S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 427C.1, Code 2020, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 427C.1 Tax exemption —— amount of exemption . 3 1. Any person who establishes a forest or fruit-tree 4 reservation as provided in this chapter shall be entitled to 5 the tax exemption provided by law. 6 2. a. For assessment years beginning before January 1, 7 2021, the exemption for forest or fruit-tree reservations 8 authorized in this chapter shall be one hundred percent of the 9 actual value of the property comprising the reservation. 10 b. For assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 11 2021, the exemption for forest or fruit-tree reservations 12 authorized in this chapter shall be seventy-five percent of the 13 actual value of the property comprising the reservation. 14 Sec. 2. Section 427C.2, Code 2020, is amended to read as 15 follows: 16 427C.2 Reservations. 17 1. On For assessment years beginning before January 1, 2021, 18 on any tract of land in the state of Iowa, the owner or owners 19 may select a permanent forest reservation or reservations, each 20 not less than two acres in continuous area, or a fruit-tree 21 reservation or reservations, not less than one nor more than 22 ten acres in total area, or both, and upon compliance with 23 the provisions of this chapter , such owner or owners shall be 24 entitled to the benefits provided by law. 25 2. For assessment years beginning on or after January 26 1, 2021, on any tract of land in the state of Iowa, the 27 owner or owners may select a permanent forest reservation or 28 reservations, each not less than ten acres in continuous area, 29 or a fruit-tree reservation or reservations, not less than 30 one nor more than ten acres in total area, or both, and upon 31 compliance with the provisions of this chapter, such owner or 32 owners shall be entitled to the benefits provided by law. 33 Sec. 3. Section 427C.3, Code 2020, is amended to read as 34 follows: 35 -1- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 1/ 9

S.F. _____ 427C.3 Forest reservation —— duration of exemption . 1 1. A forest reservation shall contain not less than two 2 hundred growing forest trees on each acre. If Except as 3 provided in subsection 2, if the area selected is a forest 4 containing the required number of growing forest trees, it 5 shall be accepted as a forest reservation under this chapter 6 for a period of five years provided application is made or 7 on file on or before February 1 of the exemption year. If 8 any buildings are standing on an area selected as a forest 9 reservation under this section or a fruit-tree reservation 10 under section 427C.7 , one acre of that area shall be excluded 11 from the tax exemption. However, the exclusion of that acre 12 shall not affect the area’s meeting the acreage requirement of 13 section 427C.2 . 14 2. a. For forest reservation exemption applications filed 15 on or before February 1, 2020, unless the reservation fails 16 to meet the acreage requirement of section 427C.2, subsection 17 2, and is terminated under paragraph “b” , the period of the 18 exemption ends at the conclusion of the fifth assessment year 19 following the certification conducted by the department of 20 natural resources under 427C.13, subsection 2. 21 b. For forest reservation exemption applications filed on 22 or before February 1, 2020, if the reservation fails to meet 23 the acreage requirement of section 427C.2, subsection 2, the 24 reservation’s exemption shall terminate beginning with the 25 assessment year beginning January 1, 2021. 26 3. For forest reservation exemption applications filed 27 after February 1, 2020, in addition to the other requirements 28 of this chapter, if the department of natural resources 29 determines that the forest reservation meets the criteria for 30 depredation licenses and permits, the owner shall enter into a 31 depredation agreement with the department of natural resources 32 under section 481C.2A for each of the remaining years of the 33 exemption period following determination by the department and 34 the depredation agreement shall be subject to section 481C.2A, 35 -2- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 2/ 9

S.F. _____ subsection 1, paragraph “e” . 1 Sec. 4. Section 427C.6, Code 2020, is amended to read as 2 follows: 3 427C.6 Groves. 4 The trees of a forest reservation shall be in groves not 5 less than four rods wide except when the trees are growing or 6 are planted in or along a gully or ditch to control erosion in 7 which case any width will qualify provided the area meets the 8 size acreage requirement of two acres . 9 Sec. 5. Section 427C.7, Code 2020, is amended to read as 10 follows: 11 427C.7 Fruit-tree reservation —— duration of exemption. 12 A fruit-tree reservation shall contain on each acre, 13 at least forty apple trees, or seventy other fruit trees, 14 growing under proper care and annually pruned and sprayed. 15 A reservation may be claimed as a fruit-tree reservation, 16 under this chapter , for a period of eight years after planting 17 provided application is made or on file on or before February 18 1 of the exemption year. If any buildings are standing on an 19 area selected as a fruit-tree reservation under this section, 20 one acre of that area shall be excluded from the tax exemption. 21 However, the exclusion of that acre shall not affect the area’s 22 meeting the acreage requirement of section 427C.2. 23 Sec. 6. Section 427C.12, Code 2020, is amended to read as 24 follows: 25 427C.12 Application —— inspection —— continuation of 26 exemption —— recapture of tax. 27 1. It shall be the duty of the assessor to secure the facts 28 relative to fruit-tree and forest reservations by taking the 29 sworn statement, or affirmation, of the owner or owners making 30 application under this chapter ; and to make special report to 31 the county auditor of all reservations made in the county under 32 the provisions of this chapter . 33 2. a. The board of supervisors shall designate the county 34 conservation board or the assessor who shall inspect the area 35 -3- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 3/ 9

