This is a question which gets asked every time when I speak to landowners about selling timber.  It is a valid question and it is important for people to know just what they are paying for and how my services benefit them.

The single most important reason to hire a consultant to administer a timber sale or harvest is because consultants bring certainty into the equation.  Like any other investor, timber buyers are looking for certainty when they buy timber.   Since landowners aren’t in the timber business, they sometimes forget details or important aspects that only a professional would think about.  Things such as right-0f-ways, liens, boundary lines, and water quality laws are just a few subjects that are often glossed over, if at all.  This causes timber buyers to be leery- and rightly so, as many a buyer has been duped by landowners both intentionally and accidentally. This attention to detail puts buyers at ease and in a buying mood.

Additionally, landowners who try to sell timber on their own will sometimes unknowingly create problems that drive down the value of their timber.  A good example of this is the landowner who marks off a block of woods to harvest, but unknowingly creates an area that doesn’t lend itself to efficient or safe harvesting.  Not only do they inadvertently make harvesting the tract difficult, but they also make it hard for a buyer to effectively examine the timber  by having sale boundaries which haphazardly zigzag.

Finally, a consulting forester knows how to efficiently and accurately estimate  timber volumes.  These volumes help give buyers an idea of what is out on the property before leaving the office as many companies many only be interested in one or two types of products.   Supplemental information such as tree and log size are also helpful in not only giving buyers important information pertinent to timber value, but it also helps draw interest in the sale as a whole.

In general, the more accurate information that you can provide a buyer, the better and a consulting forester is the best way to get that important information out!

If you are interested  in learning more about your forests, give us a call!

Nathan R. Green- Forestry Consultant

N. R. Green Resource Consulting, LLC                                                                                  540-998-4712                                                                                                                                               forestrypro556@gmail.com