Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level
Background:
Heirs’ property is a significant cause of land loss. To address this concern, a team of leading educators in the field have designed a three-part training program to help community members take action to protect their lands. The three sections walk participants through an overview of heirs’ property, strategies for preventing heirs’ property, and key considerations in resolving heirs’ property. The Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University, the Southern Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC), and the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) are anchor partners in the effort through funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Farm Service Agency, and the National Resource Conservation Service.
Target Audience: The train-the-trainer workshop is designed for Land-Grant professionals who will, in turn, use the materials to provide training to families and communities in their home states.
Upcoming Training Events:
June 8 & 9, 2025: Charleston, WV; Fundamentals
The June 8th and 9th, "Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Train-the-Trainer" session is a pre-conference event for NACDEP. If you plan to attend the NACDEP Conference, please register for this training through the NACDEP registration portal at https://www.nacdep.net/. If you are not attending the NACDEP Conference but would like to be added to a standby list for this training, please access registration at https://msudafvm.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4YZNQ1nroN0ubR4
For NACDEP Conference attendees: If you are attending the conference, please reserve your room through the conference room block, with check-in on Monday, June 9th. The Policy Research Center will book and cover the cost of your room for June 7th and 8th.
Not attending NACDEP Conference: If you are not attending the NACDEP Conference, please specify your arrival and departure dates on the standby registration form. The Research Policy Center will reserve your rooms based on this information.
September 25 & 26, 2025: Louisville, KY; Fundamentals
September 29 & 30, 2025: Charlotte, NC; Advanced
October 1 & 2, 2025: Charlotte, NC; Fundamentals
November 4 & 5, 2025: Santa Fe, NM; Fundamentals
Fundamentals: Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level
Advanced: Must have previously completed Fundamentals to attend. Land Use and the 2018 Farm Bill, Land Valuation for Heirs' Property, and Heirs' Property Volunteer Navigator Initiative.
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What is heirs' property?
Overview
The USDA defines heirs’ property as land that has been passed down informally from generation-to-generation. In most cases, it involves landowners who died without a will. Heirs’ property is land owned “in common” by all of the heirs, regardless of whether they live on the land, pay the taxes, or have ever set foot on the land.
Geographic areas heavily impacted:
- Appalachia
- Colonias of South Texas
- Mississippi River Delta Region
- Native American Tribal Lands
- Southern Crescent Region (Blackbelt Region)
State Training Teams List
Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA) 49
Partners
