Passing my Forest On

Guest Post By Phyllis Ridge, forest landowner and 2012 WaTW Retreat graduate

It’s likely you have children, perhaps grandchildren, and it’s probable that you own forest land too. If you wish your offspring to have some attachment to that land, if you expect them to care for it as you do when you turn it over to them, begin now!

Memory of Trees by Galya Marty is the story of a daughter growing up on a dairy farm in east central Minnesota. The trees around the farm made a lasting impact on the author and are an important theme throughout the book.

A group of land parcels in Sullivan County, New York, known as Mongaup Sanctuary, is protected with a conservation easement with Delaware Highlands Conservancy. The 100 acres include a wetland with a creek running through it, open fields once used for farming, and woodland.

Shary Skoloff, a landowner with property on the Pennsylvania and New York border, recalls how she and her husband found a quiet piece of land, worked hard to nurture it back to a working farm and ultimately are leaving a legacy by sharing their connection to the land with the next generation.

I am so grateful during this season of blessings that my mom took the time over many years to speak with Dad and me about her deep love of our family forestland, her concerns about the forest, her desires for habitat renewal and stewardship, and her vision and goals. I am so grateful she and Dad planned for Mom’s passage by creating a trust, consulting a lawyer, creating a solid will, and communicating directly with me.

Brenda Woodard, a retired U.S. Forest Service forester and a landowner in Douglas County, is the daughter of a former Lane County Extension Forester, Steve Woodard, who was the Oregon Tree Farmer of the Year in 2004. He lives on the tree farm that has been in his family since his grandfather purchased it in 1948. “His vision and passion are what inspired my husband and me to become forest  land owners,” she said.

Lon and Laura Rankin own several small and moderate size parcels of woodland in Oregon’s mid-Willamette valley. They’d taken care of the legal side of succession planning long ago.  “I learned about the importance of planning from my father and uncle. They both had trusts and the transfer to the next generation went so smoothly,” said Lon. So as soon as it made sense, they set up a trust too. They had been proactive and were content they were on top of the issue.

For a majority of woodland owners leaving a land legacy for the next generation is an important ownership objective. Less than half of those who feel that way will successfully create such a legacy. This is sad because most of them could.

Ginny and Allen Nipper and their family are landowners in southwest Arkansas, north, and central Louisiana. The Nipper’s primary goal is to increase the value of their land for their own profit (sentimentally or financially) and smoothly transition its management to their adult children one day.

There are many reasons to keep a journal about your woodland property. One important reason is to create a history to share with family members. This history will help them understand your goals and allow them to appreciate the beauty of the place. Make sure to include plenty of photographs of the property and your family enjoying it.

Guidelines and assistance to private forest owners and their professional advisors on the application of estate planning techniques to forest properties.