Woodland or land suitable for forest planting not less than twenty-five acres in area and not exceeding in value one hundred dollars per acre exclusive of timber growing thereon may, upon application of the owner, be given special classification as forest land for purposes of taxation. Application for such classification shall be made to the State Forester, accompanied by such description of the land as the State Forester may require and by a sworn statement from the assessors of the town giving the true value of the land alone and the true value of any timber thereon. When the value of the land alone exceeds one hundred dollars per acre, it shall not be classified as forest land. When such application has been made, the State Forester shall examine the land and, if he finds the requirements herein specified have been fulfilled, he shall issue a quadruplicate certificate of classification, the original to be filed in the State Forester's office, one copy in the office of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, one copy in the assessors' office of the town in which the land is located and one copy with the owner, who shall cause it to be entered on the land records of such town. Any owner of land classified under this section may, on or after October 1, 1972, but prior to October 1, 1973, and on or after July 13, 2011, convert to the provisions of section 12-107d without penalty, including, but not limited to, any penalty for the value of any standing timber, provided a sale or donation of such land to a nonprofit land preservation organization or the sale or donation of a permanent conservation easement upon such land precedes such conversion. On and after the last day of the calendar year that represents the fiftieth anniversary of the classification of such owner's land under this section, any owner who elects to continue with such classification shall have an annual tax due that shall not exceed the annual tax due for a similarly situated landowner under the provisions of section 12-107d. Any owner who elects to no longer participate in such classification shall be subject to any applicable penalty as provided in this chapter. Any such owner desiring such conversion shall notify the board of assessors of the town in which the land is located by registered mail. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any other agreement between such owner and the town in which the land is located.

(1949 Rev., S. 1780; 1955, S. 1067d; 1963, P.A. 423, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 697, S. 1; P.A. 77-614, S. 139, 610; P.A. 79-610, S. 3, 47; P.A. 11-198, S. 1.)

History: 1963 act increased qualification for exemption from five to twenty-five acres and from $50 to $100 per acre in value, provided for filing of the classification certificate in the assessors' rather than the town clerk's office and added requirement of recordation of the certificate by the owner; 1971 act allowed conversion to provisions of Sec. 12-107d without penalty between October 1, 1972, and before October 1, 1973, by notifying assessors of town where land located by registered mail; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of revenue services for tax commissioner, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-610 substituted secretary of the office of policy and management for commissioner of revenue services, effective July 1, 1980; P.A. 11-198 added provisions re conversion on and after July 13, 2011, authorization of conversion without incurring penalty for the value of standing timber provided a sale or donation of the land to a nonprofit land preservation organization or a permanent conservation easement for the land precedes conversion, establishment of the tax due for owners continuing the classification after fiftieth anniversary of the classification, application of penalty to owner who elects to no longer participate in the classification and treatment of agreements between the owner and the town in which the land is located, effective July 13, 2011.

See Sec. 12-107d re classification of land as forest land.