Managed Timberland

West Virginia’s Managed Timberland program has allowed responsible stewards of forestlands an appropriate tax incentive to continue managing their properties. Preserving this great natural resource can be costly to owners. In exchange for working with a certified forester to engage in active forest management, which can include harvesting, removal of biomass and ensuring the healthy growth of new trees, forest owners receive a reduced property tax rate. Without this tax incentive, many forest owners, particularly small and medium sized forests owned by families and farming operations, would be unable to keep these properties in their families as they have been for many generations. There are also inherent costs in the upkeep of these forests, and this critical tax incentive helps offset that cost, freeing up capital for other necessary expenditures.