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What is Managed Forest Land?

	See the BC Assessment website for more information on the valuation and taxation of managed forest land.   Factsheet: Managed Forest Information for Real Estate Agents and Purchasers (.pdf)   Presentation to the Union of BC Municipalities September 2007 Historical context Management Objectives on private managed forest land Private managed forest land vs crown land forestry requirements Overview of September 2007 regulation changes Open the PowerPoint presentation

Managed Forest Classification

Managed Forest is a BC Assessment property classification (class 7) established in 1988 to encourage private landowners to manage their lands for long-term forest production.

Eligibility & Requirements

• A minimum of 25 hectares is required. The property may consist of more than one parcel provided the parcels are contiguous. If the land is 50 hectares or less, at least 70% of the land must be productive. If the land is more than 50 hectares, at least 50% of the land must be productive.
• A signed Management Commitment filed with the Council that signifies the owner’s commitment to use the property for production and harvesting of timber and associated forest management activities.

Obligations

• Annual administration fee paid to the Council. The fee is determined each year by Council and is based on a rate per $1000 of bareland assessed value, plus $100. The 2010 rate was $0.435/$1000.
• Annual declaration form that highlights forest management activities completed during the year, including harvesting, destroyed timber, road construction, and reforestation.
• Comply with the Private Managed Forest Land Act and regulations, including protection of key environmental values.
• Notify council within 24 hours of becoming aware that a landslide or debris flow has occurred and has deposited debris into a stream on the owner's land. Environmental Incident Form
• Pay an exit fee if the property is withdrawn from the Managed Forest land class within 15 years. The fee is based on the differences in taxes between the next highest property class, with a discount related to the number of years classed as Managed Forest. Exemptions apply in certain circumstances, such as the expropriation or donation of land for public purposes.
• Provide a Notice of Sale if the property is sold, that notifies the Council that the property has been sold and provides contact information for the new owner.

Benefits

• Property assessed values are generally lower than for other classes such as residential
• Owners are assured the right to harvest trees, unrestricted by local government bylaws
• Assessments are reasonably stable through years of no harvesting, and increased assessments apply only following a year in which harvesting occurs