Estate Planning for Forestland Owners

More than sixty percent of current forestland owners are 55 or older, and without proper estate planning, many of these forests will be severely disrupted. To prevent this, the first step for forestland owners is to schedule a family meeting. After discussion about the family legacy starts, consider all of the following options: 

• Do Nothing
• Will
• Family Partnership
• Limited Liability Company
• Sell or Give the Forest to Heirs Before Death
• Conservation Easement
• Land Trust
• Public Landholders

These are just some of the options available to forest landowners for estate planning. Owners typically combine and customize these options to achieve their unique goals.

For more information, including details on each of these options, see Estate Planning Options for Family Forests, Northeastern Area.

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this to my attention.