Figure 1. Relationships among three log rules in board-foot volume estimates for trees using the International 1/4-inch rule as a standard for comparison.
Updated 11/22/95
Years of growth are accumulated in a mature timber stand. The annual income from all those years is frequently marketed in a single transaction. Too much is at stake to sell timber without having accurate knowledge of products, volume, and value and without knowing how to establish the next crop for continued production.
Selling timber can be complicated. Trees are usually harvested by someone other than the seller, so their ultimate value to the landowner (also called stumpage value) is reduced by harvesting as well as transportation costs. Logging costs vary from tract to tract, and even vary depending on the type of logging system used.
Also the size, quality, and species of timber are highly variable. Specialized knowledge is required to identify tree species and to estimate volume and value within utilization standards accepted by local markets. Actual product volumes cannot be determined until the logs are processed (usually after the sale). Therefore, the volume of standing timber must be estimated using one of several "log rules" applied throughout the state.
There are no daily market price reports for stumpage, nor are there any government support prices. Both demand and price for many timber products fluctuate widely. Add to this the fact that many timber sales are once- or twice-in-a-lifetime occurrences. Learning from experience can be very expensive!
This Woodland Owner Note includes sections on questions to ask before you sell your timber, how timber is measured, factors affecting timber stumpage prices, steps to marketing timber, timber taxes, and a sample invitation to bid on timber. By asking the right questions at the right time, by approaching the subject in a businesslike fashion, and by getting appropriate assistance, you can make your next (or first) timber sale both a pleasant and a profitable experience.
Here are some questions you should ask:
Timber owners should have at least a basic understanding of how timber volumes are customarily determined. A timber "cruise" is an inspection of the timber stand made to estimate the volume of marketable timber present. In a stand of large or high-value timber, the cruise may involve measuring all merchantable trees. More commonly, the cruise is based on a systematic sample of trees on plots or strips representative of the entire stand.
Two measurements are usually needed on each tree: the diameter at a height of 4.5 feet above the ground line (diameter breast high or DBH), and the merchantable height. The height of sawtimber is generally recorded in terms of the number of "logs" (usually 16 feet long each) to some "merchantable top" (usually a small-end diameter of 7 inches or more inside the bark). Pulpwood tree height may be measured as the number of pulpwood sticks or feet to a merchantable top diameter (usually 4 inches on the outside of the bark); or total tree heights may be recorded. Tree measurements can be made using a timber scale stick or other forestry measuring devices. (See Woodland Owner Note No. 5, Measuring the Volumes of Standing Trees with a Scale Stick.)
Once the trees' diameters and heights are known, their volumes can be determined from various tree volume tables.
The Doyle, International 1/4-inch, or Scribner log rule may be used to estimate board-foot contents of measured trees. In North Carolina the Scribner rule is more frequently used for southern yellow pines, whereas the Doyle rule is more commonly used for hardwoods.
The choice of log rule can significantly change the volume estimate (Figure 1). If both the buyer and seller are aware of this and if price is adjusted accordingly, any log rule may be used because the total value of the timber (price times quantity) would remain the same. For example, a tree 14 inches in DBH containing two 16-foot logs might be estimated to contain 130 board feet by the International log rule or 115 board feet by the Scribner rule but only 75 board feet by the Doyle rule. A price of $115 per thousand board feet ($115/MBF) by the International rule would result in a $15 stumpage value for the tree, whereas appropriately adjusted prices of $130/MBF by the Scribner rule or $200/MBF by the Doyle rule would be required to generate the same $15 stumpage value for the tree.
Figure 1. Relationships among three log rules in board-foot volume estimates for trees
using the International 1/4-inch rule as a standard for comparison.
Weight scaling and other timber measurement units are sometimes used by North Carolina buyers. The choice of log rule or measurement unit is relatively unimportant to "lump sum" timber sellers. However, those who sell timber on a "per-unit" basis need to understand the units being applied. The seller should have some means of verifying measurements and know how to accurately convert measurements to more familiar units.
Many variables affect the price paid for standing timber:
Species. In most of North Carolina, southern yellow pine, white pine, and baldcypress bring higher stumpage prices than poplar or sweetgum. Poplar markets, however, have been improving in the mountains and western piedmont. High quality black walnut, black cherry, northern red oak, cherrybark oak, and white oak trees continue to bring premium prices. Species price varies widely with location and with changing market demand.
Quality and size. Large, sound trees with clear logs that could be used for lumber, veneer, or export products generally bring the highest prices.
Competitive markets. Competitive bidding by primary timber processors in the buying area tends to assure that a fair market value for timber is offered. The number of bidders and their interest in a sale can be influenced by advertising, which contributes to competition and positively affects the price paid. Some situations involving specialized products, unusual harvesting conditions, or poor markets may be better handled by negotiating with an appropriate buyer.
Acreage and volume. Logging operations require high capital investments in equipment. Low volumes of timber on small acreages cannot be logged profitably by highly mechanized and efficient contractors, so stumpage values generally increase with both volume and acreage.
