The Lincoln Times

Timber Owner Given Advice On Selling

Selling timber, like any other business transaction, should be fair to both parties, says Jim Andersen, State College extension forestry specialist.

Andersen adds that until very recently, such an idea would have seemed absurd to many people. Landowners were too often "stuck" when they sold their timber.

Now, occasionally, "the shoe is on the other foot." Andersen says that sometimes it's the timber-buyer who gets "burned."

Andersen says that while only a very small percentage of timber sales find the buyers holding the bag, those few instances are used to justify sloppy harvesting practices. Buyers claim they must cut costs to come out ahead, resulting in "butchered" woods.

So Andersen advises the timber owner to consider more than price when selling timber. It's a good idea to consider the reputation of the buyer and insist on signing a written agreement which will insure that woods are left in a productive condition.

He warns that too much "price pressure" on a buyer may lead to a disastrously poor job of logging -- which may comply to the letter of the contract, yet leave a ravaged woodlot.