OAR 150-321-0200: Forestland Valuation Rule

(1) Purpose: The purpose of this rule is to describe the process used to develop the annual preliminary forestland values and to clarify the establishment of the final certified forestland values (ORS 321.216). (2) General Principles and Definitions: (a) For the purpose of this rule, “forestland” has the meaning provided in ORS 321.257(2) for Western Oregon, and ORS 321.805(4) for Eastern Oregon. (b) Values developed by this rule are the values of bare forestland. (c) The mix of sales of highest and best use forestland in Western Oregon will approximate, over the long term, the percentage distribution of acres in each land productivity class in Western Oregon. (d) The department will rely on market sale evidence as the primary appraisal method for determining forestland values in both Eastern Oregon and Western Oregon. (e) Sales of forestland in Eastern Oregon often include the influence of non-forestland values. Non-forestland values include, but are not limited to, values associated with grazing, hunting or other recreational uses. (3) Forestland Sales Data: (a) The department will collect and verify forestland sales data. Only sales with the following characteristics will be considered: (A) The current or immediate future use of the land is the growing and harvesting of timber, (B) The improvement values and other non-forestland values can be accurately extracted from the sale price to give a land residual value, (C) The transaction is at arm's-length, (D) The purchase consideration is cash or a financing method standard to the real estate market, (E) The bare land value is greater than $0, and (F) The sale is 20 acres or larger of productive forestland. (b) The department will compile the sales data in a forestland sales database. (c) The department will analyze calendar year (January 1 to December 31) sales data to determine a single per acre Western Oregon Average Value (WAV) and a single per acre Eastern Oregon Average Value (EAV). The acres to be included in the denominator for each sale are productive forestland acres only, that is, land in classes FA through FG in Western Oregon and land not classed as wasteland in Eastern Oregon. (d) The WAV and EAV will be determined only from data where sales identified as a statistical outlier have been rejected. An outlier is defined as a sale with a price that is outside of the range of plus or minus two standard deviations from the seven year average of all sales in Western Oregon or plus or minus two standard deviations from the seven year average for all sales in Eastern Oregon. For the purpose of determining whether a sale is an outlier, the department will consider all sales from the prior seven years, including any outliers identified from prior years’ analysis. If a sale is an outlier for three consecutive years, the sale will be treated as an outlier in all subsequent years. (e) In the absence of sales for the current year, the department will average the two prior years to get an average for the year. For a previous year with no sales the department will average the year prior and the next year going forward. (f) The resulting average per acre values calculated for Western and Eastern Oregon in subsection (c) above will be further processed as follows: (4) Western Oregon Process. (a) For each of the seven calendar years of sales data immediately prior to the January 1 assessment date, calculate the WAV for each year. WAV is the arithmetic mean of the individual sales’ average value per acre of forestland for the calendar year. (b) Sum the current plus six immediately prior years WAV from subsection (3)(c) of this rule and divide by seven to obtain the seven-year average for Western Oregon (7YAVWO). (c) Multiply the resulting 7YAVWO by the Western Forestland Class Spread (WFCS), see below, [ED. NOTE: Tables referenced are available from the agency.] For each productivity class (FA through FX) to obtain the value for each productivity class. (d) The value obtained in subsection (4)(c) of this rule, rounded to the nearest whole dollar, is the preliminary value by productivity class for the January 1 assessment date. (5) Eastern Oregon Process: (a) For each of the seven calendar years of sales data immediately prior to the January 1 assessment date, calculate the EAV for each year. (b) Calculate a least squares regression line of seven EAV’s established in subsection (5)(a) of this rule for Eastern Oregon to determine the annual value change ratio (delta V) for the sales data collection period. The annual change ratio (delta V) is the calculated value along the regression line at year 7 divided by the calculated value at year 6. (c) The annual rate of change in subsection (5)(b) of this rule will be applied to the certified immediately prior year SAV for Eastern Oregon (EOR PSAV) for a preliminary estimate of the current year SAV: EOR PSAV x (delta V) = Preliminary current year EOR SAV. (d) The value obtained in subsection (5)(c) of this rule, rounded to the nearest whole dollar, is the preliminary value for the January 1 assessment date. (6) Response to Preliminary Values: (a) Data pertinent to the forestland valuation process that was not evaluated previously may be collected during a review by the Forestland Value Advisory Committee (ORS 321.213) or through written comments submitted during the public hearing on proposed specially assessed forestland values (ORS 321.210). Pertinent data may be added to the forestland database to recalculate the WAV and EAV described in subsection (3)(c) of this rule, to then obtain revised preliminary values. (b) The department will consider the revised preliminary values and any other information provided by additional research by the department, the Forestland Value Advisory Committee, submitted written comments, or the hearing process to determine the final values to be certified under ORS 321.216. [ED. NOTE: Tables referenced are available from the agency.] [ED. NOTE: To view attachments referenced in rule text, click here to view rule.]