50 STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY 



trees do not add to the assessed value of the property, and that the 

 forest meets with the other requirements of the law. This may in- 

 clude land fully stocked with trees under 10 years of age, but contain- 

 ing also scattered older trees, or lands partially stocked with trees 

 under 10 years of age when planted with a sufficient number of 

 additional trees to bring the forest to the standard set by the law, or 

 open land planted with trees to meet the standard of the law. Such 

 forests, when accepted and classified, shall be taxed by the following 

 method : 



The land shall be assessed by the local assessors at its value as 

 bare land, no account being taken of the value of the trees. This 

 assessment shall be repeated at intervals of 20 years until the pre- 

 vailing age of the trees reaches 70 years. Upon the value thus de- 

 termined the land shall be taxed annually at a rate equal to one-half 

 of the rate of the general property tax of the locality, but in no case 

 to exceed 5 mills. This limit of 5 mills is chosen on the assumption 

 that 10 mills is probably slightly in excess of the average rate of the 

 general property tax upon true value throughout the United States. 

 In any State where it appeared that the prevailing rate of the general 

 property tax was appreciably higher or lower than 10 mills this rate 

 might be correspondingly changed. This explanation applies equally 

 to the limit of 10 mills proposed below for the tax upon forests over 

 70 years of age and upon "established forests." 



Whenever any timber is cut or other forest product taken from the 

 land a yield tax of 10 per cent, of the stumpage value of the timber 

 cut or the actual value of other forest products shall be paid to the 

 State, Forest products cut for domestic use, which shall be limited 

 to fuel and the construction of fences, buildings, and other improve- 

 ments upon the property of the owner, or of a tenant with the per- 

 mission of the owner upon property subject to taxation in the same 

 town as the timber land, shall be exempt from taxation. 



Whenever trees are cut before reaching the age of 70 years, and 

 provision is made for planting new trees or otherwise perpetuating 

 the forest according to the standard fixed by law and to the satis- 

 faction of the State Forester, the land may continue separately classi- 



