[Virginia] Following a public hearing Tuesday where 10 speakers voiced their support of the proposal, the board of supervisors wasted little time in adopting the measure that would tax forested land similarly to agricultural land. Currently, 59 of 95 counties across the state employ land use on forestall land…Orange County Administrator Bill Rolfe estimated the county would lose approximately $700,000 annually by not taxing forested land at its highest use. Board members chose to look at it as an investment in the county’s future rather than a cost. “If we start weighing the cost of replacing 200 acres of forest with 200 acres of homes, there’s no comparison,” board chairman and District 1 Supervisor Mark Johnson said. “Forested land requires few county services, resulting in a lower tax burden,” Douglas Harris said. “Yet, it protects our wildlife habitat, generates oxygen and improves moisture retention in the soil.” “We need to do all we can to encourage forestry owners to hold onto their land and grow it to maturity,”

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org