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Succession Planning: Transitioning Land to the Next Generation

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Succession Planning: Transitioning Land to the Next Generation

"One day I'm going to be in charge of all this. All the information I've gotten from my father and ATFS is going to be very important in managing this forest." - Patrick Saloom, Alabama

Photo by Dave Curl of Kalamazoo, MIFamily forests owners like you play a unique and vital role in ensuring this essential national resource survives and thrives now and for future generations. For more than 70 years, the American Tree Farm System has stood by woodland owners like you, with a shared commitment to ensuring your forest legacy is passed onto the next generation.

Wondering where to start in planning the legacy for your woods?  Take a look at our webinar, Leaving a Legacy for the Next Generation: Tips on Successional Planning, presented by Clint Bentz, the national leader in family forest successional planning.

MyLandPlan.org, our website for woodland owners, can guide you through building connections to your woods, sharing your plan with your family, and finding the right estate planner. Visit mylandplan.org/future to learn more.

Here are some tips for involving the next generation, adapted from an article in Tree Farmer Magazine:

  • Hold a family work party: Set up a time for the family to gather, and involve kids and grandkids in projects.  Ideas include planting trees, clearing trails, pruning trees, building a fence, or setting up a hunting plot. 
  • Don't miss opportunities to teach skills: Don't overlook the importance of passing along skills to the next generation.  How many of us are born knowing how to measure trees or correctly set a fence cornerpost?
  • Try to maintain a good balance between work and family life: Balance will help draw children into the Tree Farm, rather than make them feel as if the land is competition for your time and affection.  
  • Create recreational opportunities on your Tree Farm: Hiking trails, an archery or gun range, and picnic area makes it easy to spend time enjoying your property with friends and family.

Another resource for succession planning is the Ties to the Land page through Oregon State University - Austin Family Business Program. Visit tiestotheland.org to learn more.

Photo by Dave Curl of Kalamazoo, MI, Second Place, Generations Category - 2011 Photo Contest Sponsored by STIHL, Inc.