Location. Distance to the mill, accessibility to good roads, and ease of logging are important factors affecting the price paid for stumpage. Most logging contractors would like all of their operations to be clear-cuts, located beside paved roads, near mills, on well-drained soils, and without contractual restrictions simply because these conditions reduce logging costs. Consequently, when logging conditions are more difficult and the distance to the mill is greater, the price that the buyer is willing to pay for stumpage will be lower.
Contract provisions. Restrictions placed upon the harvest of timber may protect the site or the landowner, but they usually reduce the price paid for the stumpage. You should include contract provisions that address important considerations. (See Woodland Owner Note No. 10, Timber Sale Agreements.)
Be well informed and be aggressive in marketing. Buyers have more confidence in sellers who use a businesslike approach. Here are some suggestions:
Consult with a professional. A recent study by Dr. Fred Cubbage of the University of Georgia indicates that professional help can be valuable. Landowners who received professional forestry assistance before harvesting timber averaged 23 percent more income per acre, received a 64 percent higher price per board foot, and had a projected income stream from future sales 120 percent higher as a result of improved regeneration and stocking.
Make certain that your timber is financially mature. Thinning may be more appropriate than clear-cutting. A short-term loan using timber as collateral could be less costly than a premature or inappropriate timber sale.
Check the current timber market demand and recent trends. Prices for sawtimber and other high-value products fluctuate widely.
Have a continuing management plan including reforestation. Well-planned timber sales can minimize regeneration costs.
Mark the sale boundaries clearly.
Have the timber cruised to estimate its volume, quality, and value. Forestry consultants are available and prepared for this work. Following the harvest, these professionals can also help establish a new timber crop that will have maximum value in the future. Professionals may charge a daily or acreage fee, or they may handle all sales-related activities on a percentage commission basis. A percentage commission provides a consultant with the strongest motivation to get "top dollar" on a timber sale, although it could also encourage selling more timber or selling it sooner. Daily or acreage charges might be less expensive, but they generally remain due even if no timber is sold. A list of forestry consultants may be obtained from county Cooperative Extension Centers or from the North Carolina Forest Service. (See Woodland Owner Note No. 6, A Consumer's Guide to Consulting Foresters.)
Inform adjoining landowners of any proposed timber sales to make certain that boundary and access road locations are acceptable. Combining sales among neighboring tracts can sometimes increase volumes without substantially increasing logging costs, which could result in higher prices to the sellers.
Advertise the timber to all reliable buyers in the area. High-value products or tracts could attract buyers from as far away as 100 miles. Most buyers are listed by county in the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources publication, Buyers of Forest Products in North Carolina. County Extension Centers and Forest Service offices also have this information for their counties.
Buyers can best be notified by sending them invitations to bid on timber (see the sample on the following page). Provide as much information about the timber, the tract, and contract restrictions as can be given in the bid invitation. Describe payment provisions, including any security deposits or performance bonds that will be required. Also include with the invitations copies of vicinity maps, plat maps, or aerial photographs indicating the location of the timber offered for sale.
Conduct the timber sale as advertised. Many marketing experts believe that sealed bids usually result in a higher offer than auctions or negotiated sales. Allow at least a month for buyers to make their own examinations, or timber cruises, before the sale is held. Reserve the right to refuse any or all bids.
A written contract in which the rights and obligations of buyer and seller are detailed should be prepared or approved by the seller's lawyer before the sale is completed. Important restrictions mentioned in the bid invitations should be included. The seller may wish to require his representative to hold a performance bond that is refunded to the buyer when all contract provisions have been satisfactorily met or used if necessary to correct contract violations. The contract may be used to pass title to the timber and to document that all aspects of harvest and payment meet both the buyer's and seller's approval. Contracts should be signed by both parties, notarized, and recorded in the county courthouse for protection of all concerned. A buyer may require a timber seller to produce and sign a timber deed and might conduct a limited search on that deed to be assured of clear title to the purchased timber. This is good business practice, but timber deeds are no substitute for contracts unless they include provisions to protect the seller.
Timber is a capital asset. Timber sales frequently involve substantial fluctuations in forest landowners' taxable incomes. Tax provisions change frequently and sometimes drastically. You should consult with your tax accountant or attorney, or a good, current reference when planning your timber sale. Take advantage of favorable tax provisions to minimize your legal tax liability.
Figure 2. Sample invitation to bid on timber.
You need not sell timber frequently to sell it successfully, but marketing can be a mysterious and complex process. Remember that a single sale may be your only chance to cash in on the many years of annual income accumulated in a mature timber stand. No single publication could cover all possible marketing situations, nor could it make you an expert timber seller. But there are questions you should ask, and answers you should know. See a forester for help before you sell your timber. Know what to sell and when to sell. Plan for reforestation. Be a tough trader. In short, market your timber in a businesslike manner to get the most that it will bring.
Other Woodland Owner Notes Available:
Prepared by
William E. Gardner, Extension Forest Resources Specialist
William M. Stanton, Extension Forest Resources Specialist (retired)
Published by
NORTH CAROLINA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
Distributed in furtherance of the Act of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
3/95-5M-DWD-(Revised)
WON-19