S.F. _____ for which an application is filed for a fruit-tree or forest 1 reservation tax exemption before the application is accepted. 2 b. The department of natural resources shall inspect the 3 area for which an application is filed for a forest reservation 4 tax exemption before the application is accepted. 5 c. Use of aerial photographs may be substituted for on-site 6 inspection when appropriate. 7 3. The application can only be accepted if it meets the 8 criteria established by the natural resource commission to be a 9 fruit-tree or forest reservation. 10 4. Once the application has been accepted, the area shall 11 continue to receive the tax exemption during each year of the 12 exemption period under section 427C.3 or 427C.7 in which the 13 area is maintained as a fruit-tree or forest or fruit-tree 14 reservation without the owner having to refile. If the 15 property is sold or transferred, the seller shall notify the 16 buyer that all, or part of, the property is in fruit-tree or 17 forest reservation and subject to the recapture tax provisions 18 of this section . The tax exemption shall continue to be 19 granted for the remainder of the eight-year exemption period 20 for fruit-tree reservation and for the following years for 21 forest reservation under section 427C.3 or 427C.7, or until 22 the property no longer qualifies as a fruit-tree or forest or 23 fruit-tree reservation. 24 5. a. The An area that is a fruit-tree reservation may 25 be inspected each year by the county conservation board or 26 the assessor to determine if the area is maintained as a 27 fruit-tree or forest reservation. An area that is a forest 28 reservation may be inspected each year by the department of 29 natural resources to determine if the area is maintained as 30 forest reservation. If the area is not maintained or is used 31 for economic gain other than as a fruit-tree reservation during 32 any year of the eight-year exemption period and any year of 33 the following five years under section 427C.7 or as a forest 34 reservation during any year for which of the exemption is 35 -4- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 4/ 9

S.F. _____ granted and any of the five years following those exemption 1 years period under section 427.3 , the assessor shall assess the 2 property for taxation at its fair market value as of January 3 1 of that year and in addition the area shall be subject to 4 a recapture tax. However, the area shall not be subject to 5 the recapture tax if the owner, including one possessing under 6 a contract of sale, and the owner’s direct antecedents or 7 descendants have owned the area for more than ten years. 8 b. The recapture tax shall be computed by multiplying the 9 consolidated levy for each of those years, if any, of the five 10 preceding years for which the area received the exemption for 11 fruit-tree or forest reservation times the assessed value of 12 the area that would have been taxed but for the tax exemption. 13 This tax shall be entered against the property on the tax list 14 for the current year and shall constitute a lien against the 15 property in the same manner as a lien for property taxes. The 16 tax when collected shall be apportioned in the manner provided 17 for the apportionment of the property taxes for the applicable 18 tax year. 19 Sec. 7. Section 427C.13, Code 2020, is amended to read as 20 follows: 21 427C.13 Report to department of natural resources. 22 1. The county assessor shall keep a record of all forest 23 and fruit-tree reservations in the county and submit a report 24 of the reservations to the department of natural resources not 25 later than June 15 of each year. 26 2. a. Based on the reports submitted under subsection 1, 27 the department of natural resources shall conduct an inspection 28 of each forest reservation receiving an exemption that meets 29 the acreage requirement of section 427C.2, subsection 2, and 30 that was approved for an assessment year beginning before 31 January 1, 2021. 32 b. If the forest reservation meets the requirements for 33 the exemption, the department shall certify the reservation’s 34 compliance to the county auditor of the county where the 35 -5- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 5/ 9

S.F. _____ forest reservation is located to be used in determining the 1 period of the exemption under section 427C.3, subsection 2. 2 If the forest reservation fails to meet the requirements for 3 the exemption, the department shall deny certification and 4 shall notify the owner and the county auditor of the county 5 where the forest reservation is located of the denial and the 6 exemption shall cease beginning with the immediately succeeding 7 assessment year. 8 c. The certification or denial of certification by the 9 director of the department of natural resources for each of 10 the forest reservations identified in paragraph “a” shall be 11 completed by July 1, 2025. 12 3. If, following approval of the exemption for a forest 13 reservation, the department of natural resources determines 14 that the area comprising the forest reservation meets the 15 criteria for depredation under chapter 481C, the owner 16 shall enter into an agreement as required by section 427C.3, 17 subsection 3. 18 Sec. 8. Section 441.22, Code 2020, is amended to read as 19 follows: 20 441.22 Forest and fruit-tree reservations. 21 Forest and fruit-tree reservations fulfilling the conditions 22 of sections 427C.1 to 427C.13 chapter 427C shall be exempt from 23 taxation to the extent authorized in that chapter . In all 24 other cases where trees are planted upon any tract of land, 25 without regard to area, for forest, fruit, shade, or ornamental 26 purposes, or for windbreaks, the assessor shall not increase 27 the valuation of the property because of such improvements. 28 Sec. 9. Section 481C.2A, subsection 1, Code 2020, is amended 29 by adding the following new paragraph: 30 NEW PARAGRAPH . e. For a depredation agreement entered into 31 for land that is a forest reservation under section 427C.3, the 32 number of licenses issued each year under this subsection to 33 persons other than the landowner or a family member shall not 34 be less than twenty-five percent of the total licenses issued 35 -6- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 6/ 9

