At the end of the day, the bottom line has to work for every landowner. Whether land serves as a primary source of income, an investment asset, conservation purposes or for personal enjoyment, economics are key to long-term ownership and successful management. WLA provides landowners with information, resources and opportunities to share knowledge with one another in order to save time, avoid costly mistakes and increase economic viability.
Securing Your Legacy on the Land, Part 3: Alternate Ownership Structures
What factors should you consider when selecting an ownership structure for your ranch? What questions should you be sure to answer before deciding? What are differences between an LLC, a C Corporation, and an S Corporation? What are the benefits to partnership, cooperative or shared ownership structures, and what are the drawbacks? Why or when would someone choose a less common ownership structure? These questions and more are addressed in this third part of our 5 part succession planning for landowners series with Bank of America family office practice expert Howard Weiss.
Securing Your Legacy on the Land, Part 2: Family Governance
What defines "family governance" and what key factors drive the type of governance structure a family puts into place? How does one effectively integrate family members into its governing structure? What are some governance issues one encounters when creating and administering trusts? These and other critical questions relevant to succession planning for landowners are addressed in this second of a five-part Q&A with a nationally recognized expert – Bank of America's Howard Weiss.
Securing Your Legacy on the Land, Part 1
When should a succession plan be put in place? Who should be involved? What are the basic components of a farm or ranch business succession plan? Who can help put it in place?
To answer these critical and other critical questions, we reached out to a nationally recognized expert for guidance. Howard Weiss is the Senior Vice President and Family Office Practice Expert at Bank of America. In this first of a five-part Q&A with WLA’s Hallie Mahowald, Howard shares his expertise on conveying land—and a legacy of good stewardship—to the next generation. March 2019.
Conservation Economics on Western Working Lands
What policy conditions would empower landowners to allocate time, talent and resources to biodiversity and connectivity?
This question is the center of a recent WLA paper, which treats conservation primarily as a certain desirable form of economics, focusing less on conservation as the setting aside or protection of lands. Ultimately, it argues, the next era of conservation must focus on creating fertile conditions for private stewardship. December 2018.
Succession Planning and Governance: Key Principles and Issues to Consider
In January 2018, WLA hosted "Legacy on the Land: Compelling Stories and Creative Tools for Land Succession" in Santa Fe, New Mexico. During the forum, Howard Weiss from US Trust provided expertise on succession planning and governance. Check out his detailed presentation.
Beyond Boundaries in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
In Summer 2016, WLA co-hosted the Beyond Boundaries Landowner Symposium in Cody, Wyoming, which included discussions on emerging science and new policies related to working lands and private ownership in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond.
Succession Planning Tools from the Farm Journal Legacy Project
"A family focused on taking constructive action will achieve succession planning success." The Farm Journal Legacy Project provides downloadable succession planning tools for landowners broken out into key topics including "getting started" and "financial management".
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