A Forest Land Protection Act Covenant has a term of how many years?

The correct answer is 15 years because the Forest Land Protection Act includes provisions designed to encourage ongoing protection and responsible management of forested land. The 15-year term reflects a balance between providing sufficient time for landowners to benefit from tax relief or other incentives while ensuring that the commitment to maintaining the land as forest is substantial enough to support the legislative intent of preserving environmental resources for future generations. This relatively lengthy period allows for the establishment of sustainable forestry practices, which can take time to achieve meaningful results in ecological terms.

Shorter terms, such as 5 or 10 years, may not provide a strong enough incentive or timeframe for the long-term conservation efforts envisioned by the Act, while a 20-year term might be seen as excessively restrictive or burdensome for landowners, potentially discouraging participation in such programs.