Woodlot cutting value

[Rich VanValkenburg]

Anybody ever have their woodlot thinned and the trees paid for? I have a friend who was offered $2200.00 for about 50 trees of various species. Several white oaks, several hickory, most are maples. This is a dense lot and most of the trunks are 60 to 80 feet tall averaging 18 inch diameter. Very little taper with these trees. This is about $45 to $50 per tree which, IMHO, seems a little on the thin side. Around here he could probably make quite a bit more selling them as firewood.

The guy went through my lot too, and has 20 or more marked to cut if I approve. I won't, since many are maples that I tap in January.

I need some qualified opinions on this. Something doesn't feel right about it.

Rich

[Ron Williamson]

The forestry forum would have some opinions.
www.forestryforum.com
R

[Mrleft8]

50 trees with a breast high diameter of 18" (Call that 16" of usable wood) for the butt log @ $.50 PBF on the stump for the 10' butt log (Usually the only one the logger will pay for even if he knows they'll be milling a second) Each log will have approximately 100 bf per log. That's $50.00 per tree. If the logger is going to clean up the tops and leave the site clean I'd say it's reasonable. Especially if you can get him to leave you 5 cords of stacked 20" top logs for firewood....

[Bruce Hooke]

Building on what has already been said, keep in mind that an important aspect of the cost of logging is the condition in which the site is left. If you want someone to come in and selectively extract just certain trees without making a mess of the site, that is going to take more time and so mean you get less for your trees.

I would strongly encourage you to start by bringing in a forester who can develop a forest management plan for you. This will help you get a clear handle on how best to manage the stand to meet your long term goals. For example, it might well make sense to have the logger take out some less desirable trees and leave some good trees in order to promote the long-term health of the forest. You should start by considering what your long term goals are for this bit of woods. As an added bonus, in some states you can get a rebate on your property taxes if there is a forest management plan in place for the property.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

From what I was told, this logger leaves the tops where they fall. I talked to the other landowner yesterday and he's going to try to get the logger to show him a lot that he's cut. These trunks are long and straight, and those that are 18" breast high are still 18" at 50' or better. This lot was starting to get overrun with Ash but the emerald borer took care of that.

Rich

[Mrleft8]

If he's going to "Drop and chop" IE: take the good stuff and leave you with the mess and potential hazard, I'd tell the guy to take a flying....Leap.
At that price he ought to be dealing with the tops either by farming it out to a firewood vendor, or (as much as I hate to see this, and despise the practice) grinding the tops into chips.

[Mrleft8]

By the way.... The fact that the tree is a straight column up to 50-60+' is irrelavent to the logger. All he'll pay for in an Eastern decidious forrest is the butt log. Anything he gets above that is gravy for him. Thing is, the incidence of knots, rot pockets, and other degradation in the second and third logs are too high to pay money for. If you get a good second log, great! but don't count on it. More than likely, unless it's Cherry or Walnut, the second log is pallet wood.