"These values should be considered as aver- 

 age for the state as a whole and local assessors 

 may use higher or lower values depending 

 upon local circumstances. 



"If assessors do deviate from these values, 

 it is stressed that the relationship among the 

 various categories be maintained. 



"This schedule was prepared cooperatively 

 by the University of Connecticut, Connecticut 

 Association of Assessors, Connecticut Farm 

 Bureau Association, and many other groups 

 and individuals." 



Issued by Agricultural Center, Haddam, 

 Conn. Sept. 18, 1963. 



FLORIDA 



In 1963 legislation was adopted (Chap. 63- 

 245 Laws of 1963) that included forestry opera- 

 tions within the definition of "agricultural pur- 

 poses" for lands qualifying for assessment as 

 agricultural lands. Under earlier legislation 

 (Chap. 57-195 Laws of 1957) agricultural 

 lands are to be assessed upon an acreage basis 

 regardless of location within a plat, subdivi- 

 sion, or other real estate development. Florida 

 thus falls within the group of States providing 

 for assessment of forest lands at their "present 

 use" value. 



To facilitate the assessment of forest lands 

 at values that reflect their earning' capacity, 

 a timber section has been added to the Real 

 Estate Guide for assessing officers. The mate- 

 rial that follows is taken from the Guide. 1 



SECTION 3.7-WOODLAND 



3.7-1 Valuation Basis. 



(A) This section describes a procedure for 

 the appraisal of woodland on the basis of aver- 

 age annual growth from seedling to mature 

 timber. Actually, this is a modified "sustained 

 yield" method in that the annual increment 

 of value represented by growth is recognized, 

 rather than a "liquidation" value. The growth 

 increment is converted into a dollar value. 

 All expenditures including but not limited to 

 management and protection are deducted and 

 the resulting annual net income is capitalized 

 in the same manner as that described for other 

 agricultural lands. 



(B) The pine tree is treated as the primary 

 woodland crop because the trend in timber cut 

 from 1935 to 1960 shows pine to be rising, 

 while cuttings of hardwoods and cypress are 

 declining. A pertinent factor in this trend ap- 



1 Real Estate Guide for Assessors, Office of Comptrol- 

 ler, Jacksonville (in course of publication). 



pears to be the suitability of pine for pulp- 

 wood. During the past 25 years a shift from 

 a lumber to a pulpwood economy has taken 

 place. Pulpwood represented 6% of timber 

 used in 1935, but by 1958 it had risen to 62% ; 

 however in areas where hardwood trees of com- 

 mercial value predominate, values per acre as 

 indicated in Section 3.7-7 may be used. 



(C) The definition of woodland or forest land 

 is as follows : 



Land which is stocked with trees of com- 

 mercial or non-commercial species and is (1) 

 producing or physically capable of producing 

 usable crops of wood, (2) economically acces- 

 sible now or in the foreseeable future, and (3) 

 not withdrawn from wood products utilization 

 for use as parks, orchards, pastures or other 

 purposes. 



This definition includes land from which the 

 timber has been removed, but which has not 

 been developed for other purposes. It excludes 

 homesites or building aeras which are occu- 

 pied by trees for ornamental purposes. 



(D) In addition to the value of the wood, 

 the values of naval stores and range pasture 

 usage are to be considered. These values are to 

 be added where applicable. 



(E) Because of marked differences in drain- 

 age, soils, and ground cover, the state of 

 Florida has been divided into four (4) areas. 

 The boundaries of these areas are the same 

 as those recognized by the United States For- 

 est Service in conducting official forest inven- 

 tories, Exhibit No. 31 and No. 31a. 



3.7-2 Indicated Value Per Acre. 



(A) Exhibit No. 32 shows the indicated 

 value per acre of slash and longleaf pine wood- 

 land on the basis of capitalization of net annual 

 income represented by growth. Values per acre 

 where loblolly and sand pine species predomi- 

 nate are values related to slash pine. The as- 

 sessor's only task in the use of this table of 



18 



