Tell me about selective tree thinning/loggin

[snoozy]

I am in arrears on my property taxes, and unfortunately, my county does not allow people who are late on their taxes to pay in installments: you can only pay up at once including all interest and penalties. Meanwhile, my heavily forested 4 acres needs some selective trimming because I need more sunlight for my garden. So I thought maybe I could kill two birds with one stone and sell some timber.

It has been 11 years since I had a guy clear a 1 acre whole in my forest -- it's phenomenal what devastation one guy with a chainsaw and a backhoe can do in a weekend! I think I basically got ripped off -- they took out 3 truckloads of straight timber and pulpwood, and the cost of the guy downing the trees and leveling the building site remarkably came to the same figure...but I didn't know anybody here because I had just moved here, so I got what I got.

I have 50 and 60 year old Douglas fir and Western Red Cedar and Red Alder on the property, but because of obstacles, whoever takes out these trees is going to have to be very careful of fruit trees, etc. How much can I expect to get for large trees? How can I be sure I'm getting a fair deal? Has the price of timber gone down because of the fall-off in construction? What questions do I need to ask when I am interviewing prospective loggers?

I don't want the place clear cut -- I just want to sell some of the big ones.

[big rockpile]

Don't have any idea in your area.But around here a logger will not touch just a few trees where they have to watch where they fell them.They like to cut and go.Most in your situation would charge you.

big rockpile

[Triffin]

Snoozy ..

Contact your county forester .. He/she should be able to
give you the proper advice for your area and would know
the local loggers ..

Triff ..

[MELOC]

i get the idea that the red cedar would be in demand, or at least desirable...i saw them using helicopters to harvest it on tv. if a company can afford to use helicopters to transport trees, they must have value.

if time is of the essence, you better get the ball rolling now. it seems to take a lot of time for a logger to schedule logging and actually start the cut. most contracts that i am familiar with offered a percentage at the signing of the contract and a percentage when the cut began or was completed. in other words, don't expect to get a check next week. if you need the money soon, get started now.

[Mike in Ohio]

Snoozy,

4 acres is pretty small for most logging companies (At least in my area), especially for selective cutting. You might want to check with a certified forester. The other thing to remember is that it's not just the trees cut down. You also need to consider the damage to bumpers (trees that the skidders will use for turning the cut logs, etc).

Good luck.

Mike

[MaineFarmMom]

Why did he use a backhoe?

Sixty trees isn't worth much. You might have to pay someone. It's likely to be more problem than it's worth to someone who has to haul equipment to the site, pick and choose his way around other trees, find a buyer and haul the logs away or find someone who will haul the logs.

[just_sawing]

First of all 60 tree is worth it. Second of all there are a lot of Loggers on the side line right now and even the big boys are working littler jobs.
I would contact some independent Sawyers. The big mills here aren't buying much but I would buy a truck load right now and pay cash for it. (I,m in TN so it doesn't help)
If you have a trailer (Car Trailer will work) and a truck you can become a logger of sorts. I have a man bringing me 5 7 inch cedars at a time once twice a week. He is loading them by hand and hauling $100.00 at a time. A little guy like me doesn't matter.
Here are some pictures of what is called Parbuckling. A little tractor can do what the mule is doing

[snoozy]

So how much would a truckload be worth? I don't suppose you have Douglas fir back east, though, do you? Does it go by weight or length/board ft?

[amelia]

Snoozy, this website, which shows timber values in various areas of Washington state, might be of help to you.

http://dor.wa.gov/content/findtaxesa...rst_stump.aspx

From what I understand, timber prices are at a cyclical low (see for yourself what the year-over-year numbers are), so you might be cutting yourself short by logging now.

Earlier this year, I looked at the cost of doing a 50% selective cut on 40 acres of mixed species. At the then-current price per board foot in my area, the logging cost together with taxes, permits, and fees just about ate up the entire amount I would have realized.

