iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Mapping timber sales

Started by Good Feller, July 02, 2008, 07:53:28 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Good Feller

What do you guys use for maps?  I was decent at Arc GIS in school but now that I've been out a while I don't remember a *DanG thing about it. Plus it's expensive and not user friendly one bit.  Where can I download free aerial photos?  I think that all the timber buyers really need is a legal description of the ground and a photo with the stand circled.  If that's not good enough they can contact me for a tour.  I'm not horsing around with that arcgis crap anymore.  There has to be some foresters out there that feel my pain about this.  HELP!
Good Feller

jim king

If you want a not perfect map from a satilite but you can put in the coordinates try this.

http://earth.google.com/

I can count the skylights on my factory and see a helicopter on the airport near my house.

Ron Wenrich

I haven't done a timber sale for a few years.  But, when I did, I would simply put a map of the property and how to get to it.  Most of the timber sale prospectuses I have seen are pretty much the same way.

I think you're selling yourself short by just circling and telling callers to call you for a tour.  You are selling your product, and if you want to make more sales, then you need to make as an attractive of a package as you can.

Most all sales are developed using a 100% cruise.  If you're in small wood or plantation wood, you can do it through a smaller cruise.  But, most timber is a marked sale.

From that, you develop your sale sheet that has the number of trees by species and size class, with a total volume by species.  You can use several different types of volumes if more than one is commonly used in your area.

Your cover sheet should include some of the legal descriptions, such as location, and any limitations for logging.  It should describe the trees that are marked and the type of cruise.  If you have a fairly decent sale, you should also have a tour.  That way you'll only have to give the tour once.  Have coffee and donuts.  I would also have all the fixins for sandwiches.  
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

woodtroll

For a simple photo try your NRCS/county soil office. Take it home, get out a marker and out line the sale boundary. Then make copies one for each bid packet. The idea is to give an idea where it is. Now thats the simple old fashion way.

I like using GIS it can produce a better product.

Tillaway

Check this product out for GIS.
http://www.manifold.net/info/products.shtml

You need a little more than stand circled. the bid packet should include cruise data and summary, minimum bid, insurance and bonding requirements, contract expiration date, a sample contract, nail down any access issues ( easements) designate what timber you are selling and utilization specifications, payment specifications (cash, recovery, when the payment(s) are made and what type of payment ie cashier check), are the property lines marked.  Show on the map areas you do not what equipment in, boundaries, acreages, roads, landing locations any designated skid trails and a narrative on how to get there and info about gates and such.

It is a good idea to make bidders submit a bid deposit with there bids and give them 30 days to sign and pay for the timber after the bid openning date.  The bid deposit covers your cost the highest bidder backs out and puts a timeline on them to come up with the insurance, bond and payment requirements.
Making Tillamook Bay safe for bait; one salmon at a time.

Ron Scott

Ditto to the above comments!

The timber sale map is the most important part of the timber sale and is made a part of the timber sale contract. It should show all roads and trails, bridges, gates, buildings, property boundaries, cutting unit areas, acreage, and boundaries, timber types, natural features such as streams, lakes, wetlands, rock out crops, steep hills, etc., reserve and protected areas, such as wildlife food plots, planted areas, fences etc. proposed landings and decking areas, distance to nearest town, etc. etc.

I make the maps from aerial photos. I use to use the local conservation district photos, but now use the Map Card program at www.mapcard.com  which has an annual subscription fee of $29.95 and provides a better quality photo and also provides topo maps and other mapping features.

There are also some free programs out there and other more technical ones with GPS technology etc. for the more inclined. However you do it, "don't go lightly" on the timber sale map. Make it clear, concise, and as accurate as possible, and presentable. It is often the document most used by and referred to by all parties involved in the timber sale.

~Ron

Splinter

http://www.tatukgis.com/Home/home.aspx

tatukgis editor $350

My property file has boundary, gps points, trails, soil map, stands and aerial photo layers.
Then of course its a labor of love.

D


Phorester


Don't make the mistake of treating a timber sale too casually.  It's a bone fide business deal and should be treated as such.  A well drawn map, to scale, with property lines, access roads, streams, etc., as already mentioned is a must.   It's just as important as the written contract to keep the landowner out of legal hot water and the logger in the right place.

It doesn't have to be a computer generated complex thing overlayed on a color aerial photo with sale areas computed down to tenths of an acre.  A sketch map to scale will suffice as long as it has the attributes already mentioned in this thread.

Thank You Sponsors!