Timber Harvesting

Many landowners treat their forestland as an investment. These owners recognize the importance and necessity of timber harvesting in a well-managed healthy forest. We have a wide variety of options for timber harvesting and provide this service to dozens of landowners every year. From small conventional cable logging crews to higher production mechanized equipment, we work with each and every landowner to find a balanced solution to meet their objectives.

Unlike many forest consultants, we do not simply oversee the harvest job. We manage the job in its entirety and become the primary contact for the landowner. The logging crews we use are directly contracted or employed by us. This ensures that all scale slips, payments and necessary state notifications are processed timely and correctly.

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Our experienced staff also agressively market forest products to ensure that landowners receive the highest value for their timber. Appropriate utilization of forest products can make thousands of dollars difference to a landowners income.All of our logging crews are trained through the Certified Logging Professional (CLP) or Master Logger Certification Program and must demonstrate adequate insurance coverage.

Steps to a Successful Timber Sale

While each timber sale is different, below are common steps taken during the timber sale process:

• An evaluation of the timber resource is made. This is typically done through the management planning process, such as a Tree Growth Plan. A management prescription is created based on landowner goals, timber resource, professional recommendations and other management factors. When this evaluation is completed, an estimate of net income to the landowner from a timber sale can be determined.
• Normally the job to is shown to potential loggers. However, Dirigo Timberlands has our own experienced crews and equipment that will be tasked to the planned timber sale in order to produce the best outcomes.  
• A timber sale contract is created between the landowner and our Forestry team. The contract will include language that clearly details stumpage prices, logging practices, insurance requirements and other items. 
• The logger prepares a “landing”, which is an area to gather the logs and get them ready to be loaded on a truck. This is usually a one to two-acre area carefully located to maximize operational efficiency and limit impacts.
• Logging road are laid out to best access the timber to be harvested. Existing woods road are used as much as possible to limit the impact of creating new skid trails.
• Tree marking paint is utilized to select trees that are to be removed. Many considerations go into which tree to select, including species, health, quality, wildlife features, minimal felling damage, releasing regeneration, making room for growth on healthy trees, etc.
• The logger starts cutting and hauling trees to the landing. As materials accumulate, items such as sawlogs and firewood get trucked out and sold. Trip tickets are used to track materials hauled off the site.
• Checks are sent to the landowner once materials get sold. Copies of all mill receipts are available to our forestry team and the landowner.
• Site visits are conducted to inspect the logger’s work. Items covered during the inspection include compliance with cutting the trees that marked, damage to residual trees, loads shipped and sold, potential erosion and the like. The site visit is often combined with continued tree marking in the planned harvest area.
• When the cutting is finished, the logger completes closeout of the logging roads and landing so that impacted areas can be stabilized. This includes instillation of waterbars on any sloping road sections.
• When the job is finished, a final inspection is conducted with the forester and the landowner.