Forest management plan (homes, to buy, construction)

[Dairinn]

Hello,
I’m currently trying to decide to buy acreage in northwest maine. The land is in a forest management plan currently.
My question is - does anyone know if I’m required to cut down any trees on my land if my forestry person thinks
It’s necessary for the health of the forest etc. I really don’t want to take down any trees and i was under the impression that I would be required to with one of these plans. Or is the goal to not develop the land ?

Thanks for any insight.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Dairinn

Hello,
I’m currently trying to decide to buy acreage in northwest maine. The land is in a forest management plan currently.
My question is - does anyone know if I’m required to cut down any trees on my land if my forestry person thinks
It’s necessary for the health of the forest etc. I really don’t want to take down any trees and i was under the impression that I would be required to with one of these plans. Or is the goal to not develop the land ?

Thanks for any insight.

I think that if you purchase that land, you would need to have your own management plan in order to continue the tax breaks. Submariner would know better than me. Contact a Forester, they would be able to tell you all about the rules.

[Maine Writer]

My husband is a forester as part of his career as the procurement manager for a pulp mill. He's sitting cross the table from me so I asked him.

Is it taxed as a tree growth property?

If it's under tree growth status (a tax break), the intent is to grow trees for a forest product. Over time you have to demonstrate that you're following the management plan to meet its objectives. You can take the land out of the plan and pay the full taxes if you choose.

If it's a simple management plan without tax benefits, you can likely do as you please. I have a forest management plan that benefits deer and ruffed grouse.

[Dairinn]

Thank you so much. I don’t know for certain what the end goal of the plan is. There is a huge tax break but I was told it was for not developing the land. It’s a massive amount of acreage and they don’t want it developed.

That said there is a trail where they can get in and harvest trees. I don’t want to
Do that. They aren’t giving me a copy of the plan. I’ll will look into it. Thanks for the info.

[Submariner]

Anytime the deed changes names the property will need to have a new Tree growth management plan drawn up. From that date there needs to be a new plan every ten years.

In theory, the landowner should discuss his/her future plans with the forester. If you desire the land to be used for timber production, or for wildlife habitat, or aesthetics, or Christmas trees, or firewood, whatever the landowner desires the land to be used for should be put into such a plan.

Keep in mind that once you pay for a plan to be written, that plan becomes your private property. It will never be given to the state, or anyone else.

It is just like a septic system design. Once your plan exists you will be given a letter that states the plan exists and it is that letter that is shared with the state. Not the plan itself.

[kellysmith]

Originally Posted by Submariner

It is just like a septic system design. Once your plan exists you will be given a letter that states the plan exists and it is that letter that is shared with the state. Not the plan itself.

It's off topic from what the OP asked, but that is not true about an approved application for a septic system design. Someone from the public can actually go to a municipal office and request to view your approved design. It's a public record that must be retained by the municipality. In unorganized townships, it would be retained by the state.

D. MUNICIPAL RECORDS
1. Required: The municipality must keep official records of applications for disposal system permits received,
disposal system permits and certificates issued, fees collected, reports of inspections, and notices of violation and
correction orders issued.
2. Record retention: The disposal system permit and associated records must be maintained until such time as the
realty improvement served by the proposed or existing system is removed or connected to a public sewer.
3. Record availability: These records must be available upon request for inspection by personnel of the Department
and the public.
4. Associated records: The municipality must also maintain and keep on file copies of the following documents:
(a) Applications: Applications for disposal system permits and plans and specifications for the construction,
installation or alteration of systems, including all forms and data submitted by the applicant;
(b) Modifications: Modifications to plans or applications made subsequent to the issuance of a disposal system
permit to construct, install, or alter systems;
(c) Inspections: Reports of construction inspections made prior to issuance of a certificate of approval for a
system;
(d) Certificates of approval (HHE-238): Certificates of approval completed for inspections of systems; and
(e) Malfunctioning systems: Inspection reports, plans, and specifications for repair or alteration of
malfunctioning systems or components of malfunctioning systems.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by kellysmith

It's off topic from what the OP asked, but that is not true about an approved application for a septic system design. Someone from the public can actually go to a municipal office and request to view your approved design. It's a public record that must be retained by the municipality. In unorganized townships, it would be retained by the state.

That is interesting. The septic engineer I hired explained it as I previously said.

When I submitted my building permit application, I did not provide the plans. The application only asked for a letter saying that a plan existed.

I do not see how LURC would have gotten a copy of the plans.

Mine was done around 2006. Perhaps it has changed since then?

[kellysmith]

Originally Posted by Submariner

That is interesting. The septic engineer I hired explained it as I previously said.

When I submitted my building permit application, I did not provide the plans. The application only asked for a letter saying that a plan existed.

I do not see how LURC would have gotten a copy of the plans.

Mine was done around 2006. Perhaps it has changed since then?

If filed properly, you should be able to find your septic design that allowed a permit to be issued here.

https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/o...plans/start.pl

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by kellysmith

If filed properly, you should be able to find your septic design that allowed a permit to be issued here.

https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/o...plans/start.pl

That is a neat website. My property is not listed.

I did see a few of my neighbor's homes listed. I clicked on two, and in both instances, it came back with error messages saying there was no data on file.

[Dairinn]

I found out that there are huge fees associated with going off the plan if u purchase the property. My plan would be animal habitat and peace. But I’m under the impression that the tax break is made up in state revenue by giving your trees to the paper mills who have to then pay the state. If I’m right - then no forester would write a plan that didn’t involve a tree harvest.

Am I close ?