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CAPITAL IDEAS -- LIVE!
April 2003 News Conference for Forest Owners
Sponsored by Alabama Forest Owners' Association, Inc.
Conference was recorded Wednesday, April 23, 2003.
SCROLL DOWN FOR CONFERENCE GUEST INFORMATION
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Hayes D. Brown
starting time: (00:00) |
Moderator
Hayes D. Brown, attorney and forest owner, will moderate this
news conference. Hayes' email address is
hbrown@hayesbrown.com.
Click Here to View & Hear Prior News Conferences.
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Dr. Jim Cathcart
(00:36) |
Carbon Offset Markets:
Fiction or Fact?
Jim Cathcart
is a forester with the
Oregon Department of
Forestry who has developed a web page,
Forestry & Wood Products -- Carbon Storage, that will help
us learn more about the global carbon market.
We all know that air pollution regulations have, for many years, required
power companies to clean pollutants from their smokestacks, and most of
us realize that U.S. companies aren't the only ones doing that.
Scrubbing pollutants from a smokestack, using cleaner burning fuels, and
encouraging conservation measures by electric power users all help keep
the air clean. It is now believed by many people and many governments
(especially in Europe) that carbon dioxide (a by-product of
burning coal and other fuels to produce electricity) causes global
warming. Many of those governments have begun to require their power
companies to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they send into the
atmosphere. Another option to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere is to grow trees and store the carbon in the wood and the
forest soil. That method is developing into a carbon offset market
which may prove profitable for owners of forest and farmland.
For more on how Oregon views carbon credits and sustainability, click
here.
phone: (503) 945-7380
email:
jcathcart@odf.state.or.us
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Dr. Phil G. Combs, PE
(05.07) |
Selling the Carbon on Your Land
Phil Combs is
a forest owner in Mississippi and a partner in
American EnviroTech, LLC, a firm formed to assist landowners with
environmental assets of their land, particularly pursuing the sale of
carbon sequestration credits. "Land that was cleared prior to 1990 and
then reforested will most likely qualify for carbon sequestration
credits. Both U.S. and international companies are currently purchasing
these credits from landowners and there is the potential for the
landowners to be paid approximately $400.00 per acre for these credits
if the landowner will pledge (through an easement) to keep the land in
forests for 70 years (Timber management is allowed and actually
encouraged, but the land can not be clear-cut for that period)."
Source: American EnviroTech press release.
Got Gas? Forbes, March 2003
Questions? Ask them on
Carbon Net, a national discussion group focusing on the Carbon
Cycle, Global Warming, Sequestering Carbon and Mitigation Banking of
Carbon Credits.
The website is:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Carbon_Net/
Post messages:
Carbon_Net@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe:
Carbon_Net-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe:
Carbon_Net-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
The following are a few
sites that will give some background information on carbon
sequestration:
phone: (601) 260-2778
email: philcombs@avon.net
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Boyd Kelly
(09:51) |
Alabama Legislative Report
Boyd Kelly is
Governmental Affairs Director of the
Alabama Forestry
Association, a 3,000 member trade association headquartered in
Montgomery, Alabama. Two bills that should be of interest to forest
owners are the
Family Farm Preservation Act (HB 420) and a bill (SB 164 & HB 144)
that would require one member of the Alabama Environmental Commission
to have a forestry or agriculture background. However, Tax Reform
may be more on your mind (and the minds of the legislators) than
protecting yourself from nuisance ordinances or poorly planned
environmental regulations. Boyd stated to AFOA: "If tax increases
are inevitable,
my organization will work to ensure forest owners are not singled out.
Any increase in property taxes on forestland must meet three criteria.
Current-use valuation must be maintained; there will be no
discrimination based on who owns the land or the amount of acreage
involved; and, forestland must remain in the same classification as
homes." Boyd sends AFA members a Forestry Legislative Report when
the legislature is in session.
Click here to read a recent issue.
Use
ALISON to find current status of legislation.
To Contact State Lawmakers:
Governor Bob Riley, State
Capitol, Montgomery, AL 36130
Governor's email:
constituentsvcs@governor.state.al
Governor's phone: (334) 242-7100
phone: (334) 265-8733
email: bkelly@alaforestry.org
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Dr. William C. Siegel
(13:31) |
Expensing Tree Planting Costs:
Reforestation Tax Act & Passive Loss Rules
Bill Siegel
is Chairman of the Board of the
Forest Landowners Tax
Council, a non-profit group that represents private forest
owners on tax issues in Washington, DC. In March, Rep. Jennifer Dunn
(R-WA) introduced the the Reforestation Tax Act (HR 1310). This bill
would reduce the tax paid on timber income for individuals and
corporations by 3 percent each year that timber is held, up to a maximum
reduction of 50 percent and would eliminate the current $10,000 cap on
reforestation expenses to be amortized over seven years and allow
all reforestation costs to be expensed in the year they are incurred.
Unfortunately, even if the bill passes, the
passive
loss rules, as now written, would make it difficult, at
best, for most of us to be able to write off our planting expenses
in the year of planting. Dr. Siegel is working to rewrite those
rules.
Read the Bill ( type
in HR 1310 )
Reforestation Tax Credit
Passive
Loss Rules
phone: (504) 914-1868
(phone number updated 02/28/13)
email: wcsieg@aol.com
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Ernest G. Lovett
(17:08) |
Alternatives to Clear-cut and Plant
Ernest Lovett
is the Management Forester on the
Crossett Experimental Forest. His goal is "to develop and
evaluate low-cost silvicultural techniques and management alternatives
suitable for natural stands on private, non-industrial timberlands in
the mid-South." Established in 1934, the Crossett Experimental
Forest has a long history of conducting research of interest and value
to small private forest owners. Be sure to spend some time on the Forest
website. Read
The Crossett Story if you have time.
