Form FT-6, the Forest Land Tax Program Application (printed on the form as Application for Classification of Forest Land), asks the Chief of the Ohio Division of Forestry to classify your land as forest land under the Ohio Forest Tax Law (OFTL). The Summit County Fiscal Office posts it among its forms, so it sits with the Summit County property tax forms, but the application goes to your Division of Forestry service forester. Landowners with at least 10 contiguous acres of forest use it to start enrollment. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF is published by the Summit County Fiscal Office.
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What is FT-6?
Form FT-6, Application for Classification of Forest Land, is the application a landowner signs to ask the Chief of the Ohio Division of Forestry (DoF) to classify land they own as forest land for timber production and enter it under the Ohio Forest Tax Law (OFTL), under Ohio Revised Code sections 5713.22-.26.
Certified forestland under OFTL is taxed at 50 percent of the local tax rate. In exchange, the landowner agrees to manage the forestland for the production of timber and other forest products and to follow the program's rules. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Forestry administers OFTL, not the county auditor.
The packet that the Summit County Fiscal Office hosts also holds an overview comparing OFTL with the Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) program. CAUV is a separate program administered by the county auditor, and any given tract can be enrolled in only one of the two. FT-6 is the OFTL application only; it is not a CAUV application.
The form collects the owner's name and contact details, total acres and estimated forest acres, parcel numbers, county and township, the forest location, and answers about CAUV enrollment, livestock grazing, deed restrictions, a Forest Stewardship Management Plan and any earlier OFTL classification. After the application, the process continues with a forest examination, a management plan and an agreement form, FT-7.
Who needs to file FT-6?
Landowners who want their forestland certified under the Ohio Forest Tax Law apply with Form FT-6. According to the packet, the land must meet these conditions:
- At least 10 contiguous acres of forestland, not less than 120 feet wide, with home sites and other building sites deducted.
- Enough commercial-species trees: at least 300 stems per acre for younger plantations, or 50 square feet of basal area per acre for native or long-established plantations.
- Access for management, and property or forest boundary lines clearly marked and kept marked.
- Willingness to keep livestock out of the woods; the form says forestland cannot be considered unless the owner is willing to do so.
Commercial orchards and Christmas tree plantations do not qualify. Land under CAUV cannot also be in OFTL: the form asks whether the land is currently in CAUV. If you want CAUV instead, the packet says to apply at your county auditor's office.
The form must be signed by the person or persons in whose name the property is recorded in the County Auditor's office. Cutting merchantable forest products in the three years before applying must have been an acceptable silvicultural practice, or you must carry out the practices the Division prescribes.
When to file FT-6
The packet prints no deadline for Form FT-6: you submit it when you are ready to enroll, as the first step of the OFTL process. Send it to your service forester with the attachments, and the state forester then contacts you to arrange a visit. Your boundary lines must be marked before that visit.
Later steps follow in order: if the forester finds the land eligible, a professional consulting forester prepares a forest stewardship management plan, the state forester approves it and sends three copies of the agreement form FT-7, and you return them signed with the fee. The form itself says not to submit the application fee at this time.
The CAUV window, from the first Monday in January to the first Monday in March, belongs to CAUV applications at the county auditor and does not apply to FT-6. Once certified, OFTL certification is continuous unless land use or ownership changes, you withdraw, or you fall out of compliance.
Documents you need
- A copy of your most recent property tax bill(s), available at your county auditor's office; attach it to the application.
- One copy of a property tax plat map or aerial photograph showing your entire property boundary and at least 1 road intersection. Plat maps are at the county courthouse; aerial photos are at your FSA office.
- An attached sheet listing additional parcel numbers, only if the parcels do not fit in the Parcel(s)# space on the form.
- A copy of your deed restrictions or local ordinances dealing with forest management, only if you answer yes to that question on the form.
- A copy of your Forest Stewardship Management Plan, only if you answer yes to having one.
How to fill out FT-6
Enter your name and contact details
Under APPLICANT TO FILL BLANKS BELOW, fill in Name, Mailing Address, City, State, Zip, Phone and Email.
Enter total and forest acreage
Write the Total number of acres on property and the Estimated acres in forest. Remember that home sites and other building sites are deducted from qualifying acreage.
List parcels, county and township
Enter every number under Parcel(s)#; if more are needed, list them on an attached sheet. Then enter County and Township.
Give the forest location
If the forest land is at a different place than your mailing address, enter its address or location by road.
