Price offered to harvest Aspen, Jack Pine and Birch in 35 acres of land.

[goodtraits]

I live in Minnesota and I have about 35 acres and the Forester is offering to cut down my timber and giving me an offering.

I want to know if I am getting the fair price for the timber. Does someone who is knowledgeable about the price of timber give me some advice? Should I do it? I'm thinking his offering for the price of timbers are very low.

What would be a cord of timber priced at?
Below are the following offers:
$20/cord for Aspen. 175 cords.
$15/cord for Jack Pine. 15 cords.
$7/cord for Birch. 40 cords.

$0.50/cord for chips. 40 cords.

These are mature trees and needs to be harvested according to the Forester.

Are these fair prices? I don't want to have bare land for $4,025, he is offering.

[Jeff]

The Forester is offering to cut down your timber?

The species you mention are all short lived (about the same as us) and need to usually be clear cut to be managed to return to that species.

Not sure anyone can give advice unless we know more about your situation.

[Clark]

First off, what part of the state are you in? If you're close to Duluth I could likely help you out.

From his numbers it looks like you have just under 8 cords/acre. That is dismally low and I wouldn't expect any forester to give timber with that low of stocking a second glance. Unless he has a reason for being in the area it looks like he is giving you numbers that are quite low.

Granted, if you have over-mature timber and there is a lot of it on the ground then yes, you could be at that low of a stocking. Lots of variables but I would get a second opinion before signing anything away.

Clark

[tmarch]

 "I don't want to have bare land for $4,025, he is offering."  Then it's simple, don't let him do it.  Realistically I'd rather find a local sawyer and have him harvest whatever needs to come out and saw it and split the lumber with you for your use or to sell.

[ozarkgem]

thats about 115.00 per acre. I would think there is more wood on a acre than that. I wouldn't want my land stripped for 4 grand.

[OntarioAl]

goodtraits
I am a Forester very familiar with the boreal forest timber mix you list and I find it incredible that a logging operation would move into such a sparsely timbered lot.
I would definitely  get an independent cruise of your lot before you make a decision.
As it stands now I would tell them to pound sand.
my thoughts
Al 

[Fedge]

Unless I am missing something, isn't the original poster just asking about pricing? I have VERY limited knowledge about pricing but they seem low to me. If my memory serves me correctly, here in WI I would expect to see stumpage prices on the Aspen and Birch at about $40 a cord. I just dabble in this stuff in my off season.

Geoff

[Jeff]

Unless I am missing something, isn't the original poster just asking about pricing?

If they are, they came to the wrong place.  Seeing the question, and just responding with a price would be kinda like someone coming on here and saying they have rats in their barn, and asking what kind of  accelerant should they use to set the fire.

[beenthere]

   Good analogy.   :D

[Fedge]

I come here to learn and give the little advice that I can. There is more in his post that we don't know than what we do about his situation. We know very little to anything about the property and what is on it. I currently doing a thining on an 80 acre parcel for a friend that has 220 cords that are being removed. Those trees were marked by an "independent" forester. In that context, to me, 230 cords out of 35 acres seems like a lot of wood. I don't think you guys are wrong to give additional advice and ask questions. I just think answering his question about price would also be helpful. The prices I have seen locally are 2-6x higher than what his forester/logger is offering.

Geoff 

[Jeff]

The prices I have seen locally are 2-6x higher than what his forester/logger is offering.

That's a major problem trying to answer a question on pricing. Unless you are in his backyard and know the local markets, trying to answer the question accurately is futile. The additional information we try to give him is an effort to help him make the right decision for him. Example, we don't know for sure this is even a forester. There are a bunch of timber buyers out there that throw the forester title around when they shouldn't.

[barbender]

I'd get a second opinion, too. If you give us more info, we could help you out more. Your stumpage prices are variable on several factors, one of the main ones being proximity to a mill. Next, how good of a stand of timber is it? If it's really scattered, or requires a lot of dozer work for access, etc. are all things that influence how much it is worth.BTW, I was just looking at some recent MN timber sales last night, aspen prices were from $17 to near $40. My best answer at this point- it depends :

[coxy]

how about some pic of the trees  that may help everyone also 

[barbender]

I would also second the notion that if the entire 35 acres is in timber, something is wrong with that stand. I logged my 10 acres, most all of the aspen, a bit of pine, birch, and maple. It was by no means a clearcut,  our house is still "in the woods". I can't remember for sure, as I logged it over the course of 3 winters (high production ;D), but I think it was over 300 cords. I had a lot of nice bigtooth aspen that was 9 stick, that stuff added up quick. If I would have clearcut everything, with all the spruce, balsam, maple and birch, it would have been well over 500 cords.

[Woodhauler]

Could be a peice that was logged not long ago!

[terry f]

    Four thousand seems low, but it might be right. A couple years ago it was 265 a thousand, and at 250 to log and truck, didn't leave much left for the landowner. You could get a pickup, trailer and chainsaw, and turn that 250 cord into $50,000.