Woodlands Legacy Planning
Your land is important to you.
Planning for it’s future may be one of the most important steps you can take as landowner.
Planning for the future of your land can help you reach your personal and financial goals, while ensuring your land remains intact, and well stewarded into the future. Vermont Woodlands Association is here to help! Our Woodland Legacy Planning program supports landowners in understanding their options, and making informed decisions about the future of their land. Whether you have no heirs, or many heirs, there are options available to help you meet your goals!
While many landowners have a clear vision of what they want to happen to their woodlands once they can no longer steward it, these wishes may not come to fruition without a plan in place. Passing your woodlands on to the next generation in a way that honors your goals requires more than a will. Whether you are new to landowning or have owned your land for decades, we are here to support you in developing a plan for the future of your land.
Get Informed
We offer several educational programs throughout the year to help forest landowners and forestry professionals become more informed about the options available to landowners.
Individual Transfer Planning Advising and Coaching
Are you looking for individualize support to guide you through the process of making a plan? Individual landowner advising is available. Working with VWA’s Forest Landowner Outreach Specialist, Eliza Orne, you will have regular coaching sessions to help guide you through the process of developing your legacy plan. to develop a comprehensive transfer plan.
Your time with Eliza will consist of an initial meeting, working together to form an action plan, support through all steps of the process, and valuable resources, tools, and strategies shared with you.
Email Eliza today for an initial 30 minute consultation to get started!
Taking Stock: An Introduction to Woodland Legacy Planning
A hybrid course designed to assist you in starting a comprehensive transfer plan. This course will equip you with an understanding of your options and set you on the path to planning the future of your land stewardship. We focus on five main areas:
- Your goals and vision for the land
- Conservation options
- Engaging Others
- Legal and Financial tools
- Writing and Revisiting
Taking Stock consists of three in-person sessions, an online classroom platform with resources, and one-on-one support from VWA’s own Land Transfer Planning advisor, Eliza Orne. All VWA members are encouraged to participate in this course. Taking Stock is designed to support participants at different stages of planning, with diverse interests and objectives, from landowners who are new to land ownership to seasoned ones who have already conserved their property through a conservation easement.
Here’s what past Taking Stock participants have said about the course:
“My husband and I gained immense value from participating in this class! While this is a sensitive topic, the presenters and course facilitator provided us with lots of tools and strategies to delve deeper into securing the future of our forests.”
“We value hearing their stories and interacting with them.”
“We were pleasantly surprised to learn that our daughter, who lives far away, is actually very interested in preserving the property. We have much to discuss when our family reunites this summer.”
Help us Develop Better Woodland Legacy Planning Programming!
VWA is in the process of creating comprehensive and engaging materials for our membership to navigate forest legacy planning like a pro! To aid in the creation of these resources we are asking you to fill out this survey so we can better serve your needs. If you are a landowner, forestry professional, or anything in between please take the time to fill out this survey. Woodland Legacy Planning Survey
Contact us to Learn More!
Questions, or to learn more, reach out to Eliza Orne, VWA’s Forest Landowner Outreach Specialist, at eliza@vermontwoodlands.org.