State Taxes Cause for Concern in Timber Industry

[West Virginia] Appalachian hardwoods that grow here have a reputation for quality that is unsurpassed. But harvesting those trees costs significantly more than it does in surrounding states, said Dick Waybright, executive director of the West Virginia Forestry Association. One of the primary concerns is the state’s severance tax, which is based on gross receipts rather than profits. But the tax problem might be overstated, said Randy Dye, state forester and director of the West Virginia Division of Forestry. “I don’t know that the taxes are significant enough to add to the present economic downturn,”

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