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Hayes D. Brown

starting time: (00:00)
Comment

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.

Thomas J. Saunders

(00:33)
Hear Conference

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Tom Saunders is the General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs for the Alabama Forestry Association (AFA). He has been very busy for the past three months as he has nudged and coaxed legislators to move legislation of interest to the forest industry through the State House in Montgomery. Every few days we get an email from Tom briefly describing the status of bills he is following and/or nurturing. The following is an example of a recent email (attachments not included):

Attached is the legislative update reflecting the week’s activity as of close of business Thursday, May 10th, the 29th legislative day. The next meeting day is Wednesday, May 16th, which will be the last legislative day. We anticipate a special session being called that will be held beginning Thursday, May 16th to address redistricting for the legislative districts. We will be providing a comprehensive analysis of the entire legislation in the near future.

• County Notice Bill (SB409) Has become law.
• Unemployment Fund Bill (SB300) Has become law.
• Trucking Indemnification Bill (HB339) Compromise bill has become law.
• Trespass Bill (SB342) Has become law.
• Bridge Bond Bill (SB339) Dead for this session. Negotiations with the Governor appear to be fruitful and more on this will be forthcoming soon.
• Incentives Bill (HB159/HB160) No action this past week.
• Immigration Changes Bill (HB658) Awaits action on Senate floor.

Best regards,
Tom

It's a great service. But we really asked Tom to join us today to tell us about a bill that became law - The Logging Notification Bill. "SB409 (Act#2012-257) is legislation aimed at creating a consistent and uniform manner for notice of pending logging activity to be given to counties. Over the last several years, AFA’s members have had to deal with newly created 'logging ordinances' that have been cropping up in numerous jurisdictions around the state."

Phone: (334) 481-2126
Email: tsaunders@alaforestry.org

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L. Reed Watson, Jr.

(04:31)
Hear Conference

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Reed Watson is a Research Fellow and the Director of Applied Programs at Property & Environmental Research Center. Watson's expertise lies in developing and promoting market-based solutions to natural resource conflicts, particularly for water and wildlife. Reed caught our attention when we read his article, Unintended Consequences: How Sustainability Certification and Renewable Biomass Mandates Threaten Nonindustrial Private Forests, Forest Landowner magazine, March/April 2012. We have long been skeptical of sustainable forest management certification schemes, especially those that were forced on retailers by extortionist tactics of various save-the-rainforest groups. Consistently lacking in all these schemes is consumer driven demand.

Phone: (406) 587-9591
Email: reed@perc.org

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Matthew D. Ross

(07:58)
Hear Conference

Comment

Matt Ross is a certified wildlife biologist and a licensed forester and is the Certification Programs Manager for the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA). Matt wrote to AFOA about a month ago asking us to help him find professional land managers who might be interested in becoming inspectors for his new Land Certification Program (LCP). To learn more about the program we opened QDMA's Land Certification webpage and learned, "The LCP was developed to recognize the accomplishments of landowners and sportsmen implementing the four cornerstones of Quality Deer Management [herd management, habitat management, hunter management, herd monitoring] throughout North America, as well as those committed to ethics, conservation and biodiversity through land stewardship; and to encourage management practices on participating lands that will enhance deer and other wildlife species, habitat conditions, and hunting experiences by providing incentives, recommendations and/or assistance; and finally to inspire others to engage in sound wildlife management and conservation of our natural resources." The LCP Overview Brochure contains details. It wasn't long after receiving Matt's request for help, that our copy of the April-May 2012 issue of Quality Whitetails arrived in the mail with landowner Bruce Ingram's article entitled Certified Land Steward. Ingram described how the program “offered an exciting opportunity to become a better land manager,” and stated, “These signs will … be a visual reminder that wildlife habitat on a particular property is being enhanced.” While AFOA members who become certified under the LCP may be recognized and may encourage and inspire others, they might also enhance their hunting lease revenues. Just a thought.

Phone: (518) 280-3714
Email: mross@qdma.com

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Lamar Dewberry

(11:08)
Hear Conference

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Lamar Dewberry is a private forest landowner in Lineville, Alabama where he and his wife Felicia own Dewberry Lands, LLC and Mountains Streams Realty, Inc. Lamar and Felicia have put together a blog that's full of photos and captions of family, friends, visitors, mushrooms, and trees. Two captions under photos of grandkids may whet your appetite to visit Dewberry Lands blog.

