The bill H.424, introduced by Representative Sheldon of Middlebury, aims to facilitate the donation of managed or reserve forestland to the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation in Vermont. It allows landowners to gift their forestland without incurring the land use change tax, provided the land is adjacent to state-managed land and located within a high-priority forest block. The bill mandates that the Department accept such donations, provided they are unconditional and the landowner is in good standing. Additionally, the Department is required to assess the value of the donated land for the donor's potential federal charitable income tax deduction.

The bill also amends existing legal definitions related to land development. Notably, it specifies that the term "development" does not include the gift or donation of land to the state under the new section 3763b. This change is intended to clarify that such donations will not trigger land use change tax assessments, thereby encouraging landowners to contribute to state conservation efforts. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

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