FOREST TAXATION IN THE UNITED STATES 451 
are that the classification was somewhat faulty owing to inadequate 
provision for expert assistance in making it, and that the method dis- 
regards the interest on expenses incurred in advance of income and 
thus penalizes all forests, especially those which are managed on a 
long rotation for large timber, in comparison with types of culture 
which yield annual income. As many of the privately owned forests 
are too smali to handle on an annual sustained-yield basis, this method 
of valuation is especially burdensome to the owners of small tracts of 
woodland used for growing saw timber. 
It is expected that steps will be taken in the valuation now under 
way to meet the above objections. Provis on has been made (241) for 
. advisory commissions in each department, these commissions to 
include forest owners designated by the local chamber of commerce. 
So far the operation of these commissions is not regarded as entirely 
‘atisfactory, partly because of a tendency of the commissions to g ve 
perfunctory approval to the work of the finance administration (244, 
p. 476). An effort is being made to bring about more effective coop- 
eration between the finance officers and the forest owners. So far 
(1933) the valuation work has not gone beyond the point of bringing 
up to date the cadastral maps and classifying the lands. Schedules 
of rental values have not yet been set up. The associations of forest 
owners are pressing for recognition of the periodic character of the 
income from a given parce! of /orest land and the calcu ation of the 
annual income by a method which takes account of compound interest 
on expenses incurred in advance of income. The tax administration 
(administration des contributions directes) has promised to submit a 
bill providing for this method of valuation for the approval of the 
parliament (244, p. 447). 
Certain exemptions are allowed from the land tax in favor of 
reforestation. If a new forest is established by planting or sowing 
on land which has been cleared, an exemption of three-fourths of 
the tax is allowed for the first 30 years. If the forest is established 
in certain specified situations where the public interest in forestry 
is greatest, as on mountain summits or upper slopes or on sand 
dunes, complete exemption is al owed for the first 30 years. These 
exemptions have been nterpreted by the finance ministry to apply 
only to forests established on land which has been cleared and not 
to forests which have been replanted pursuant to the normal regen- 
eration procedure. However, in a recent case (1930) the owner 
has obtained on appeal a court judgment a owing him the exemp- 
tion in the case of replanting with resinous trees after clear cutting, 
but in this case the land had remained idle for severa. years before 
the replant ng was undertaken (239, p. 198). 
Exemption from the land tax is also allowed in respect to prop- 
erty which has been reseeded or replanted to trees after a forest 
fire (art. 9 of the aw of Mar. 26, 1924). The period of the exemp- 
tion is equal to the age of the stand which was burned, except that 
it must not exceed 20 years. This exemption does not apply to a 
forest property which has restocked naturally after a fire, but in 
that case the loss of income on account of the fire may be allowed 
for by remission of the tax pertaining to the burned timber (art. 37 
of the law of Sept. 15, 1807) (238, p. 685). 
