Authored by Paul Jeffreys, Ph.D.
Paul is the ArborGen Reforestation Advisor for Alabama and Mississippi. He is also the Manager of Special Projects and Sustainability.
Would you ever consider representing yourself in a trial if you faced allegations that you committed a crime and are completely innocent?
You would want to use the most knowledgeable and experienced attorney you could get regardless.
Nor would you represent yourself in a lawsuit that could result in you having to pay a large sum of money so that you wouldn’t have to pay a lawyer for their services.
Would you sell your current home or real estate without having an estimate of the property so that you know you are getting a fair and competitive price for your property?
You also wouldn’t attempt to buy anything without knowing its value beforehand.
Too often, landowners choose to manage their timberlands or sell their timber themselves to save from paying a professional and miss out on all the knowledge a qualified forestry consultant offers. This is especially true for absentee landowners who can’t be present at the most critical times during the life of your timber stands.
First and foremost, a consultant can assist with the preparation of a Management Plan that will serve as a “Road Map” for your timberland. These plans will consist of stand descriptions and delineations that will differentiate individual stands (e.g., Pine, Hardwood, or Mixed) by age and composition. The Management Plan will also have harvesting schedules, intermediate thinnings, and management applications to maximize the landowner’s return on investment.
Second, forestry consultants can prepare and advertise timber sales for their landowner clients to buyers ready to be harvested. This service is probably the most essential service that consultants provide.
A reputable consultant will inventory (cruise) the timber for the landowner before the advertisements are sent out to ensure that the timber’s actual value is known. They will mark stand boundaries and provide maps with the bid requests so the buyers know they are all bidding on the right stand.
The bids will be opened at a set day, time, and location by the consultant, who will advise the landowner whether an acceptable offer was received.
Following the timber sale, the consultant will handle all contracts between the timber buyer and seller. They will also address any performance bonds that ensure the logger follows all State and Federal Best Management Practices and returns the property to an acceptable condition before leaving the tract. Additional services provided by Forestry Consultants are map preparation, stand regeneration, site prep treatments, controlled burns for site prep, and intermediate management. They can also include logger supervision, forest health evaluation, cost share applications, tax preparation, and many more services landowners may not be aware of.
The benefits of using a professional forestry consultant are numerous. Still, the main benefit is peace of mind knowing you have knowledgeable representation in creating value from your timberland. Whether you are a new timberland owner, have owned the property for many years, or have property passed down from generation to generation, a Forestry Consultant can help with all management areas. When considering the investment in using a Professional Forestry Consultant to manage your timberland, I’m reminded of a quote from an unknown author:
“If you think it is expensive to hire a professional, just wait till you hire an amateur.”
If you are looking for a list of qualified forestry consultants in your area, I suggest contacting your State Forestry Commission office, State Board of Registered Foresters, the Association of Consulting Foresters, and the Society of American Foresters.
