A Landowner's Guide to Selling Standing Timber
Thinking of Selling Your Timber?

Here's some advice: Your woodlot is a valuable asset. In addition to its timber, you must consider everything that it contains - wildlife habitat, water resources, opportunities for recreation and aesthetic values. Before you harvest, make sure your woodlot is protected.

A well-managed woodlot should be considered an investment - for your own benefit today and as a legacy for future generations.

Do Some Research

If you are unfamiliar with the value of forest products such as veneer or sawlogs, take the time to do some basic research. How can you get a fair price if you don't know what the market is paying?

Plan Ahead

Take an inventory of your woodlot. Find out about the variety, age and number of trees growing on your land.

Prepare a management plan. Whether you are harvesting for a source of revenue or for other objectives, you will benefit from advance planning.

Decide Which Trees to Harvest

Select and mark the trees that you plan to sell. Trees must be marked so that you can accurately compare bids from interested buyers. Keep in mind that it is in your best interest to have a healthy, productive woodlot after the harvest.

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Get More than One Bid

Obtain bids from at least three different buyers to ensure that you receive fair value for your timber.

Ask for References and Sign a Contract

Check references to ensure that your buyer's previous customers were satisfied with the harvesting operation.

Ensure you have a signed contract that protects your interests. A generic sample timber sale contract can be downloaded from this Web site. This generic sample contract will provide landowners with a template to use as a basis to prepare their own timber sale agreement. It includes clauses that cover payment schedules, insurance, logging standards, etc. Remember,

Monitor the Harvest

Spend some time in your woodlot during the harvesting operation to ensure that the work is done to your satisfaction.

Consider Other Values

Make sure that wildlife habitat and the aesthetic and recreational values of your woodlot are protected during harvesting.

Help is Available

For more information you may want to read A Landowner's Guide to Selling Standing Timber. This 60-page guide is a comprehensive and easy to read handbook that will help you make the right decisions about harvesting your woodlot.

A copy of the guide is available on this web site in Adobe format. To download and read the guide you will need Acrobat Reader, version 4.0. You may already have this program installed on your computer. If not, it may be downloaded free of charge from the Adobe Web site. If you have an older version of the Reader you will need to upgrade by clicking here. (Note: new versions of Acrobat Reader are frequently released. Download the latest version from this site.)

Download .pdf version of this guide.

For more information you may want to visit the OWA’s sister Web site <www.ontariowoodlot.com>. This Web site contains additional information about selling standing timber, tree marking, management planning, etc. Or, call the Ontario Woodlot Association at 1-888-791-1103.

Acknowledgements

A Landowner's Guide to Selling Standing Timber is a collaborative effort of the Ontario Woodlot Association, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Stewardship Councils of Northumberland, Peterborough, Durham and Victoria Counties. This project was made possible through the generous financial support of The Ontario Trillium Foundation and Ontario Stewardship.

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