The Department of Agriculture and Forestry has released a new brochure entitled, "Selling Standing Timber - What You Should Know, What You Should Consider." The brochure is designed to provide land owners with some suggestions they may wish to consider before, during, and after a harvest on their land.
Despite the market downturn of the last few months, the last several years have been good ones for the Island's forest community. Booming export markets for softwood timber and increased local demand led to excellent softwood prices, higher employment, and mill expansions and equipment upgrades.
While most Islanders received good financial returns selling wood from their land during this period, the experience was not as positive for others. Some land owners only obtained one price quote or did not understand the value of the products being harvested; therefore, they may not have received the best return for their wood. Still others did not consider what the harvest meant to their options for the future of their forest lands and were disappointed with the condition of their woodlot after the harvest.
Private Land Program Manager, Brian Brown, said the brochure is based on questions woodlot owners often ask. "Nearly every day, our Private Land program staff get calls from land owners who are considering selling wood from their land," said Brown. "In most cases they want to know what they should ask in order to select the contractor who is right for them and their woodlot. This publication has been developed as a practical guide which offers suggestions and tips that land owners may wish to consider when selling wood products."
Mr. Brown said one of the most common things land owners overlook is the need for a contract which clearly outlines each party's obligations and responsibilities. "A contract is the land owner's guarantee that arrangements such as payment and harvest quality will be respected," he said. "Most contractors offer good standard harvest contracts to their clients, but each property and each land owner is unique and, therefore, contracts should be tailored to the individual's needs. This brochure provides some ideas land owners may wish to include in any harvest contract to ensure there are no misunderstandings and that the harvest benefits them and their woodlot."
The brochure also provides land owners with some insights into their forest management options and how to ensure that the harvest supports those options. "The future of the land should be considered before any harvest begins," said Mr. Brown. "By making those decisions first, the land owner can ensure that the site is left in a condition suited to planting or natural renewal."
The brochure is the beginning of a series to help land owners understand different harvest methods, manage natural stands and forest plantations, and increase their understanding of their forest harvest and management options.
Copies of "Selling Standing Timber - What You Should Know, What You Should Consider" are available free-of-charge from all forestry offices or by contacting Ken Mayhew, Forest Information Officer, at (902) 368-6450.