The timber in your woodlot is a valuable asset – not only does it significantly improve the aesthetics of your property, create habitat for a variety of wildlife, and act as an incredibly powerful natural “filter” to improve the quality of water that flows into underground aquifers and rivers, but it has tangible value by providing income as a wood product.
When selling your timber for income, there are several important considerations that landowners should be aware of in order to maximize the value received and minimize the negative impact on your property. Here is a brief checklist to consider:
- Decide on your management objectives. Some landowners want to manage their woodlots to provide for a combination of wildlife habitat and income, some for recreational use, and some just for periodic returns from timber sales. Knowing your future desires determines the best way for you to sell timber today.
- Know what to sell. Your objectives determine the species, size, quality and spacing of the trees that would be harvested and sold. Each example objective mentioned above would dictate a slightly different harvesting plan.
- Know how much you are selling. Once you decide what you are selling, it’s time to make sure a proper inventory is done of the trees to be sold. Final sale value is determined by the species and volume being offered, and volume is determined by specific measurements and subjective analysis of timber quality done during a timber inventory. The only way to be sure that you are being offered a fair price for your timber sale is to know what you are offering for sale in terms of volume and value.
- Know how to sell it. Timber can be sold in a variety of ways; through direct negotiation, or through a bid process. Each has its definite advantages depending on a number of circumstances, but most of the time, the competitive bid process provides the best results for the landowner.
- Protect yourself. Make sure you have a sound contract, protecting your position in the sale and describing any specific conditions you may require. A good contract also provides for a very clear and concise discussion of how payment is to be made. Also make sure you have financial recourse with the purchaser to help ensure that the logging operation is done responsibly. It’s also always good to somehow monitor the ongoing logging activity to help guard against any problematic circumstances before they may get out-of-hand.
We feel our most beneficial service to our clients comes into play during the sale of timber. As professional foresters, we understand the dynamics of the woodlot you own, and can talk with you about your land ownership objectives and how to manage your woodlot to achieve those objectives. We can help you develop the specifications for the timber sale that are designed to meet those objectives, and physically measure and mark each tree that would be sold.
Our staff of foresters and forest technicians are experts in timber inventory and sale design, and will accurately collect all the data needed to assure you of what you are selling and what the approximate market value is. We can then develop a detailed timber sale prospectus that would be sent to potential buyers (mills, loggers, etc.) within the market area of the timber being sold. We maintain a bidders list of reputable loggers and sawmills that are always looking for sale opportunities.
Finally, we are in a position to help you develop the proper contracts for the sale, and if you wish, can also help oversee the logging activities once they start, and make sure the sale area is cleaned up to standards when complete.
If you have an interest in finding out more about how to best sell your timber and the other benefits we provide, please don’t hesitate to contact a FORECON office nearest you. Almost all initial timber sale property visits are free, so call anytime!
