May 6, 1999 | Read Time: 1 minute
Charitable Planning with Timber & Timberland, by Nancy J. Brucker, recommends that charities inform potential donors of planned-giving opportunities involving timber and forestland. A 1994 survey by the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters counted 9.9 million owners of private timberland in the United States, and the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries reported a 22-per-cent annual total return for timberland over the last nine years. But the tax rules governing this fertile asset can prove complex, says Ms. Brucker, a consultant and former director of planned giving at the University of Oregon. She provides a guide to the tax treatment of trees and timberland in charitable remainder trusts and other deferred-giving options. Appendixes include a listing of private ownership of timberland by state; a list of timber-related organizations; sample valuation reports, tax forms, and payout summaries; and a copy of a “conservation easement,” a legal document that can be used to protect trees from clear-cutting. Publisher: Northwest Planned Giving Roundtable, P.O. Box 2548, Portland, Ore. 97208-2548; (503) 797-2666; e-mail nbrucker@rio.com; 125 pages; $60 plus $5 postage and handling.
