§ 480. Forest and reforested lands. 1. In view of the benefits to the\nstate and the municipal corporations therein which will accrue through\nthe reforestation of idle lands, eligible tracts of forest land may be\ngranted an exemption from taxation as hereinafter provided.\n 2. As used in this section:\n (a) "Eligible tract" means a tract of forest land of at least fifteen\nacres which has been planted with an average of not less than eight\nhundred trees per acre, or which has been underplanted with an average\nof not less than three hundred trees per acre, or upon which the\nmajority of the mature timber has been removed in such a manner as to\ninsure a crop of merchantable timber or pulpwood or upon which, at the\ntime of classification, there is an immature stand sufficient to produce\nsuch a crop within thirty years. Any part of such tract covered by\nwater, or consisting of a bog or ledge, or otherwise unsuitable for\nplanting or underplanting, shall be excluded in determining the average\nnumber of trees planted or underplanted per acre.\n (b) "Forest land" includes not only lands on which there is tree\ngrowth, but also lands which are best adapted to tree growth.\n (c) "Planted" means the setting of suitable forest tree species.\n (d) "Underplanted" means the setting of suitable forest tree species\nupon land that at the time of planting has some natural forest growth.\n (e) "Immature stand" means trees which are left primarily for forest\ncrop production after the removal of a majority of the mature stand.\n 3. (a) Eligible tracts shall be separately assessed for purposes of\ntaxation upon the basis of the value of the land, including the value of\nany buildings or structures thereon, but excluding the value of such\nplanted or underplanted trees or natural reproduction. The assessment of\nan eligible tract shall be no higher than the valuation of similar lands\nwithout substantial forest growth situated in the same town and at no\ntime shall it exceed the valuation fixed at the time the application for\nclassification is filed as hereinafter provided, except that such\nassessment may be increased or decreased without regard to the\nprovisions of this subdivision to reflect a change in level of\nassessment on the assessment roll of the assessing unit, as provided in\ntitle two of article twelve of this chapter.\n (b) The commissioner shall certify a change in level of assessment\nfactor subject to the provisions of title two of article twelve of this\nchapter.\n (c) Such land shall be so assessed so long as the forest growth shall\nremain uncut. Upon the removal of the forest growth, it shall be\nassessed without regard to the provisions of this section.\n 4. The owner of an eligible tract may file with the assessors of the\ntown in which such tract is located a verified application for\nclassification under this section. Application shall be made in\nduplicate on forms furnished by the conservation department, which shall\ncontain a description of the land sufficient to identify the tract and\nthe necessary information as to the planting or underplanting or natural\nreproduction. Upon the filing of such application, the assessors shall\nsend a copy thereof to the conservation department for its approval or\ndisapproval. If the conservation department approves the application, it\nshall file certificates of approval, classifying such tract as forested\nor reforested land, with the assessors and with the county clerk of the\ncounty in which the tract is situated. The county clerk shall record\nsuch certificates in the book of miscellaneous records. All tracts so\nclassified shall be subject to the provisions of this section and the\nobligations thereof shall devolve upon and the benefits thereof inure to\nthe owner, his successors or assigns. The state and its political\nsubdivisions shall also be bound thereby.\n 5. Whenever any cutting of the forest growth on any such tract of\nforest land is proposed, t
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