ZANESVILLE, Ohio – After more than ten years of advocating for accurate woodland inputs in the CAUV formula, the Ohio Department of Taxation has accepted the Ohio Forestry Association’s (OFA) data regarding land clearing costs and updated those inputs in the formula.
“This is wonderful news for Ohio’s woodland owners and forest products industry,” said OFA executive director Jenna Reese. “With 86% of forests privately owned in Ohio, forest health and the industry depend on the woodland management decisions of landowners enrolled in CAUV.”
Prior to today’s updates, the artificially low land clearing costs in the CAUV formula were a deterrent to landowners maintaining their woodland parcels. Many have had to clear woodlands for cropland due to values that are much higher in the formula than they are in reality. Accurate conversion inputs like land clearing and drainage costs are critical for landowners enrolled in CAUV who previously faced significant tax barriers to maintaining their woodlands.
“For years Farm Bureau has advocated that these numbers be updated based on the real-world data from the Ohio Forestry Association,” said Leah Curtis, policy counsel and senior director of member engagement for Ohio Farm Bureau. “We are glad to see the Tax Department take this step and will continue to work with OFA to ensure accuracy for woodland values.”
Ted Finnarn, who has represented the Ohio Farmers Union on the CAUV Ag Advisory Committee for over 48 years, said “I, as a long-time member of the Ag Advisory Committee, support the CAUV values that were presented at the public hearing today, especially with the adjustment for woodland values concerning updating the costs of clearing and drainage. Much praise to the Ohio Forestry Association, for bringing this information to the attention of the Advisory Committee and the Ohio Tax Department.”
The values released today by the Ohio Department of Taxation will be finalized at the end of the month after a comment period.
The Ohio Forestry Association is a 501(c)(6) that supports the management of Ohio’s forest resources and the strengthening of member business opportunities in the forest products industry and related enterprises. Learn more at ohioforest.org.
