The Tree Growth Tax is a municipal tax on the productivity of the land to grow timber, rather than the fair market value. You need to have at least 10 acres of forest land used primarily to grow trees for commercial use. There needs to be unanimous consent of all owners of the land. The value of recreational leases cannot be greater than the tree growth value for parcels greater than 100 acres. Filing needs to occur before April 1st to receive this tax treatment for the current year.
Separate parcels require separate applications.
Separate applications are also necessary for each part of a parcel in a different municipality to the municipality the part is in. Each application needs to include a forest management plan prepared by or reviewed and certified by a licensed professional forester and a forest type map of the parcel. The management plan is a written document recommending and scheduling activities to regenerate, improve, and harvest timber. Also every 10 years, a new forest management plan needs to be submitted to stay in Tree Growth. An owner may need to refile the application, upon request of the state.