A Crossett Forestry Field Day is planned for May 13, 2003 and we
expect one or two forest owners from Alabama will attend. We have heard
that next year a bus will be chartered to carry forest owners and
foresters from Alabama to the field day. (Write to Dr. Mark Dubois,
if interested:
dubois@forestry.auburn.edu.)
phone: (870) 364-8730x14
email: elovett@fs.fed.us
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James P. Jeter
(20:32) |
A
Written Forest Management Plan
Jim Jeter is
Regional Management Specialist, NW Region, for the
Alabama
Forestry Commission. We asked Jim to respond to a letter AFOA
recently received from a south Alabama landowner. We wondered if this
landowner really needs a formal management plan or would a few action
items in a short letter from his forester be easier to understand and
more likely to be carried out? Jim points out some good reasons why a
documented plan might be a real asset to many forest owners. On the
other hand, we discussed this letter with one consulting forester who
advises his clients to not allow any information about their
private lands (timber values & volumes) to be included in any public
documents, such as a public agency written plan, because the IRS had
used data from such a plan against one of his clients. The landowner's
letter follows:
" I need some information about Forestry
Management Plans. My family owns 200 acres of timber land in south
Alabama which we are planning to clear cut in the near future. I have
received proposals from several timber management consultants as well as
information from the State Forestry Commission about Timber Management
Plans. In fact, SFC is preparing a plan for us right now (at no charge).
Several of the private consultants have offered to develop a plan for
me, ranging from 'no charge' to as much as $17 per acre.
"Do you know of any available literature or other
sources of information that will provide me some guidance on what a good
timber management plan should include and how to assess the value of a
plan, i.e., how do I determine if I'm getting what I pay for?
"This is my first involvement in timber harvest and
reforestation, so I'm really struggling to evaluate all the advice I'm
receiving and finding credible information about what I need to do. So,
any assistance you can provide will be greatly appreciated."
Developing a Plan to Care for Your Forest
phone: (205) 339-0929
email:
jeterj@forestry.state.al.us
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Drew S. Mendoza
(24:12) |
Making Sibling Teams Work: The Next Generation
Drew Mendoza
is the managing principal of
The Family
Business Consulting Group, Inc. He has co-authored a book that
will be of interest to many forest owners: Making Sibling Teams
Work: The Next Generation. Topics include:
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how parents can improve the odds of next generation success
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how in-laws can prepare themselves for their roles and play them
effectively
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how brothers and sisters can ensure successful working relationships
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how to develop the infrastructure of governance, policies, and procedures
that optimize planning, decision making and accountability
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how to assure that Mom and Dad won't divide the sibling team
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how to nurture positive personal relationships among siblings and their
spouses
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how to develop and articulate the sibling team's values and goals
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how to prepare for the coming cousins' generation
To order the book, click here. $18.95
The Family Business Consulting
Group also produces audio conferences, such as Family
Meetings: How to Bring Your Family Closer and Make Your Business
Stronger. Future conferences will be posted in AFOA's
Calendar of Events, both in the newsletter and
on the web.
phone: (773) 604-5005
email:
mendoza@efamilybusiness.com
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Professor Thomas Harris
(27:20) |
Stumpage Market Report
Tom Harris is publisher of
Timber
Mart-South and has been a guest on Capital Ideas - Live!
several times in the past. Timber Mart-South is a forest products
price service available to subscribers and is quoted regularly in AFOA's
monthly newsletter. From the recent 1st Quarter 2003 TMS Market
Newsletter: "South-wide average pulpwood stumpage prices surged
upward this quarter. Hardwood pulpwood was in high demand in almost
every market and average pine pulpwood stumpage also rose.
 Reporters
attributed higher prices to widespread poor logging conditions
due to heavy rainfall. Sunny weather
towards the end of March reportedly brought an increase in log
availability and one reporter said, 'The sun came out and it began to
rain logs.' "
A couple of recent news
headlines:
phone: (706) 542-2832
email:
harris@smokey.forestry.uga.edu
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Issues and Topics AFOA is
following.
To suggest an issue or a
topic for a future news conference,
please send an email note to AFOA by clicking here. |
- National or Federal Issues
-
EPA Proposed Water Quality Trading
- Energy Bill
- CCA Treated Southern Pine Lumber
- TMDLs
- EPA Basin Projects
- CARA
- Forest Certification
- 2002 Farm Bill
- Energy Crisis & Federal Eminent
Domain
- Red Hills Salamander
- Constitutional Revision/Tax Reform
- County Zoning
- Right to Farm & Practice Forestry
- Illegal Dumping
- Delaney Family Current-Use Case
- JeffCo Storm Water Management
Program
- Current Use Tax Assessment Rates
- Local Harvesting Restrictions &
Road Weight Limits
- Bridge Repairs & the Alabama Trust
Fund
- Dog Hunting & Hunter Trespass
- Seasonal Forest and Wildlife
Management Tips
- Southern Pine Beetle: Salvage &
Prevention
- Forest Fertilization
- Intensive Forest Management
- Long Rotation Management & Natural
Regeneration
- Palm Pilots & Forest Records
- Useful Computer Software
- Industry Consolidation & Timber
Markets
- Stumpage & Forest Product Markets
- Forestland For Sale
- Wood Buying Policies During SPB
Epidemic
- Alabama's Pine Straw Wholesale
Market
- Minerals, Gas & Oil Activity
- Recreational Businesses for Forest
Owners
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