The bill H.424, introduced by Representative Sheldon of Middlebury, aims to facilitate the donation of managed or reserve forestland to the State of Vermont without incurring the land use change tax. It allows landowners to gift their forestland to the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, provided the land is adjacent to other state-managed lands and located within a high-priority forest block. The bill mandates that the Department accept such donations under specific conditions, including that the donation is unconditional and the landowner is in good standing.

Additionally, the bill amends existing law to clarify that the term "development" does not include the gift or donation of land to the State under the new section 3763b. This change ensures that landowners can donate their forestland without the risk of triggering a land use change tax. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 32-3752(5), 32-3752