Page 16 - Georgia Forestry - Summer 2019

A Turning Point for
Family Forests
How heirs-property reform is empowering GeorIgia’s landowners
property — an obscure topic, but often the primary reason people attend the course.
An introduction to heirs property is rarely fun, and often accompanies some unwelcome news. Some Georgians hear the term for the first time at the local bank, right after a loan application has been denied. Others might learn about it from a code enforcement officer, just before some home renovations were set to begin — or from a local logger, who declines to take on a promising harvest. Heirs property, they explain, is in a constant state of uncer- tainty: if the original owner died without a will, then each one of the descendants has equal access to the land, and a fractional interest in its market value. A small con- flict between relatives can easily turn into a cumbersome tangle that takes years to sort out, and the risk is usually too great for banks and other businesses.
Without the support of lenders and others, it is almost impossible to improve
Story by Reid Singer
n May, a small group of industry professionals and private forest owners met at an event space in Colquitt to mark the conclusion of the fifth series of the Georgia Landowners Academy. After the
final presentation, graduates were handed a certificate — along with an official base- ball cap, and a slice of celebratory chocolate cake — and walked away with binders full of notes on common forest problems like timber theft, arson and invasive species. By all accounts, it had been a useful 10 weeks. Participants received advice on harvesting and reforestation, effective marketing and record-keeping, and managing their land for maximum benefit. They also heard advice on the basic steps to resolving heirs
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