Timber Sales Tips

1. Landowner Objectives are Important: The best timber sales meet landowner objectives as well as provide a marketable and desirable sale.

• Landowner Objectives can vary. Obtaining a fair market price, maintaining a beautiful forest, leaving desirable trees for a future harvest, and providing hard mast trees for wildlife are common landowner objectives that often require leaving desirable trees for growing stock. Low-value and cull trees are to be removed along with the sale to prevent high grading.
• Protect your property and your neighbor’s. Streams, for example, need special attention and protection utilizing Kentucky’s Best Management Practices.

2. Woodland Access: Access is a big consideration regarding price.

• The location of log landings in relationship to good roads, as well as skid road location, is important. (Winter logging versus summer logging)
• Rough or steep uphill grades for both skidding and hauling can reduce the value of the timber.
• Right-of-way and boundary problems are the most limiting factor.

3. Competitive Bidding: Having two or more competitive bidders or potential bidders are important in the bid or negotiated sales. Access to a number of purchasers or bidders can often improve the bid value. Payments in advance safeguard your forest investment.

4. Sale Sold On Shares: A useful method for small sales, but sales cut on shares requires extremely trustworthy loggers who do an accurate job of accounting when merchandising your timber. The temptation to shortcut the landowner is very high. If the timber is not marked ahead of logging, your woodland could be high graded, leaving only (junk trees) low quality and cull trees for the next crop. Competitive bid sales are the best way to maximize profits.

5. Woodland Taxes: Manage your woodland as a business and make use of the capital gains tax rates. I will help provide the timber bases and tax information.

6. Timber Sales Contract: Use a good timber sales contract covered by liability insurance. Make sure contract requirements are met, and the sale is closed properly.

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Phone: 270-401-9594

Web Site: RLTaylorForestry.com