Ties to the Land: Your Family Forest Heritage

Watch the course overview video to learn more!

Originally published in 2006 by the Austin Family Business Program at Oregon State University, Ties to the Land: Your Family Forest Heritage — Planning for an Orderly Transition remains a foundational educational resource for family forest owners across the nation.


Through this seminar and companion workbook, families learn how to align their values, goals, and governance structures to ensure that their forest legacy endures. Drawing on decades of experience in family business planning, forestry management, and estate succession, the course provides a step-by-step framework for navigating ownership transitions with clarity and cooperation.

Key topics include:

  • Understanding family dynamics in land ownership and transfer

  • Conducting effective family meetings and communication strategies

  • Evaluating ownership structures and management options

  • Addressing estate and tax implications

  • Preserving working forests for future generations


Credits and Permissions
Authored by Clinton J. Bentz, CPA; Mark Green, Ph.D.; Renee Irvin, Ph.D.; Chal Landgren; Con P. Lynch; Susan Watkins; and Brad Withrow-Robinson.
Produced by the Austin Family Business Program, College of Business, Oregon State University, in collaboration with the Intergenerational Family Forest Project.
© 2006 Oregon State University. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Ties to the Land is a registered trademark of Clint Bentz and Mark Green.


This Free course provides you with access to the original materials that were a part of the Ties to the Land seminar presentations.

Also included is the workshop facilitator guide to use this program in a group setting.

While some of the materials are a little dated, the concepts discussed are timeless.  If you would like more information or help developing your Ties to the Land, please visit us at www.tiestotheland.com or reach out to us at Clint Bentz Consulting, LLC at info@bentz.us


Course contents

Meet the instructor

—

Clint Bentz

Managing Member, Clint Bentz Consulting LLC
Clint Bentz is a managing member and lead instructor at Clint Bentz Consulting.
For over 30 years, Clint has been helping families with their estate and succession planning, as well as providing continuing professional education to tax professionals, attorneys, bankers, trust officers, and lay audiences on a broad range of income and estate tax issues, as well as training advisors on how to keep family-owned businesses with succession.
Clint is the primary author of the Ties to the Land curriculum published by Oregon State Extension Service and the OSU Austin Family Business Program.