We loved the statistic put forth by the Wilderness Society that half of U.S. timberlands have changed hands in the past decade. As an investment commodity subject to unique market conditions, it is interesting to look over aerial maps of the U.S. and see how much undeveloped land now in the hands of timber companies gets put into play.
Last week, a forestry expert in Seattle, Kim McDonald, penned a very interesting piece in Crosscut.com which she described the purchase of 500 square miles in northwestern Montana by conservation groups. The land was bought from Plum Creek, the largest and most diverse private land owner in the U.S.
In addition to the seismic shift in thinking this deal signals, McDonald addresses a Farm Bill funding mechanism that will allow the Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land to issue Qualified Conservancy Bonds, for which a secondary buyer can receive a tax credit.
Anyone got $500 million to invest — tax credit included?
LandCrazed 