(3) Succession Planning: An Educational Curriculum for Family Landowners

Clint Bentz, Boldt, Carlisle and Smith LLC, Salem, OR, Mark Green, Family Business Consulting Group, Salem OR, Susan Watkins private woodland owner, McMinnville, OR, Michael Cloughesy, Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Portland OR, Gail Wells, Gail Wells Communication, Corvallis, OR, Steve Cox, Oregon State University, Forestry Media Center, Corvallis, OR, and Jeff Hino,  Oregon State University Extension, Corvallis, OR

Session: Skills building workshop

Extension educators are aware that farm and forest landowners are growing older, and will face challenges in passing their properties and business on to the next generation. Yet many families lack the skills needed to plan and manage for an orderly transition.  Without adequate planning for family succession, many of these properties could shift into other types of ownership or use, with potentially dramatic impacts on local communities and landscapes.

Although increasingly recognized as a urgent issue, there has been little educational effort to help families transfer management of their land to the next generation. Likewise there are few educational resources available to help guide forest and farm families through the succession process and begin to train and communicate with succeeding generations.

OSU Forestry Extension has led in the development of a package of educational materials to help families prepare to transfer stewardship to the next generation.  These practical, hands-on materials help families begin to identify and communicate about important issues, and take steps towards decisions necessary to achieve their future goals.  Key products are the DVD-based Ties to the Land Facilitated Workshop with supporting materials for local hosts, a companion Ties to the Land workbook, assessment tools and a website.  

This conference workshop session will prepare participants to utilize these materials.  It will begin with an overview of the curriculum components, then move on to a facilitator training session to help interested colleagues prepare to use these fully-developed materials to present succession planning programs in their own area.  Ties to the Land educational materials can be previewed at http://www.familybusinessonline.org/resources/ttl/home.htm

Brad Withrow-Robinson
OSU Yamhill County Extension
2050 Lafayette Ave
McMinnville, OR, 97128, USA
Phone: 503-434-8914
Fax: 503-472-3054
brad.w-r@oregonstate.edu