Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Timber company wants to use my road

What's the going rate for a timber company wanting to use my land and road to access their timber for a thinning or a clear cut?

No idea, but get it in writing and include restoring road to it's present condition. Make them escrow enough money to pay for road repairs. If it gets wet, they will put a major hurting on your land and road. They'll half ass fix it if you let them

He’s right you know

Enough to go on a guided Elk hunt in Utah during the rut.

My dad let a timber company use approximately 400yds of our road to access a spot that needed a salvage cut due to a tornado. Agreement was they would also salvage cut the area of our place that got hit and that they would touch up the road on the way out. Didn’t happen and the loggers trashed our place, road was a mess and literal trash everywhere (fuel/oil filters, hydraulic fluid buckets, etc). Definitely put a bad taste in our mouths about loggers

Ae got a 5 yr lease of new clear cut and road repairs once they finished.

Yup. This. Make them sign their asses over to keeping your road in proper order.

I would request upfront money from the landowner, returnable when road/property is returned to acceptable condition. Maybe $5,000 upfront.

Other than fixing the road back, we don’t try to “profit” from other people logging. They should absolutely fix your road back better than it was though.

Video road conditions before they start and make the timber company/owner of the timber post a bond for the full value of the section of road they’ll be using. That way, if they don’t fix it to your satisfaction, you file on their bond and you’re dealing with the bond company and not the timber company, who will claim that the sub contracted timber crew is the responsible party. It eliminates all the finger pointing while your road remains trashed.

Have them sign and pay a performance bond up front, returnable to them once work is completed to both parties satisfaction. Amount of the performance bond will vary depending upon the length and current condition of the road. Standard practice minimum is usually $5000. A video of the current road condition is a good practice to keep all folks involved honest.

They will flat destroy a road. Ours are trashed from a group that was supposed to come back "when it dry's up" and we have not seen them since (a yr ago). Timber company doesn't seem to bothered by it either.

Just say no. It will be a headache and a mess

Yes he is. If they don’t fix their own roads for hunting clubs leasing from them why would they fix yours right. Rayonier tore our club roads years back and our president went through process to ask for repairs. They ignored him for 3 years until they sold the tract. Don’t trust any of them.

One of the roads on my buddies place was damp at times. Basically, you had to stay off it after it rained. After they got done logging, the road looked ok, but it held and inch of water most of the winter. Basically there are 12” banks on each side of the road now. It’s a muddy mess.

Performance bond with an access agreement. My property fronts a paved county road and there are two timber company tracts located behind me. To access those tracts, you have to cross my property on an existing, well maintained road. When they cut those tracts, I require them to sign an access agreement that states (1) the road be repaired to the existing condition or better; water turnouts and bars where needed (2) no vehicles can be parked on my property or road (3) no trash (4) gate MUST be closed at the end of each day and during periods where they are not present (5) road must be repaired within 30 days of the completion of the job. Any violation will result in immediate termination of the agreement. If vehicles are left on my property, I will file a trespass complaint. A performance bond can also be required. I know the foresters that work both properties and have a good relationship with them. The problem is the communication from the forester to the timber crew boss down to the timber crew and log truck divers.

Past experience has been a good teacher when it comes to things like this. It's your property so setting requirements is your right.

My .02 after running a hunting club is that would be a no go. The road will be a distaster, there will be trash, gear oil, and grease where ever. The loggers will park where they want. If you have a gate, they will leave it open.

Every time they grade my roads, they are a mess in the rain. The bottom line is the loggers don't give a crap. They want to be in and out as quickly as possible to make the best margin.

That has been my experience, and god help you if you have a green field they can drive thru or park on. They will.

I own a tract that is landlocked. It is good karma to allow access. An agreement to repair roads to current conditions and a bond is a good idea to keep them honest.

Yep
What comes around goes around.