James, Selah, and Eden were with us Thursday through Sunday and the highlight of our week was a picnic over at Bowden Grove at our park area. They played and played in the water, climbed trees, watched butterflies, caught caterpillars, and walked to the swamp. James did not want to leave. He said the next time he wanted to camp and stay all night. [photos of kids playing in woods and butterfly]

Can you tell this girl likes putting up tree stands on the property? She loved riding the gator for miles, picking up acorns, rocks, and leaves. She is learning so much about nature..... Don't say the word "outside" around her unless you are going outside. [photo of young girl enjoying a ride through the woods]

After you have traveled the Dewberry blog, you will know that Lamar enjoys observing the wide variety of wildflowers and other plants on their land. He recommends that you add to your personal library: Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian and Piedmont, by Timothy P. Spira.

Phone: (256) 396-2485
Email: ldewberry@centurytel.net

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Jim Sollecito

(14:19)
Hear Conference

Comment

Jim Sollecito is a Horticulturist/Nursery Owner, a Hunter, and recently a World Record Holder for setting 2 International Game Fish Association World Records for Chinook Salmon and Spanish Mackerel. But we asked Jim to join us today to tell us about the big one he caught on one of his game cameras. In his article, entitled Unhappy Trails, Quality Whitetails, April-May 2012, Jim wrote, "Imagine my surprise on August 8, 2011 as I viewed 158 photos taken on one of my cameras in the middle of my woods. First I saw some good bucks in velvet, and then a flock of turkey poults, a nice red fox, and then a black Chevrolet ¾-ton truck." After you read Unhappy Trails and look carefully at the photo of the truck, you may find yourself shopping for a game or trail camera.

Phone: (315) 468-1142
Email: jim@sollecito.com

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Roger Simons

(17:52)
Hear Conference

Comment

Roger Simons is the Founder of Advanced Technical Training Network, a "new 'service school' online that walks members step-by-step through preventative maintenance and small engine diagnostics." In an article in Farm Show, vol. 36 #2, Roger said, "We film professional mechanics who work on chainsaws and other small engine tools every day." "They will walk through a repair scenario on all the things likely to be repaired through the life cycle of a product." "Our goal is to show people who want to do their own maintenance or diagnostics how to do it. If repairs are needed, they may well decide to take it to the repair shop. However, now they'll understand the problem or its complexity and feel better about paying for the repair." Roger's background includes starting a technical training program for Stihl chainsaws in the U.S.

Phone: (704) 907-3097
Email: roger@advancedttn.com

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William C. Siegel

(19:58)
Hear Conference

Comment

Bill Siegel has degrees in forestry, economics and law, and is a forest landowner. He currently is in private practice as an attorney and forestry consultant, and is Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of the Forest Landowners Tax Council. He has both spoken and published widely on forestry taxation and estate planning. Bill was a featured speaker at a recent meeting of the Southeastern Society of American Foresters where he highlighted some of the tax law changes that will take place on January 1, 2013. Estate tax and gift tax changes could make it beneficial for you to consider gifting before the end of this year. The estate tax, now set at 35% of the estate value above $5 million is going to increase to 55% of the estate value above $1 million. It doesn't take much good timber on a few hundred acres to exceed $1 million. Bill also pointed out that the U.S. is the only country in the world that doesn't allow the immediate write-off of tree planting expenses. He encouraged the foresters to work to reform the passive loss rules and change income averaging laws that allow farmers and fishermen to smooth out and flatten roller coaster incomes, but exclude forest landowners. Today we asked Bill to tell us about the benefits of making a timber sale or gifting forestland in 2012 instead of waiting until next year.

Recommended reading:

• NoDeathTax.org
• National Timber Tax Website

Phone: (504) 914-1868 (phone number updated 02/28/13)
Email: wcsieg@aol.com

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Chris J. Williams

(23:11)
Hear Conference

Comment

Chris Williams is a Certified Public Accountant and Tax Manager for JamisonMoneyFarmer PC. He specializes in preparing and reviewing tax returns for businesses, individuals, estates, trusts, and non-profit organizations with a special focus on Timber, Oil, and Gas Taxes. You may have met Chris at AFOA's April Annual Meeting where he led a workshop on Record Keeping for Tax Purposes. We asked him to join us today to explain like-kind exchanges, AKA 1031 exchanges, AKA tax-free property exchanges. Whatever you might call them, 1031 exchanges allow you to sell a property, replace it with another, and put-off or defer payment of any income tax you might have owed on the gain if you had sold the property for cash. From the Information Sheet Like-Kind Exchanges: 1031 Exchange authored by Chris:

The Internal Revenue Code under §1031(a)(1) states: “No gain or loss shall be recognized on the exchange of property held for productive use in a trade or business or for investment if such property is exchanged solely for property of like-kind which is to be held either for productive use in a trade or business or for investment.”

Phone: (205) 366-4007
Email: cwilliams@jmf.com

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