Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Steven Livingston

To the Editor:

I wanted to make sure the residents in your area are aware, that this very minute, members of our state senate are trying to sneak in a new tax on forest lands. This bill has already passed the House. Very few people even know this is happening.

Currently, forest land is not taxed, as a way to encourage landowners to keep trees and not turn that land into crop land. The program has been in place since 1906, and has helped saved countless acres of woodlands.

I do not want to make myself the bad guy here, but facts need to be exposed here. If forest lands are going to be taxed, I will have no choice but to begin harvesting and logging trees on my land. This means cutting down 100-year-old oak trees just to raise money so I am able to pay this tax.

Our legislature is also pushing a CO2 pipeline to be installed across the state, as well as using eminent domain laws to take land from anyone that won’t give it up. Do you know what consumes CO2 naturally without any harmful side effects? “Trees”.

It makes zero sense to start taxing trees right now.   Woodland owners do not receive any government funds such as the CRP programs, like farmers do. The minimum the state can do is to not start charging us for growing trees.

Protect what few trees are left in the state by contacting your state senator today. Tell them to stop this anti-environmental tree killing bill.  More information can be found on a Facebook group  “Iowa timberland owners”.

Steven Livingston
Guttenberg