Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Article Title

The Potential Impact of Heir Property on Timber Management in the Southeastern United States

Authors

Becky Barlow, Auburn UniversityFollow
Conner Bailey, Auburn University

Abstract

Abstract

Active timberland management maintains forest health and productivity, which in turn contributes to the sustainability of the resource and wealth of the landowner. However, when land is held as heir property, options for timberland management are often limited. Heir property is owned as an undivided interest among many heirs of an original owner, or multiple generations of owners, who died intestate. This is common among African American landowners in the South. As a result the title is considered “clouded,” limiting access to capital and resources that are beneficial to timberland management. In this paper, the authors hope to improve awareness of this issue by documenting potential obstacles that heir property owners may encounter including the inability to plan land management activities such as forest inventories, harvesting, and replanting. As a result, the health of the forest may suffer posing a threat to forest productivity and landowner wealth generation.

Keywords: Forestry, Timber Management, Heir Property

Recommended Citation

Barlow, Becky and Bailey, Conner (2017) "The Potential Impact of Heir Property on Timber Management in the Southeastern United States," Professional Agricultural Workers Journal: Vol. 5: No. 1, 3.
Available at: https://tuspubs.tuskegee.edu/pawj/vol5/iss1/3