Would you sell?

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

johninky

ArboristSite Operative
AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
293
Reaction score
279
Location
ky
Sister and I are seriously thinking about selling some standing timber located in NE Ohio. Timber in question is all red oak. Minimum dbh is 24 inches and probably ranges up to 27 inches. A logger has offered us roughly $400/tree for 200 trees. All the trees are perfectly straight and I am guessing probably have 30 feet logs before any limbing. Not much to make a decision without seeing the trees but wondering if "you" think this is a fair deal?
 
Call around get a couple few bids, or even contact some foresters (gasp!) If the first guy is a responsible logger he wont mind, but if he's a crook you should find out after a couple of bids.

Anyway I know next to nothing about the timber in OH, but if your thinking of harvesting and the timber looks good, may as well give er Hel.

A second option is to only log a small section and see how it looks and if the headache was worth it, then say next year or so cut some more.
 
I would certainly think so..... No way I could give $400 per tree for Red Oak down here....... Must be some dandy stuff! I would advise you to get more bids, or possibly a forester to come evaluate your timber. At that price there may be something up...... Maybe the market is just different there.
 
its hard to put a price per tree............only time i saw that here the guy was tryin to be shady. you should get a per thousand board feet price and a total for whats to be cut.
that said, they must be pretty nice for 400 per tree. just be care full hes not gonna come in and high grade it and leave the junk. it should be done right even if you make less this time so you can have more harvests later.
 
If the stand is on good ground and well managed, those numbers are possible. Maybe more if there are good numbers of clears and veneers in that stand.
Just a quick rough run on your minimum dbh and 30' clear for 200 could yield 119,000 for 20" or 97,000 bdft for 18" small end diameter on International scale. Reported stumpage prices for last spring for prime logs avg $887/Mbf. So, that puts the 97,000 right around $86,000.
What's left out is the stumpage upward from the 30' mark. Even lower grade leaves your money on the table.
For a quality stand, getting it cruised with a full tally to get hard numbers on volume of prime and veneer seems like it might bring some peace of mind for harvest value and stand management.
Prices seem to be up, partly for market and partly for long winter late spring log shortage.
fwiw

Ohio prices:
http://ohiowood.osu.edu/images/July_31_2014_Final.pdf
 
Stumpage is on the stump price for all merchantable timber, graded saw logs are are at the the mill headed into be cut, best get some one who at least understands the language.
 
We buy a **** load of standing timber mostly high grade an veneer... Look up ohio timber works or pm me.. Talk to ken or Nathan tell tem you talked to alan... We are just outside urbana rite now logging
 
Find a forester, have it cruised.

Yup. A third party with no financial interest in the timber. Never go with a mill's forester. They usually won't out-and-out rob you but any decisions...price, grade, hauling, road work. cleanup, ground remediation will generally be made in their favor.
 
If the stand is on good ground and well managed, those numbers are possible. Maybe more if there are good numbers of clears and veneers in that stand.
Just a quick rough run on your minimum dbh and 30' clear for 200 could yield 119,000 for 20" or 97,000 bdft for 18" small end diameter on International scale. Reported stumpage prices for last spring for prime logs avg $887/Mbf. So, that puts the 97,000 right around $86,000.
What's left out is the stumpage upward from the 30' mark. Even lower grade leaves your money on the table.
For a quality stand, getting it cruised with a full tally to get hard numbers on volume of prime and veneer seems like it might bring some peace of mind for harvest value and stand management.
Prices seem to be up, partly for market and partly for long winter late spring log shortage.
fwiw

Ohio prices:
http://ohiowood.osu.edu/images/July_31_2014_Final.pdf


You seem to be right on the money. Offer from one logger was $87,500. My sister found 2 walnuts she planted 50 years ago and there are 3 30 inch ash trees in the south end of the tract that I decided will be keepers.

Thanks for all the replies.
 
Another one to talk to is your accountant.
A lot of folks get a shock when that timber income gets the tax bill.
 
Another one to talk to is your accountant.
A lot of folks get a shock when that timber income gets the tax bill.
As with any change in income: it really makes a difference when you go up or down a tax bracket
 
You seem to be right on the money. Offer from one logger was $87,500. My sister found 2 walnuts she planted 50 years ago and there are 3 30 inch ash trees in the south end of the tract that I decided will be keepers.

Thanks for all the replies.
I assume you know the ash will die with the EAB bug and it wouldn't be surprising if it's already been infected. No reason to keep those trees unless you plan to treat them.

As for loggers, I'd get referrals and make sure the contract can not be sold to another logger. Also, I'd be more inclined to use horse logging if possible to cut down on soil impact/disruption.
 
Back
Top