Answer the CAUV question
State whether the forest land is currently under the Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) program. The form's note says land can be in only one program.
Answer the livestock question
Say whether the forest is grazed by livestock. The form states forestland cannot be considered unless the owner is willing to keep livestock out of the woods.
Answer deed restrictions and plan questions
Answer the deed restrictions or local ordinances question and attach a copy if yes. Answer the Forest Stewardship Management Plan question and provide a copy of the plan if yes.
Report prior OFTL classification
Say whether the land was previously classified under the Ohio Forest Tax Law and, if so, enter the previous owner's name.
Sign and date as owner of record
Each person in whose name the property is recorded in the County Auditor's office signs under Signatures of Owner(s), then enter the Date.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every answer and the attachments listed under How to submit, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Do not include the application fee.
How to submit FT-6
Form FT-6 is returned to your service forester at the Ohio Division of Forestry, together with its attachments. The packet names no mailing or online filing address for the form itself.
- Service forester: find yours through the directory at forestry.ohiodnr.gov/serviceforesters, or at ohiodnr.com/forestry.
- Division of Forestry contact: Ohio Division of Forestry, 2045 Morse Road, Building H-1, Columbus, OH 43229-6693; telephone (614) 265-6694 or toll free (877) 247-8733.
- Package: the signed application, a copy of your most recent property tax bill(s), and one copy of a tax plat map or aerial photograph showing your entire property boundary and at least 1 road intersection.
- Fee: a non-refundable application fee applies, but the form says not to submit it with the application. It is paid by check, payable to the Ohio Division of Forestry, when you return the signed agreement form FT-7 and management plan cover page; ask the Division for the current amount.
The state forester sends the package to the Chief of the Division of Forestry, who issues a Certificate of Classification to your County Auditor, with copies to you and the state forester. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Paying the application fee with the form. It is stamped "DO NOT SUBMIT APPLICATION FEE AT THIS TIME"; the fee is due later, after eligibility and agreement steps.
- Applying for OFTL on land that is under CAUV without resolving it; the form says acreage can be in only one tax reduction program.
- Having the form signed by someone who is not recorded as owner in the County Auditor's office; every owner of record must sign.
- Marking boundaries with flagging, ribbon or surveyor's tape, which the packet says is not acceptable. Markers must be no more than 100 feet apart.
- Answering yes on deed restrictions or a Forest Stewardship Management Plan without attaching a copy.
- Leaving out the property tax bill or the plat map or aerial photograph showing the whole boundary and a road intersection.
- Applying with a commercial orchard or Christmas tree plantation, which do not qualify as forestland under OFTL.
- Leaving livestock in the woods; the form says land cannot be considered unless the owner is willing to keep them out.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form FT-6 used for?
Form FT-6, Application for Classification of Forest Land, is the application to have your land classified as forest land under the Ohio Forest Tax Law (OFTL). It is addressed to the Chief of the Ohio Division of Forestry and is the first step toward certification.
Who qualifies for the Ohio Forest Tax Law program?
Owners of at least 10 contiguous acres of forestland, not less than 120 feet wide, excluding home sites and building sites. The land needs enough commercial-species trees, must be accessible and marked, and orchards and Christmas tree plantations do not qualify.
Can I use OFTL and CAUV on the same forest land?
No. The form states that forest land acreage can be placed under only one tax reduction program, CAUV or OFTL. CAUV is applied for at the county auditor's office; OFTL is administered by the Ohio Division of Forestry.
Where do I send Form FT-6?
Return it to your service forester at the Ohio Division of Forestry with a copy of your property tax bill and a plat map or aerial photograph. Find a forester at forestry.ohiodnr.gov/serviceforesters or call (614) 265-6694.
Do I pay the application fee when I submit FT-6?
No. The form says not to submit the application fee at this time. A non-refundable fee applies later, paid by check to the Ohio Division of Forestry with the signed agreement form; contact the Division for the amount.
Who must sign the forest land application?
The person or persons in whose name the property is recorded in the County Auditor's office. Each owner of record signs under Signatures of Owner(s) and dates the form.
Can I fill out Form FT-6 online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent, is not connected to the Summit County Fiscal Office or the Division of Forestry, and does not file the application.
How long does OFTL certification last?
Certification is continuous unless land use changes, ownership changes, you withdraw, or you stop complying. Every five years you must self-certify compliance with your management plan, and the land may be examined by a State Forester.
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