Selling access to our trees for firewood ???

[Cascade Failure]

There is a three acre section of our property, mixed hardwoods that are mostly oak, that I am thinking of offering up access to a neighbor for him to cut firewood. He sells firewood for a living. Busy guy, trucks back and forth all of time.

Mutually beneficial...I am looking to raise some cash, not much, and he gets to drive across a shared property line to work. Saves him time and gas.

Who here has done this? What advice or suggestions can you offer? I really need advice on fair pricing.

[Darren]

Three acres would not take long to clear cut. Do you want to stay on good terms with your neighbor? We allowed our logger neighbor to cut two trees for cash once. Later he cut several he thought was on his side of the line. We didn't find out until months afterwards when we found the stumps.

How much does a cord of split wood sell for in your area? Your neighbor won't want to pay anywhere near that. Do you know how to figure how many cords can be cut from standing timber? Is he trustworthy enough that you're comfortable letting him do the talley? Have you had money dealings with him in the past or do you know someone that has?

Sorry to question so much. We've had ongoing problems with tresspassers including some who helped themselves to trees. Once some see a non-owner cutting trees how do you stop others that think they have a right to cut since they saw someone else doing it?

[pheasantplucker]

no way...If I'm cutting for me and a neighbor wants to help do half and get half...for one or two trees, that's one thing, but to give up three acres like you're suggesting...I see potential for more problems than it's worth...good friendships have dissolved over less.

[crispin]

I wouldn't do it either.
I let my neighbor have some the tops of my trees that were logged recently.
I do not charge him anything.
My DSO and I went to go for a ride up my property today and I couldn't believe how many partially cut up tree tops were strewn all over my trails. It was hard to get through even with my large 4x4 UTV. Now I have to go and clean up his mess. No one respects your property like you do. I have learned that lesson a few times.

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

3 acres of trees in this economy are as valuable as silver or gold. Think of them as "Food (Fuel) Storage".

[ChristieAcres]

The only one who logs on our property is DH! We are planning to take a hike back in our forest to pick out a few he wants to send to the mill. DH asked me about our property line on that side, as he couldn't find the marker. I am going to show him, so there is no mistake when he takes down trees (our property borders 20 acres of forest owned by a neighbor). Our property was surveyed before we bought it. I agree 100% with YuccaFlatsRanch! We heat our home, my office, and our shop with wood stoves (3 of them). DH is planning to build us a boiler (licensed Machinist/Welder, who does his homework, knows a boiler maker, too). Wood is valuable to us!

[davel745]

I agree wood is going to be the money of the future. Don’t give it away.

Dave

[Micheal]

Since it appears you don't "need" the wood, but do "need" the money; what I would do:
Offer the wood to him.
If he's interested, then go with him and mark the trees that he can cut determine a "fair" price, and a time frame for him to get in and be done.
Of course discuss what condition the area will be left in as to waste, ruts, etc...

[Belfrybat]

I did something similar on my old place. Instead of $$ the person cutting gave me 1/4th of what he cut. He was very respectful and cut only what we decided on beforehand. I marked the trees I did not want cut. I got enough firewood for almost three years, the wooded area thinned out so sunlight could get through better and he made a fair price for his labour. The only issue was burning the piles of small branches. He was supposed to come back and burn them after the burn ban was lifted, but only did half. It was an unusually dry year and a burn ban was on for almost 6 months, so I really think he forgot to come back.

But all in all it was a mutually beneficial deal.

[Cascade Failure]

Thanks everyone. To be clear, the three acres is only a small portion of our wooded acreage.

[kirkmcquest]

What's your liability if he gets injured?

[Tad]

A selective thinning will improve a wood lot and make the trees grow faster. If you have no injury liability and you agree on the trees before hand and you need or want the cash I say go for it.

[oregon woodsmok]

It'll take him 2 days to clear cut 3 acres and he'll probably leave a mess.

If you are going to have 3 acres logged, call around and get several people to come and bid on the wood. You might as well get maximum price for it.

You'll come out with a lot more money if you cut and sell the wood yourself. However, I agree with the others. Those trees are money in the bank and heat for your own home in the future when heating oil requires a mortgage to purchase enough for one winter.

[Ken Scharabok]

Yes, talk to your insurance agent first.

I doubt three acres would interest a commercial logging company but do advertise for bids which end of a certain date. Highest bidder.

Write up a contract with your specifications. For example, no trees may be cut which are under 12" in diameter at top of stump height. Logger must stack tops in piles where, when burned, will not damage remaining trees. Logger may not use any logging equipment such as skid loaders. One-half in advance, 100% when 75% of the trees to be harvested have been.

On tree diameter loggers sometimes have 'elactic rulers'.

Of course, there is the neighbor to neighbor aspect. If he is a good neighbor you might cut him a deal.

[Oldcountryboy]

You sure you don't need that wooded area for your own needs? Free heat for your own home, nut trees for your baking needs, squirrel o'gratin from high off the tree tops!

[Michael W. Smith]

I guess I am confused. (Nothing new there!)

Are you talking of him cutting out the dead / diseased misshapened trees, or are you talking about him clearcutting the whole 3 acres? What size trees are we talking about - 6" diameter, 10" diameter, 16" diameter, or even bigger?

If they are 15" or so, I'm sure a logger could be interested, but they aren't going to come for just 3 acres. If you have more woodland, you could have a select cut done (where they clean out what is there to open up the area so future growth) so you could get money from the timber, and then the neighbor could come up and clean up the tree tops - lumbering leaves lots of firewood.

If they are just small trees, I'm not so sure what kind of deal you are looking for.

However, right now timber prices are low (not much home building, etc going on.) And even to have your property timbered, you need to get several bids and go with the best logger. (Not always the highest bid but who is going to do what YOU WANT, and still give you a fair deal.)

And ALWAYS get everything in writing from a logger. You want it in the lumber contract what is allowed to be taken, what isn't allowed to be taken, how much time is allowed to get in and be done, etc. And don't get a contract and then do some things verbally - it all needs to be in writing!!!!

[VaFarmer]

Don't clear cut if you can avoid it (errosion). But a lot of the small stuff is going to get damaged selective cutting, or clear cut and plant forestry service seedings in the area properly spaced. Specify depris clean up and size of brush piles, a giant brush pile in a small area like that may not ever be safe to torch off unless everything is covered in snow. Biggest problem I had after clearing areas is the tree stumps, cut them off close to the ground but still could not safely mow or plow in the area, so planted white pine & black walnut seedlings and never went back there for 5 yrs. Had a good healthy stand of trees after 15yrs. The pines were 20ft plus & walnuts 10ft. Other areas planted saw tooth oak which is a fast grower and sorta a hard wood. Don't give the wood away, and think about your long term use of the property and how this action fits.

[Ken Scharabok]

Call your state forestry office. They can send someone out to give you an evaluation. You might have some veneer quality trees worth several hundred dollars each. I sold a single one this past year for about $500.

[fishhead]

Your forestry dept can tell you what stumpage for different species of trees is selling for now. Then you could get someone to scale the trees or tell the logger to pile them for scaling before he cuts them into length.

Selective cutting can increase the value of the forest so I would consider that over clear cutting unless you want a clearing.