What's happening
This bill increases the maximum farm woodland acreage eligible for agricultural assessment from fifty to one hundred acres.
Why it matters
Expanding eligibility for agricultural assessment to up to 100 acres of farm woodland could boost financial incentives for landowners. , potentially encouraging the preservation and sustainable management of larger wooded areas as part of agricultural operations.
This change may help farmers diversify their land use and income sources. , as more woodland can be managed for timber, maple syrup, agroforestry, or recreational purposes without losing tax benefits.
Increasing the cap could support environmental benefits such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and erosion control. , since larger tracts of woodland within farms can provide critical habitat and ecosystem services.
The measure may also impact local tax revenues and rural economies. , as more land becomes eligible for reduced agricultural assessment rates, possibly shifting the property tax burden and influencing land use patterns.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Double Farm Woodland Limit
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2085
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 22, 2019
Introduced by Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to increasing the acreage of farm woodland which qualifies as land used in agricultural production for agricultural assessment purposes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph d of subdivision 4 of section 301 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by chapter 445 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
d. Farm woodland which is part of land which is qualified for an agricultural assessment, provided, however, that such farm woodland attributable to any separately described and assessed parcel shall not exceed [fifty] one hundred acres.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05114-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to increasing the acreage of farm woodland which qualifies as land used in agricultural production for agricultural assessment purposes
Purpose
This legislation would double the amount of woodlands eligible for an agricultural assessment.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends paragraph (d) of subdivision 4 of section 301 of the agricultural and markets law to change the maximum acreage for agricul- tural assessment of farm woodlands from fifty (50) acres to one hundred (100) acres.
Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Many farms have woodlands on their property which exceed fifty acres, but some only barely exceed that amount, causing local assessors to divide a single woodlot into two separate parcels so that one may be assessed at the "highest and best use" while the other receives an assessment based upon its agricultural value. In many instances, the former is only a few small acres of land. As we continue farm preserva- tion efforts, this legislation would allow farmers, particularly in areas of the state with greater development pressure, to remain stewards of their land for generations to come.
Prior legislative history
2018: S.4535 Passed Referred to Agriculture 2017: 5.4535 Passed Senate 2016: S.6613 Passed Senate 2015: S.1916 Passed Senate 2013,2014: S.4331 Passed Senate 2011,2012: S.847-A/A.6212-A Passed Senate 2009,2010: S.2474/A.5955 Referred to Agriculture 2007,2008: S.4453/A.6523 Passed Senate
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.