Passing land and legacy on to the next generation

Passing family land from one generation to the next can pose emotional problems, financial problems and legal problems, noted a feature story in The Willits News. UC Cooperative Extension has been offering a series of succession planning workshops, titled "Ties to the Land," to help families deal with these issues.

”Family forests create many benefits through their stewardship actions, but the legacy can fall prey to the confusing details of land titles, permits, and inheritance if families have not crafted a succession plan,” said Bill Stewart, UC Cooperative Extension forestry specialist and organizer of the series. “This is especially true for owners who do not live in the county where their forest is. Their heirs have probably spent little time on the land, and the lack of shared goals can become a problem.”

With succession planning, land owners clarify their values and goals for the forest or ranch, determine their heirs' interest in the property, learn legal and business considerations, and understand the financial impacts of ownership transfers across generations.

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