The decision to initiate a timber harvest can often be bewildering and even frightening. As a forest landowner, you are responsible for the activities that take place on your property. However, there are educational and technical programs available to assist you in the selling of your forest products by calling the phone numbers of the organizations listed in this brochure. A nine-part educational video series is available at West Virginia public libraries or through these various organizations.
Professional Assistance
Woodland owners can benefit greatly by utilizing professional forestry assistance. Assistance can be obtained from West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF) service foresters, industrial landowner assistance program foresters, private consulting foresters, and industrial procurement foresters. Services may vary, so it is important to ask for and check references. All should be able to give you pertinent information regarding the timber on your property.
Like any other group of professionals, foresters have a wide variety of skills, experience, personalities, attitudes and equipment. As you talk with various foresters, try and match the forester’s experience and expertise with your goals and objectives for your forest stand. Talk to them and get an understanding of their character, reliability, sense of stewardship, and willingness to understand and meet your goals. Request and follow up on references from the individuals you talk with. The information they provide should include names and phone numbers of previous landowners they have worked with.
Ownership & Boundaries
Before any planning can occur, it is very important to determine if the land is owned by one or several parties. If more than on party is involved, all must agree to the sale arrangements. Before beginning a timber sale, be certain that all parties are aware of the boundaries. Once the boundaries are determined, they should be clearly marked and maintained.
Have a Plan
Developing a forest management plan provides you, the landowner, a means of identifying what can be done to enhance and protect the values and aspects of your property that are most important to you. Your professionally prepared plan should give a description of the property, a list of goals and objectives that you have for the property, and schedule of activities to be performed on the property to help realize these goals.
Know the Law
In 1992, the West Virginia Legislature passed the Logging Sediment Control Act (LSCA). This law sets forth requirements that loggers are to follow to minimize sedimentation and soil erosion. The law also requires that all logging operations be registered and supervised by a person who has completed training with the West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF).
Before a logging operation begins, an operator must:
Best Management Practices
Stream quality and site productivity can be maintained if roads and trails used during a timber harvest are well-planned and properly constructed. By following these five common sense principles of water conservation, you can ensure erosion is minimized and water and soil productivity are protected:
Have a Contact
All timber sales should be entered into with a written contract. This contract should list in detail the responsibilities of each party. Details such as: legal description of the property, description of the timber being sold, method of payment, contract length, and special developments, restrictions, etc.
Know your Tax Implications
There is a wide variety of tax responsibilities that can result from the sale of timber or other forest products from your property. You should become informed on current tax laws in addition to environmental laws. Many problems can be avoided by contacting a forestry professional and a certified public accountant (CPA) prior to a timber sale. Severance tax, property taxes and income taxes all can be affected by the sale of timber. It is recommended that landowners understand the laws and regulations that exist and how they can be affected by them.
Choose a Quality Logger
Selecting a professional logger to harvest your timber is an important decision and should be made thoughtfully. The person you choose to perform the harvest can perpetuate the many values of your forest virtually forever, or could badly damage the land and impair its ability to produce financial rewards, as well as personal and aesthetic enjoyment.
Like any other group of professionals, loggers have a wide variety of skills, experience, personalities, attitudes and equipment. As you talk with candidates for your timber harvest, try and match the logger’s operation with your forest stand and objectives. Talk to them and get an understanding of their character, reliability, sense of stewardship, and willingness to understand and meet your goals. Request references from loggers. Be sure to contact landowners they have previously worked with.
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Forest Management Assistance
West Virginia Division of Forestry
Fairmont.........................................................................(304) 367-2793
Romney..........................................................................(304) 822-4512
French Creek...................................................................(304) 924-6266
Beckley...........................................................................(304) 256-6775
Milton.............................................................................(304) 743-6186
Parkersburg.....................................................................(304) 420-4515
Charleston.......................................................................(304) 558-2788
General Land Use
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).............................(888) 372-9663
Woodland Owners Association of WV, Inc...................(304) 594-3648 www.woaofwv.org
WV Farm Bureau.......................................................(800) 398-4630 www.wvfarm.org
WV Forestry Association/Tree Farm System................(888) 372-9663 www.wvfa.org
Farm Service Agency (FSA).......................................(304) 291-4351
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)..........(304) 284-7576
Soil Conservation Districts
Capitol...........................................................................(304) 759-0736
Eastern Panhandle...........................................................(304) 263-4376
Elk................................................................................(304) 364-5105
Greenbrier Valley............................................................(304) 645-6173
Guyan...........................................................................(304) 528-0108
Little Kanawha...............................................................(304) 422-9088
Monongahela.................................................................(304) 296-0081
Northern Panhandle........................................................(304) 845-8085
Potomac Valley..............................................................(304) 822-5174
Southern.......................................................................(304) 253-0261
Tygarts Valley................................................................(304) 457-3026
Upper Ohio....................................................................(304) 758-2512
West Fork.....................................................................(304) 627-2160
Western.........................................................................(304) 675-3054
Alternative Forest Products
Center for Economic Options........................................(800) 780-5652