Vermont officials say Use Value Appraisal underpins private-forest stewardship and statewide forest economy

Keith Thompson, forestlands program manager for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR), told the Agriculture, Food Resiliency & Forestry Committee that Vermont’s Use Value Appraisal (UVA) program enrolls roughly 2,000,000 acres and provides large tax relief that helps private landowners keep forests intact while supporting active stewardship.

"Use value appraisal does an amazing job, and it touches on every one of these," Thompson said, describing the program’s role in keeping land affordable for owners and linking them with foresters and markets.

Thompson opened with the scale and economic context: Vermont’s forest economy generates about $1,400,000,000 in direct output, employs roughly 9,100 people directly (about 13,800 with multipliers), and—based on preliminary inventory data—forest carbon accounted for about 67% of the state’s greenhouse gas sequestration in 2022. He said those values depend principally on private landowners, who own about 69% of the state’s forestland.

Thompson described UVA’s statutory purpose as preserving the working landscape, rural character and ecological systems of the state. He said the program is administered jointly: property valuation and review handles taxation eligibility while FPR administers the forest-land side, including review of management plans and on-the-ground inspections.

Key program rules and enrollment figures Thompson outlined:

- Eligibility and management: A property must include at least 25 acres enrolled as forest land with a minimum of 20 acres of productive managed forest land. Owners must submit a forest management plan and map at least once every 10 years; plans must meet the…