Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA) News: If you live in Indiana and own more than ten acres of woodlands, then you may want to enroll in the Classified Forest and Wildlands Program offered through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Forestry. This program encourages timber production, watershed protection, and wildlife habitat management on private lands in Indiana. Program landowners receive a property tax reduction in return for following a professionally written management plan. In addition to the tax incentive, landowners receive free technical assistance from DNR foresters and wildlife biologists, priority for cost-share to offset the cost of doing management, and the ability to “green” certify their forests. The minimum requirement for program enrollment is 10 acres of forest, wetland, shrubland, and/or grassland.
“Once enrolled in our program, you get a reduced property tax assessment,” says Gretchen Herbaugh, District Forester with Indiana DNR serving southwestern Indiana.
“Property can be anything from forest ground to native grasses to pollinator habitats to wildlife food plots—we span a large range of habitat types and management styles,” Herbaugh says.
For full IFWOA article view: Indiana DNR Offers a Special Program for Woodland Owners.
To learn more about the program with more resources view the Hoosier Ag Today article, Indiana DNR Offering a Special Program for Woodland Owners.
Resources:
Subscribe, IFWOA YouTube Channel (includes The Nature of Oaks, Be Tick Aware, Population Ecology of Deer and more)
Find an Indiana Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist
District Foresters for 10 plus acres, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Financial and Tax Aspects of Tree Planting
Diana Evans, Extension and Web Communication Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Liz Jackson, Engagement Lead
Indiana Forestry & Woodland Association (IFWOA)