[snoozy]

Originally Posted by amelia

Snoozy, this website, which shows timber values in various areas of Washington state, might be of help to you.

http://dor.wa.gov/content/findtaxesa...rst_stump.aspx

From what I understand, timber prices are at a cyclical low (see for yourself what the year-over-year numbers are), so you might be cutting yourself short by logging now.

Earlier this year, I looked at the cost of doing a 50% selective cut on 40 acres of mixed species. At the then-current price per board foot in my area, the logging cost together with taxes, permits, and fees just about ate up the entire amount I would have realized.

Sigh. Thanks for the info.

[Mutti]

We just had the state forester out and he said we have alot of marketable timber; was logged about 20 years ago hit and miss. Plan to cut ourselves, have a sawmill brought in and mill/stack for ourselves. Lots of small loggers around here and we do know a couple we'd trust to do it; the one used mules the first time he did our place and minimial destruction to the land. DEE

[Mutti]

We just had the state forester out and he said we have alot of marketable timber; was logged about 20 years ago hit and miss. Plan to cut ourselves, have a sawmill brought in and mill/stack for ourselves. Lots of small loggers around here and we do know a couple we'd trust to do it; the one used mules the first time he did our place and minimial destruction to the land. DEE

[logbuilder]

Originally Posted by amelia

Earlier this year, I looked at the cost of doing a 50% selective cut on 40 acres of mixed species. At the then-current price per board foot in my area, the logging cost together with taxes, permits, and fees just about ate up the entire amount I would have realized.

Amelia,

Keep those logs for yourself. Build a log cabin. Use wood as your primary heat source. Using a chainsaw is not that hard with some instruction and a lot of common sense and respect. Add to it a hydraulic log splitter and you are good to go on firewood for life with 40 acres. Good exercise too.

Robert

[Sawmill Jim]

In this end of the world no one would look at a small plot unless it was white oak or walnut.Here our present market is RR tyes . I have a six acre clear cut i have been putting off till i get close to it as moving and labor cost can eat it up in a hurry now days .If you try doing it yourself be careful i been hit two times I try to hire a timber cutter an that takes a bite out of the deal too. Some places have horse loggers probably they make a few bucks due to low over head some do it as a hobby .Me when the weather breaks i got to roll just to pay labor,fuel an payments Good luck hope it work out ok for you

[Gregg Alexander]

60 mature trees are worth cutting. Mills around here are not buying logs at all , there are 8 total and shut down to try and move product. You could find a man with a portable saw mill and hve the trees cut into lumber and stack it in the dry and build any thing you need in the future or sale some to friends and family and defer cost of harvest and sawing

[Beeman]

Listen to what Just Sawing said. Put some time in and find sawyers and kiln operators. A few good trees should easily be worth the effort. Is there a reason why you can't drop them and pull them out yourself?

[Mostie]

There's a place in WA State, I am always forgetting the name...I think it's Log Home Builders Association- they teach you how to build log homes yourself, and I've gone to the site numerous times (you would think the name would be as familiar as my own, but...)- ANYway- you might try contacting them- they have people who are always looking for logs- just a thought

[logbuilder]

Originally Posted by Mostie

There's a place in WA State, I am always forgetting the name...I think it's Log Home Builders Association- they teach you how to build log homes yourself, and I've gone to the site numerous times (you would think the name would be as familiar as my own, but...)- ANYway- you might try contacting them- they have people who are always looking for logs- just a thought

Mostie is right. I am a member of that association and could facilitate if this is of interest.

[Mostie]

So...logbuilder, you're a member - awesome! Did you build a home already? We would LOVE to attend the classes, but being in MI, the cost of travel/lodging/class itself is just out of our reach.

Wanna sell your notes?!

[snoozy]

Originally Posted by logbuilder

Mostie is right. I am a member of that association and could facilitate if this is of interest.

Really? Please drop me a private message!