What Is the NJFA's Position on Farmland Assessment for Woodlands in New Jersey?

The New Jersey Forestry Association (NJFA) advocates for woodland owners in the annual state process that sets farmland assessment values, and in 2026 it sent representatives to the State Farmland Evaluation Committee to speak directly to the question of minimum gross revenue for woodlands. According to the NJFA, its Vice President Richard Kelsky and Treasurer Steven Spencer attended the committee's August 12, 2026 annual meeting in Trenton in person, with other NJFA directors participating online via Teams. Kelsky addressed the committee on the woodland revenue issue. If you own wooded land in New Jersey and rely on farmland assessment to keep your property taxes manageable, this is the process and the organization that speaks to it on your behalf.

What the State Farmland Evaluation Committee does

The committee meets annually to set farmland assessment values for the state. Its decisions feed into how wooded and agricultural land is valued for property tax purposes, which is why the minimum gross revenue threshold for woodlands matters to owners: it is one of the tests that determines whether a woodland parcel can qualify for farmland assessment.

At the August 12, 2026 meeting, the committee also discussed:

• A new online filing portal, which had been tested in four counties in 2026
• Forester-assisted filing
• Data security

These items matter to woodland owners because filing method and documentation requirements shape how you apply and what records you need to keep.

Why the NJFA engages on this issue

The NJFA describes itself as the essential advocate for woodland owners, conservationists, and others interested in maintaining New Jersey's forests. Founded in 1975, it is a nonprofit tax-exempt organization under IRS 501(c)(3) and the only statewide organization supporting the sustainability and resiliency of New Jersey's public and private forests through forestry education and science-based forest management.

Its advocacy role is not limited to attending meetings. Through legislation and rulemaking, the NJFA is named to several committees involved in forestry, stewardship, and taxation, and it served as one of the four co-chairs of the NJ Forest Task Force. It also tracks, monitors, and provides input on legislation and rulemaking affecting New Jersey's forests and woodland owners.

How this connects to the NJFA's broader work

The farmland assessment advocacy sits alongside programs that woodland owners can use directly:

• Backyard Forestry in 90 Minutes — webinar programming
• Walk-in-the-Woods — in-person woodland events
• Tree Planting — planting initiatives
• NJ Woodland Stewards — a stewardship program
• Member newsletters and an annual meeting

The NJFA also collaborates with conservation and outdoor organizations, governmental units, and educational institutions.

How to get involved

If you value New Jersey's forests — whether or not you are a landowner — the NJFA welcomes you to join, participate in its activities and programs, or donate. Membership information, annual meeting details, Backyard Forestry webinars, video postings, and legislative and regulatory highlights are all published on its site. The organization's volunteer board, officers, and committee members include forest landowners, forest professionals, educators, and scientists.

For woodland owners specifically, the practical takeaway is that the minimum gross revenue question for woodlands is decided in a public annual process, and the NJFA is one of the organizations that shows up to argue the woodland owner's side of it.