Steps in a Timber Harvest

Here are some steps that can prevent most timber sale problems:

DNR forester Jay Jordan measures an oak log

1. Write a forestry plan explaining why a harvest is needed, methods you want used to select which trees will be removed and follow-up actions. DNR foresters and private Cooperating Foresters can help you. A good plan considers how the harvest will affect wildlife, soil, erosion and other factors.
2. Let a forester mark the trees to be harvested. Sometimes they mark individual trees, other times they mark the borders of discrete harvest areas. In either case, the forester can give you an accurate estimate of the volume of timber to be removed before ANY trees are cut. You can adjust the proposal. Those volume estimates and a map should become part of a timber sale prospectus describing what is for sale, how it should be cut and other terms to protect your interests. DNR recommends that landowners (or their agents) write their own contracts as they protect you better than the contracts written by loggers. Guess whose rights the loggers' contracts protect! DNR can provide sample contracts for your review.
3. Ask loggers to bid on your harvest based on your prospectus. Don't sell to the first person who comes to the door with cash. You may not know the value of your timber, but loggers competing fairly for your contract will know it. Loggers who must compete for your bid will offer the most they can for the quality and quantity of timber you are selling.
4. One term of the contract will cover method of payment. Some landowners choose a lump-sum, 100 percent payment before the work starts. "Scaled" sales, where logs are measured in each load, offer payments as loads are shipped or delivered to mills. The risks are greater with such sales and should only be used with reputable loggers. The risks are also reduced if a scaled sale is supervised by a private forester working for you.