day assessments are usually done on a per-hour or per-acre basis, and the charge for writing and overseeing a complete timber-stand improvement plan depends on whether there are log sales involved.

Forester Robert Clark of Carthage, Ill., ( www.clarkforestryconsulting. com), provided this paraphrased rundown on what happens after hiring a private forester. By the way, Clark’s consulting firm was the one who came to the rescue of the aforementioned retired engineer.

First, the forestry consultant estab-lishes the exact boundaries of the property and cruises it to determine the forest’s composition, present and future log value and overall condition. After presenting a verbal assessment to the property owner, the consultant assists that owner with long-term timber-stand improvement goals.

The finalized written plan might include any combination of these:

*Immediate marking and sale of mature trees.

*Marking and systematic thinning of unwanted, diseased or crowded trees.

*Clear-cutting defined areas followed by replanting of more desirable trees.

*Understory burn-off.

*Spot-specific chemical kill-off of an undesirable understory or invasive species.

*Pruning trees to increase their future value.

If the owner elects to sell mature timber, a consultant will request bids from at least 30 buyers. Only one-third of those will ever visit the forest, and only one-half of those buyers will actually submit sealed bids. The consultant

Les Davenport

then matches the high bid against his estimated value, which was established by taking the total board-footage times the present market value of each tree species and their grades (pallet, furniture or veneer).

A conscientious forestry consultant will oversee the cutting to ensure process integrity. Although most loggers are honest and hardworking, a few have been known to litter, cut unmarked trees or steal tree stands. So when the cutting is complete, be sure to do your own once-over.

As a rule, consultants charge a percentage of log sales for this service. This can run from 3 percent to 10 percent depending on the tract size and the number and quality of logs

harvested. This percentage is more negotiable when log value is high. If there are no log sales, a consultant could charge by the job, hour or acre. Be sure to get an up-front estimate.

Step 3: Follow Up

Many new woodland owners start out gangbusters and quickly fall off the map when it comes to annual follow-up of their timber-stand improvement plan. Forests can quickly regress without a yearly self-reassessment. The first three years into a plan are the most critical. Removal of mature or cull trees opens a greater degree of light through the forest canopy, sparking fresh growth. Without constant monitoring of this new understory, invasive species can crowd out plants that attract deer.

Lush vegetation on a forest floor is as important to whitetails and other wild-

 

life as the tree life that produces a mast crop. This is even more true in Northern or Deep South woodlands lacking nut trees. When pulpwood prices are good, it’s often advised to systematically clear-cut small patches throughout a large pine or poplar forest to enhance deer food. These areas can be burned off after cutting and then replanted with saleable trees that are recommended by a forester. Legumes, cereal grains or orchard grasses do well in clear-cut areas until saplings completely canopy the ground again.

It’s wise to invite your timber-stand improvement consultant back at least every two or three years for a quick follow-up assessment. Here are two

good examples of what you could learn during the revisit:

1. A root, parasite, fungal disease, leaf wilt or tatter, or an insect’s larva or bore might have invaded your region. Your forester might advise you to log newly infected trees before they have no worth.

2. You might be informed by the forester that an invasive vine has taken hold in your forest’s understory. He might recommend a state program that provides free assistance for killing off this insidious creeper.

Ironically, as early as the 1970s, foresters advised the federal government to cut a 1-mile clear-cut around Yellowstone to save it from a southern pine beetle moving steadily northward. The advice was not heeded, and now thousands of acres of Yellowstone’s beautiful pine-covered mountains and

 

flats are progressively being killed off by those beetles.

Annual wildfires have destroyed thousands of additional acres because of our government’s practice of no clear-cutting in Yellowstone. We have altered nature’s path by way of global warming, so why is it not now our duty to manage Yellowstone and all national and state forests in a way that enhances their beauty and benefits wildlife?

Sign Up … or Not?

There are many state and federal timber programs nationwide. Some pay a one-time, tax-free lump-sum payment based on the acres of forest signed up.