Distance to the mill, accessibility to good roads, and ease of logging are important factors affecting the price paid for stumpage. Consequently, when logging conditions are more difficult and the distance to the mill is greater, the price that the buyer is willing to pay for stumpage will be lower. Restrictions placed upon the harvest of timber may protect the site or the landowner, but they usually reduce the price paid for the stumpage. You should include contract provisions that address important considerations. Be well informed and be aggressive in marketing.
Buyers have more confidence in sellers who use a businesslike approach.
A recent study by Dr. Fred Cubbage of the University of Georgia indicates that professional help can be valuable. Landowners who received professional forestry assistance before harvesting timber averaged 23 percent more income per acre, received a 64 percent higher price per board foot, and had a projected income stream from future sales 120 percent higher as a result of improved regeneration and stocking. Make certain that your timber is financially mature. Thinning may be more appropriate than clear-cutting. A short-term loan using timber as collateral could be less costly than a premature or inappropriate timber sale.