Problem is (or can be) that the land owner will sell the timber on a contract and the buyer (who hires the timber crew) can cut it when they want, within a given time frame. This allows the crews to work places when the weather allows rather than HAVING to go cut a place when it's way too wet and wrecking it.

I don't KNOW this for certain, not in the business on either side, but that's how it was explained to me. If this is correct, even if your club president was in touch with the landowner regularly, he may know of the sale and still not know WHEN they're coming.