Resources
Do you have any questions?
Below are some answers to common questions about timber harvesting.
How much is my timber worth?
This is the obvious question everyone has. Unfortunately, it all depends on too many factors that cannot be answered with a simple phone call or search on the internet. Trees vary by the acre, by quality of tree, quantity per acre, and area of the country where your land is. You can certainly use the internet and state forestry services to see trends in prices, but local prices vary quite a bit. Prices vary on species of trees and how much timber is available for sale at one time. Do you have a lot of mills competing for a limited quantity of wood or is your timber in an area where traffic is heavy and local regulations are difficult? Many factors can affect the price of your timber.
If you are ready to sell your timber or manage your property, North Georgia Timber can make a site visit and give you an estimate of values.
How will my land look after a timber harvest? (Give it time to heal)
The harvesting is an invasive process to the land and requires large equipment and trucks to access your property. New roads, loading sites, and stream crossings are all potentially part of the harvest. North Georgia Timber tries to manage every job to maximize revenues, but to also minimize the impact of the harvest on the forest and esthetics. The type of trees harvested, pine or hardwood, large or small, affects the way a harvest looks. Every harvest that North Georgia Timber commits too will have a plan in place for harvesting specifications and can include how to handle the logging debris and limbs that the harvest generates. There are many ways to reduce the aesthetic impact of a harvest and our years of experience in harvesting on sensitive Metro Atlanta sites can help reduce the disturbance or perception of disturbance – ask your forester how.
No one can or should promise a pristine job, but North Georgia Timber puts every effort to make the process as clean as possible. Time heals the forest.
Do I have to cut all my trees?
No. A timber harvest can mean “thinning” timber or a partial cut. Thinning allows us to remove some of the trees and take partial revenue from the stand. The remaining trees are allowed to continue growing for future cutting and management. A North Georgia Timber forester can explain to you onsite what options you have and how you can manage your land effectively.
How do I sell my timber, lump sum or by the ton?
There are many ways to sell your timber, the two most common is to sell it lump sum or by the ton.
Lump sum offers the landowner a onetime payment for the harvest of agreed upon timber on the property. The value is determined, an agreeable contract is entered into, and the onetime payment is exchanged at the signing of the contract (subject to applicable timber taxes). The ownership of the trees are transferred to the harvesting company when contract is signed and paid for.
By the ton offers the landowner payment as trees are harvested. The process is the same, where an agreeable timber contract is entered into, but payment is made as the timber is harvested. All timber is weighed at the mill on D.O.T. certified scales producing a mill ticket. The ticket’s net weight is utilized to pay the landowner weekly based on contract rates as the timber is cut. “Pay as you cut” offers the landowner flexibility to make some adjustments during the harvest.
Do I mark the boundary lines or does the timber harvester?
The best scenario is to always know where your property corners and boundaries are. If you do not, North Georgia Timber can mark approximate locations of the lines based on property deeds provided, but the most accurate way is to employ a certified surveyor to mark the lines exactly. Utilizing a surveyor allows you to harvest all the timber on your property without any question.
We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. Give us a call at
404-606-2569, or email at info@northgeorgiatimber.com