Free: Contests & Raffles.
On November 1968 the people of Washington State voted overwhelming (68%) to tax agricultural, timberlands, and other open spaces for actual use. The concern was the loss of green space to development and therefore the loss of recreation value of these lands. If you do your research and look at the advertisements, newspaper articles, and voter’s pamphlet they all claim public recreation value is a premise for the reduction in taxes. I have attached a few. This is not about government telling them what to do with their lands. This is about increasing profits at the expense of the public. Many of these landowners have closed their mills or the lands have been purchased for their long term income value. Basically this is where the money is at and they are making money. Now they are ignoring state law. If you have a problem with them charging for access then call your county and state elected officials they are the ones who are supposed to enforce the state law.If someone will explain how to insert an image I will add a few of newspaper advertisements I have located.
Around here you see coyotes and badgers digging in the road
With government budgets getting smaller and smaller any kind of unscheduled maintenance is expensive. Is it a real problem no? It's a couple of new potholes in the road that will probably get filled in the next time the grader comes around (if the county decides the road needs graded this year) I do know that on the west side a beaver can make a real mess.
With all due respect, most people who don't own timberland do not understand. Forestland is just taxed differently, not necessarily at a lower rate. Instead of paying more in property tax every year, that cost is offset until timber is harvested. At that point, timber excise tax is collected on the value of the timber harvested."What is Forest (Timber) Tax?In 1971, state law excluded timber from property taxation. In place of a property tax on trees, timber owners pay a 5 percent excise tax on the stumpage value of their timber when it is harvested. In 1982, the Forest Tax was extended to timber harvested from State and Federal land, in addition to private land." (you can see this text for yourself at: http://dor.wa.gov/content/FindTaxesAndRates/OtherTaxes/Timber/default.aspx)This is the same reason why an individual with 30 acres in timberland isn't required to allow the public on their property. The lower tax rate has absolutely nothing to do with providing recreational access and everything to do with paying high property tax for 30-40 years without revenue while the timber is growing.Don't forget also that businesses in Washington pay income tax on earnings and those earnings for a timber company come 30-40 years after they spent the initial investment to re-plant and manage the property for an entire rotation.I'd hate to see the economy in Washington without the revenue and jobs created by timber companies and the forest products industry.
I know about damage caused by some animals (bear, elk, etc.) I was specifically asking about damage to ROADS based on the portion of Humptulips post "Wildlife does a lot of damage to the trees and the roads."You are probably right about the requirements of timber companies to replant and that basically proves my point. They pay less in taxes to offset the COST of making sure the trees are replanted and the forest is managed not only for their pocket books but for the benefit of the wildlife. I'm telling you if you take away the tax break you would see more and more land just sold off and lost to development than we already have. If you think our game populations suck now, you would not like to see what would happen then. Also, do you think that a guy like Bearpaw with his 30 acres should have to allow you to hunt his land too since his 30 acres of timberland is taxed at a lower rate. Like he said, if he didn't get the break, he would have to sell it off for development purposes and that land would be lost forever for our game animals. Timber companies and private property owners of timber land that are getting a tax break are already providing a benefit to the citizens of the state by keeping their land undeveloped so that animals have places to hide, eat, breed, sleep, and raise their young.
I want to interject some basic numbers 31k acres for $225 and 175 permitts equils $39,375 in raised funds15k acres up for bid and 30 permitts lets say they go for $1k ea = $30kThis is an estimate, but we are looking a roughly $70k a year raised... What does that buy, from the timber companys perspective? That pays the wage and fuel for one employee to Gaurd the property. The gaurd keeps trash down, tresspassers off, and stuff from being stolen... Maybe Logger or someone else can verifie this but how many loads of loggs need to be stolen to = $70k? 4-5 loads maybe? My Brother is a Mechanic for a loggin co and has run into Armed timber security keeping an eye on things behind locked gaits...I don't think a timber company is trying to get rich by selling access, but likely tying to off set the cost of policing the area... I don't like it anymore than anyone else, but there is a saying... You get what you pay for... Like someone said it doesn't take long to burn up $225 in fuel to travel far away for a hunting spot, especially if you combine that with the ability to cut firewood.
It is a slippery slope but there is little we can do about it. I know i will choose a quaility hunting experience for more $ over free hunting with a bad experience..There is a saying in Sales... The Bitterness of poor service lasts much longer than the sweetnes of a low price!No trash, less thugs in the woods, less pressure, sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
RCW 84.33.010Legislative findings. As a result of the study and analysis of systems of taxation of standing timber and forest lands by the forest tax committee pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 30 of the 41st session of the legislature, and the recommendations of the committee based thereon, the legislature hereby finds that: (1) The public welfare requires that this state's system for taxation of timber and forest lands be modernized to assure the citizens of this state and its future generations the advantages to be derived from the continuous production of timber and forest products from the significant area of privately owned forests in this state. It is this state's policy to encourage forestry and restocking and reforesting of such forests so that present and future generations will enjoy the benefits which forest areas provide in enhancing water supply, in minimizing soil erosion, storm and flood damage to persons or property, in providing a habitat for wild game, in providing scenic and recreational spaces, in maintaining land areas whose forests contribute to the natural ecological equilibrium, and in providing employment and profits to its citizens and raw materials for products needed by everyone.THE ABOVE ARE THE PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT THE LEGISLATURE FOUND JUSTIFY THE SIGNIFICANT TAX BREAK OUTLINED IN WA. STATE LAW. If the "recreational spaces" talked about above were meant "pay for play" how is this benefitting the public?? And even if it isn't laid out precisely that they are getting a tax break partly for providing recreation, this is something that can be changed by the people with a tweek to this law. Remeber, the people are ultimately in charge.
