Tulip, Soft Maple, and Cottonwood Logging in SE Michigan

[terra8186]

I am trying to get all the information I can about logging a 20 acrea woods I own.  I just purchased the woods and it has little value to wildlife because the tall trees let no undergrowth.  The trees I want in the woods are dying because of the low light conditions.  I  decided to log out 150 tulip trees 36' height about 18" DBA 36'. 75 soft maples 16' height about 15" DBA, and 70 cottonwoods 32' height and 20" DBA.  I am estimating a total 60,000 Bd foot.

I am hiring a forestry consultant to market these trees, but he hasn't been out yet. 

What I am wondering is 1) will somebody buy cottonwood trees?, 2) The tulip trees are straight as an arrow and do not have a limb on them from the ground up to the point where they go down to 11".  Does this mean they are worth more, and what kind of price would I get per board foot.  The paper the forestry service gave me shows from $11 to $.30.   

[jon12345]

1. Someone will always buy a good log, wether it is worth paying someone to haul to the mill is another story.

2. Being straight and limb free is good, but there may be internal defects as well.  I know they are made into lumber, but if a sawlog is good enough quality it will be made into veneer, which will get you a lot better price.


A word of caution: You might want to get references for your 'forestry consultant' some of them are wolves in sheeps clothing.

[farmerdoug]

Where in southeastern Michigan are you locaed?

Farmerdoug

[Ron Wenrich]

On the consultant angle, its always best to get more than one estimate, even when hiring a forester.  Some are foresters, some are hired guns.   ;)  There's a difference.

[terra8186]

I am in Monroe County.  The forestry consultant seemed like an honest guy.  He was pretty straight forward with me.

[terra8186]

You say some tulip poplar would be veneer quality.  Do they actually make poplar veneer.  There doesn't seem to me like a demand for this.  My guess is that most of these trees are veneer quality, but I don't know what size they would need to be.

[SwampDonkey]

They do make veneer from aspen, don't know about tulip because none up here. Most any sheet of hardwood plywood I've bought has aspen veneer in the middle layers. I can smell the aspen when I run a table saw blade through it. And they also buy it locally for a veneer plant in Neilson.

[Ron Wenrich]

And as long as they are standing, it is still a guess.  We sell tulip poplar veneer, but it has to have 1/3 sap.  It can only be sold in the cooler months - October to April. 

It is still wise to get a second opinion.  Even your doctor will tell you this. 

[turningfool]

tulip poplar is a favorite of woodturners and inside deformities (barring total rot) are generally welcomed with open arms..you might look into sawing it into rounds/blocks end sealing it and looking into woodturning stores/sites