What are some of the most common landowner/logger financial agreements these days? I have an independent logger coming to look at about 10 acres of mature hardwoods this afternoon. Thanks in advance!

Work out on the front end in writing your requirements and expectations for the job. Do you want gates closed daily, logging decks cleaned up when the job is done, road and crossing returned to pre job condition, all trash cleaned up and any other items within reason. Generally, this might be a percentage expense to the overall job on your end, but it is well worth the headaches that can result if you don't. This is not unusual in the timber harvest world and something I view as necessary when entering into a timber harvest agreement.

Where is the tract of timber?

Require a cash bond to cover returning roads to pre-log condition.

This may be the worst time in the last 20 years to sell hardwood logs so unless the 10 acres is loaded with quality white oak logs or you need money real bad I’d hold off.

Lauderdale County

Where financial agreements are concerned, the typical ones are:

Lump sum purchases: Buyer agrees to purchase the timber for a set price to be paid up front in exchange for the title to the timber itself and the rights to harvest said timber for the allotted contract period.

Pay as Cut: Buyer agrees to purchase the timber per ton/per unit and pay the contracted price for each unit of every respective product hauled on a per week basis. Seller retains title to timber throughout.

Percentage: Buyer agrees to a contracted percent split on a per unit basis. Higher value products will see a larger portion of the split go to the landowner relative to low value products such as pine pulpwood. Seller retains title to timber throughout.

Depending on what part of Lauderdale it’s in and the quality of the timber, I may be interested. Feel free to PM me

DO NOT sell your hardwood saw logs by the ton. Prices overall are not as strong as they were pre Covid , but they aren't near as low as 08-10 housing bust either.

I sold hardwood saw logs by the ton a few months ago and felt like I came out good. Everything was sold by the ton. The contract had prices per ton for every type/grade. Contract had a start and finish date and I was to be paid once complete. I received a weigh ticket from every place a load was taken.

Where did you sell Hardwood saw logs by the ton up here? Didn't know anyone bought saw logs that way around here. A feller tried it a few years ago and bout went busted . He was paying big prices to compete with the guys who buy on grade and footage. The word got out and the loggers filled him up with junk logs

I don't see how you can buy by the ton and species/grade . You'd have to sort out and categorize each type and weigh each group , not by truck load. Perhaps I'm missing something, but never heard of such. I know they buy mixed hardwood saw logs in LA , by the ton , weighed by truckload, then they pull out the high grade and send them North and make good $ on those. Sorta like pen hookers at the cattle sale.

PM to you.

90% of our sales are cut by the ton, but I did have a lump sum sale recently. It’s a good feeling to have that $ in my bank account and not have to worry about if they were marketing my timber in my best interest. Only issue then is, clean up of roads and not rutting up the property. If it’s a clearcut I honestly don’t mind ruts, but if it’s a thinning ruts will harm roots on the trees that are left.
To adequately have a lump sum sale you have to know what you have, and most people don’t. Get a performance deposit and make sure they understand you want your roads “crowned” , water bars and turnouts.
Most loggers want to flatten your roads out and it has been my single biggest issue with logging.
Good luck but you’ve got to KNOW what you have or you can lose $ selling either way.

All of this is good advice.

If you sell high grade, hardwood saw logs by the ton , you WILL NOT get top $.

Here's a couple of examples .

The single white oak log is a 10' 26" diameter $1,900. The log plie is a little over 12K board feet $66,000. They're going to Indiana.

If there is one thing I know it is that loggers will ruin a road. My advice would be to have him cut it mid summer when its really dry.


Good luck.

Is it really worth it to clear cut a property and replant?

Good question bassmaster. A lot of people who don’t have kids or family to leave the land to don’t, but if you want potential value for soemone in the future then yes. Only places we don’t plant back are extremely wet areas or select wildlife areas. If you’ll keep the land in the family then yes, bite the bullet and plant it back. Doesn’t have to be loblolly, long leaf or any evergreen tree. Could be popular, or other hardwoods.

Need to specify , you talking pine or hardwoods?

You don't have to replant Poplar after a hardwood clear cut , they are the predominant species that regenerates . Most folks want less poplar as they're not a big $ species . Up here , it's very, very rare for someone to replant hardwoods after a hardwood cut .

For 10 acres? No way that actually happens.