S.F. _____ under this subsection for that year. 1 Sec. 10. SAVINGS PROVISION. Except as provided in this 2 Act, this Act, pursuant to section 4.13, does not affect the 3 operation of, or prohibit the application of, prior provisions 4 of chapter 427C or section 441.22, or rules adopted under 5 chapter 17A to administer prior provisions of chapter 427C 6 or section 441.22, for assessment years beginning before 7 January 1, 2021, and for duties, powers, protests, appeals, 8 proceedings, actions, or remedies attributable to an assessment 9 year beginning before January 1, 2021. 10 Sec. 11. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of 11 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment. 12 Sec. 12. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to assessment 13 years beginning on or after January 1, 2021. 14 Sec. 13. RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY. The following apply 15 retroactively to February 1, 2020, for forest reservation 16 property tax exemption applications filed on or after that 17 date: 18 1. The section of this Act amending section 427C.3. 19 2. The provision of this Act enacting section 427C.12, 20 subsection 2, paragraph “b”. 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 Current Code chapter 427C authorizes a property tax 25 exemption for certain forest reservations and fruit-tree 26 reservations. To qualify for the exemption as a forest 27 reservation, the property must be at least two acres in 28 continuous area and meet certain tree density requirements. 29 The bill provides that for assessment years beginning on or 30 after January 1, 2021, the exemption for forest reservations 31 and fruit-tree reservations is 75 percent of the actual 32 value of the property comprising the forest or fruit-tree 33 reservation. 34 Current law requires each forest reservation to be not 35 -7- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 7/ 9

S.F. _____ less than two acres in continuous area. For assessment 1 years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, each forest 2 reservation must be not less than 10 acres in continuous area 3 and the period of the exemption is for a period of five years. 4 However, the bill establishes provisions to governing forest 5 reservation exemption applications filed on or before February 6 1, 2020. For forest reservation exemption applications filed 7 on or before February 1, 2020, unless the reservation fails 8 to meet the 10-acre requirement, the period of the exemption 9 ends at the conclusion of the fifth assessment year following 10 the certification conducted by the department of natural 11 resources as provided in the bill. For forest reservation 12 exemption applications filed on or before February 1, 2020, 13 if the reservation fails to meet the 10-acre requirement, 14 the reservation’s exemption terminates beginning with the 15 assessment year beginning January 1, 2021. 16 The bill provides that for forest reservation exemption 17 applications filed after February 1, 2020, if, following 18 approval of the exemption, the department of natural resources 19 determines that the forest reservation meets the criteria for 20 depredation under Code chapter 481C, the owner must enter 21 into a depredation agreement with the department of natural 22 resources for each of the remaining years of the exemption 23 period. For each such depredation agreement, the number of 24 licenses issued each year to persons other than the landowner 25 or a family member shall not be less than 25 percent of the 26 total licenses issued for that year. 27 The bill also requires the department of natural resources 28 to inspect the area for which an application is filed for a 29 forest reservation tax exemption before the application is 30 accepted. Additionally, an area that is a forest reservation 31 may be inspected each year by the department of natural 32 resources to determine if the area is maintained as forest 33 reservation. The bill also directs the department of natural 34 resources to conduct an inspection of each forest reservation 35 -8- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 8/ 9

S.F. _____ receiving an exemption that meets the 10-acre requirement that 1 was approved for an assessment year beginning before January 2 1, 2021. If the forest reservation meets the requirements for 3 the exemption, the department shall certify the reservation’s 4 compliance to the county auditor of the county where the 5 forest reservation is located to be used in determining the 6 period of the exemption. If the forest reservation fails to 7 meet the requirements for the exemption, the department shall 8 deny certification and shall notify the owner and the county 9 auditor of the county where the forest reservation is located 10 of the denial and the exemption shall cease beginning with the 11 immediately succeeding assessment year. The certification or 12 denial of certification by the director of the department of 13 natural resources for each of the forest reservations shall be 14 completed by July 1, 2025. 15 Except as provided in the bill does not affect the operation 16 of, or prohibit the application of, prior provisions of 17 Code chapter 427C or Code section 441.22, or rules adopted 18 to administer prior provisions of Code chapter 427C or 19 Code section 441.22, for assessment years beginning before 20 January 1, 2021, and for duties, powers, protests, appeals, 21 proceedings, actions, or remedies attributable to an assessment 22 year beginning before January 1, 2021. 23 -9- LSB 6311XC (4) 88 md/jh 9/ 9