Search Results for: “heirs property”

African American Forest Landowners: Overcoming Obstacles

by Megan Bequette, SRS Science Communications Intern  • 
African American landowners have had a historically difficult time becoming engaged in forestry due to a number of factors, including discrimination. Another factor is heirs’ property, which refers to land that has been passed down informally from generation to generation without a will. This often means that distant relatives co-own a piece of land, and…  More 

Sunshine, Sweat, and Tears

by Teresa Jackson, SRS Public Affairs  • 
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service launched a six-year program in 2012 to test the potential of sustainable forestry practices to help stabilize African-American land ownership, increase forest health, and build economic assets in the southern Black Belt. The Sustainable Forestry…  More 

Promoting Sustainable Forestry on African American Family Lands

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
New insight on the challenges and opportunities facing African American family forest owners in the Southeast was just published by U.S. Forest Service scientists in Small Scale Forestry.  SRS research forester John Schelhas, SRS research social scientist Cassandra Johnson Gaither, and University of Georgia assistant research scientist Sarah Hitchner summarized interviews with 60 minority landowners in…  More 

Black Belt Forestry

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
After the Civil War, former African American slaves were deeded or bought property across the South, but in subsequent years often lacked the money for — or were denied access to – the legal resources needed to establish title to the land. As a result, much of this land was passed down through following generations…  More 

Forest and Landowners Workshop Held in Mississippi

by Johnny Boggs, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center  • 
On May 3, 2016 the Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) and Minority Landowner Magazine co-hosted a forest and landowners workshop in Meridian, Mississippi. About 70 people, including landowners, extension agents, university staff, and consulting foresters, participated in the free workshop. The goals of the workshop were to: Introduce minority and limited resource landowners to…  More 

Helping African American Rural Landowners Keep Family Forests

by Adapted from article by Josh McDaniel in February 2016 Issue of Leaves of Change  • 
After the Civil War, African Americans were deeded or bought property across the South, but at that time they often lacked the money for — or were denied access to — legal resources. As a result, much of this land was passed down through the generations without the benefit of a written will or title and…  More 

Family Forest Owners Need More Help with Federal Taxes

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
A recent study by U.S. Forest Service and university researchers offers suggestions on improving efforts to inform family forest owners about beneficial federal income and estate tax provisions available to them. The researchers base their suggestions on focus groups they held in five locations across the United States. The results were published in the January 2014…  More