Bill > A00787

This bill establishes a forestry stewardship and habitat conservation credit for personal income and business franchise taxes. The key provisions are: 1. Taxpayers who own land subject to an agreement with the Department of Environmental Conservation for forestry stewardship or habitat conservation can claim a credit for 25% of the real property taxes paid on that land, up to $10,000 per year. 2. The land must be at least 25 contiguous acres that the Department deems valuable habitat or suitable for wildlife-related recreation. 3. The landowner must enter into a 5-year or longer agreement with the Department to manage the land for forestry stewardship (through a recognized certification program) or habitat conservation (by implementing an approved plan). 4. The credit can be claimed in addition to other real property tax credits, but the total credits cannot exceed the amount of taxes paid. 5. Any unused credit amounts can be treated as an overpayment to be refunded. This bill aims to incentivize private landowners to conserve forested lands and wildlife habitats in New York State.