After the derecho devasted Eastern Iowa forests, state lawmakers want to raise taxes on them
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WATERLOO, Iowa (KWWL) - State lawmakers are considering legislation that could send property tax costs soaring for privately owned forests throughout the state.
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, of Iowa’s nearly 3 million acres of forest land, 85.5 percent are privately owned.
If passed, Senate File 352 would change the Forest and Fruit Tree Reservation law and decrease the property tax exemption from 100% to 75% of the reserved land s actual value.
For forest owners like John Zakrasek, who owns two acres in Linn County, the tax would be 100% of the property s value. Under the new rule, anyone who owns less than 10 acres would not be subject to any exemption. All forest reserve exemptions would expire after five years.
State Senator Ken Rozenboom was elected to a third term in District 40 this past November, and is getting ready for the new General Assembly next week.
Rozenboom says a lot of work will be done initially to assess needs with COVID-19 and the budget for schools, but beyond that, he expects many Republican priorities to get a lot of attention after the GOP added to their majorities in both chambers.
Hear more about the 2021 Legislative Session on today’s Let’s Talk Pella
State Senator Ken Rozenboom was elected to a third term in District 40 this past November, and is getting ready for the new General Assembly starting in January.
Rozenboom says a lot of work will be done initially to assess needs with COVID-19 and the budget for schools, but beyond that, he expects many Republican priorities to get a lot of attention after the GOP added to their majorities in both chambers.
Rozenboom says the best way to contact him during the Legislative Session is by email, but he is unsure of what visitor guidelines will be due to the ongoing pandemic. Stay tuned to 92.1 KRLS for coverage from the Iowa Statehouse.