Keeping Forests, Forests: Insights from Missouri
On Thursday, June 3, I had the pleasure of co-chairing with David Nomsen, from Pheasants Forever, a session, Forest
Restoration, Rural Recreation and
Private
Land
Conservation, as part of USDA’s National Rural Summit in Hillsboro, Missouri.
There was broad and stimulating discussion with people from around the country including state and local officials, farmers, non-profit leaders and the vice chair of the Missouri’s American Tree Farm System state committee, Rick Merritt.
The overarching theme of the discussion was how to keep forests as forests because of the broad public benefits forests provide. A clear call was sounded for more outreach to engage landowners in sustainable practices, and to give them the technical assistance they need to implement their vision. Lots of concern was shared about the declining availability of help for woodland owners from traditional sources - Forest Service, extension programs, etc. Yet some participants noted this could be addressed by government partnering with private organizations such as AFF. It was also clear that all of us – from federal agencies, to state and local governments, to groups like AFF – need to advance more programs and strategies to engage the unengaged landowner.
The challenge of intergenerational transfer of land as families struggle to continue their commitment to stewardship from one generation to the next was also discussed. The Ties to the Land program, which was launched with funding from the American Forest Foundation, was recognized for how it helps families make sound decisions about succession planning.
Part of the challenge of intergenerational transfer stems from the burden of estate taxes. Mark Nussbaum, 2009 Missouri State Tree Farmer of the Year, provided a letter to me for Secretary Vilsack. In this letter, Mark shared pictures of his son and nephew planting a field of walnut trees and wrote, “Our society emphasizes sustainability. But if we have government policies that require our children to sell our farm to developers in order to pay taxes, is that sustainable?”
He added that “My tree farm is a business, but it’s so much more than that. There are few businesses in this country that provide wildlife habitat, clean water and scenic views like tree farms. It’s my hope that my children will be able to manage and enjoy my tree farm and not have to sell part or all of it to pay for intergenerational taxes.”
Here at AFF, we know that estate taxes are a serious threat to keeping working forests working and appreciate the efforts by Representative Thompson and others in Congress to help reduce this burden through legislation such as the Family Farm Estate Tax Relief Act of 2010, HR 5475.
At the end of day, Secretary Vilsack offered some closing remarks that called for working collaboratively on a regional basis to restore landscapes. He noted that federal programs need to become simpler and more flexible (something our Tree Farmers can really relate to!). The Secretary added that biofuels can help showcase the innovative capacity of rural America. And perhaps most importantly, he recognized that we need more boots on the ground to deliver conservation programs, noting that National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) programs have quadrupled in recent years, while their staff has shrunk, limiting the effectiveness of conservation programs. He also emphasized the importance of the all-lands approach, and the collaboration between NRCS and the Forest Service, particularly because of the impact of this approach on the protection of America’s water quality.
As I headed to the airport, I kept thinking about the value of forums like this, where Administration officials can hear first hand from people like Rick Merritt, a Tree Farmer, who has a steadfast commitment to keeping his working forest working. Hats off to Secretary Vilsack and USDA for making these forums a priority. With one-third of America’s forests held privately, AFF’s commitment to helping more family forest owners is one of our highest priorities, and among the most gratifying.
