FAQs

The most important thing a Forester does for a landowner is to mark the timber sale according to the landowner’s goals for the sale and to tally up all the species, volumes and quality of the trees marked. Then we take on the task of selling the timber for the best possible price to a buyer who will do a good job of harvesting. Your Forester will get your money and make sure the job is done according to environmental regulations and good forestry practices. Good salesmanship and good relationships with the best timber buyers are qualities that we bring into a timber sale. I’ve learned to avoid certain situations, learned to work with regulatory agencies and buyers to see that the whole thing goes smoothly. Every harvest has its own set of challenges. When Mr. Murphy shows up, a good Forester is a valuable asset. I go back to the court analogy. You can go into court without a lawyer but wouldn’t you be better off with an attorney who knows the system, has worked with the judge and the other side’s attorney before?

You can hire me to do a quick walk-through to see if a timber harvest is feasible, but I could not give a close price estimate. First of all, I have to mark and measure the trees to be sold according to your goals for the property. Then, it is only worth what a buyer is ready to write you a check for. The market is often variable. Offers vary widely depending on how bad the buyer is in need of your particular trees. There are other variables as well, such as difficulty of the harvesting operation, road issues, time of year, distance to the mill or yard. The amount that a mill will pay depends on the deal they have with the buyer of the boards they make. Supply/demand. Up and down.

 

One thing I can tell you for sure is that good quality logs are always in demand. That’s why you need need a professional to help grow good logs.

No you won’t. If I mark a very good stand of oak properly, including regeneration work and TSI, I can go back into the stand every 30 years to get the same volume and quality. Almost all harvesting done without professional help is some form of high-grade. They call it “select cut” but what they did was “select” every tree that had any value and left the junk to take up the growing space.

I have been able to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in funding for the wildlife and timber management projects of client lands. State and federal funds are sporadic and working with government agents can be difficult. My experience and reputation among the folks that hand out the grants is valuable. We can take advantage of available funding when it is available and schedule projects accordingly.

Don’t have a good hunting property yet? As a licensed Realtor specializing in timberland and recreational land, I can help you find a property that is well suited for hunting and and a good investment. I have been providing consulting services and real estate services for forest landowners for decades and have made a lot of money for clients by helping them with purchases and sales of land. By using subdivision, improving access and timber sales I work to maximize the purchasing power of my clients’ resources. Now that Pennsylvania allows Buyer Brokerage, I can represent and advise you on your search for and purchase of your land. As a buyer’s agent, my fiduciary responsibility lies with you as the buyer. If you want to buy in New York, I have broker contacts there to work with.

I charge $60 per hour for my time, which includes, map and land management plan preparation, proposals, travel, grant applications and time spent on your land.  If I bring a crew to do herbicide or chainsaw work, I will bill the job on an individual basis.  Most jobs are a minimum $2,000 to mobilize a full crew.

Don’t be afraid to call me and discuss your situation over the phone. I may be able to give you some tips that will help you and if you then decide to have me come and take a look at your land or to provide you with services, we can discuss that later.

Call me anytime at 814-360-4510.

With the great tools we have today on the computer, I can consult with you and go over your property with you using either Zoom or Skype meeting software.  I will bring your property up on the satellite imagery and we can go over it at the meeting.  Although not as valuable as an in-person meeting and walk through the property, it is a good place to start and get you moving in the right direction on your path to making your property and wildlife magnet.  The cost is $100/hour.  Once we get the basics at this meeting, we may decide either to DYI or I can come to the property and start the work we discussed in the meeting.  The meeting cost would be deducted from the future work.