What I Do
Health & Maturity of Your Forest
The first step is for me to walk your property and review the overall health and maturity of your woodlot. Because every property is unique and has its own special characteristics, I need to become familiar with your property in order to give you sound management advice. This initial consultation is free.
Determining Landowner's Objectives
Determining the landowner’s objectives is a crucial step in planning a timber harvest. I need to have a clear understanding of how you use your property in order to ensure that your individual needs and concerns are met. A few things to consider are:
• How long do you plan to own your property?
• Are you interested in wildlife habitat improvement?
• Would you like to improve the trail systems throughout your property?
• Is your primary objective to maximize your immediate financial return or are you most concerned with sustainable
consistent financial returns?
• Do you have a favorite location or a legacy tree that you do not want disturbed?
• Do you have any special concerns relating to your property? (for example, no harvesting during hunting season)
Timber Evaluation & Appraisal
Once I have a clear understanding of your objectives, it is time to begin laying out the timber sale. Property lines that are relative to the timber harvest area will be clearly marked. If skid roads and landing areas do not exist from previous timber harvests, they will be laid out accordingly. Then I begin the process of marking and measuring all of the trees that will be harvested. Each tree is measured to determine how many boardfeet of lumber it will yield. Based on the quality and volume of timber to be sold I will be able to give you my opinion of the fair market value of your trees. The actual value is determined through the bid process.
Bid Notice
Once all of the field work has been completed, it is time to develop a Bid Notice which will outline all of the details of your timber sale. This Bid Notice is sent to multiple timber buyers including sawmills, logging contractors, and log brokerage companies. Companies that are interested in your timber have two to three weeks to inspect the job site before placing a bid. Bids are opened and reviewed on a predetermined date, and the Timber Sale is awarded to the company whose offer is most beneficial to the landowner.
(Learn more about the bid process.)
Timber Sale Agreement & Payment
Once the Timber Sale has been awarded, the landowner and the buyer will need to sign a Timber Sale Agreement which I will supply. This Agreement is a legally binding document which explains the responsibilities of all parties in relation to this timber sale. Once the Timber Sale Agreement is signed, the landowner will be paid in full for the timber. The buyer typically receives one year to remove the timber from your property..
Timber Harvest
The buyer will notify me when they are ready to begin the harvest. At this time they will need to supply the appropriate insurance documents and a performance bond. Job inspections will be conducted during the timber harvest to ensure contract compliance. (Learn more about protecting the landowner.)
After the timber has been removed from the property the clean up work can begin. It is the buyer’s responsibility to level the skid roads and the landing area. Once the clean up is complete and all other terms of the Agreement have been met, the performance bond is returned and the job is complete.