Logger walked off the job yesterday.

[jacain]

Just because its log-able, doesn't mean you have to log it.

What I'm getting at is, check with your extension agent. See if you can come up with a forestry management plan. If you have 27 acres of which only 19 are in woods and you need 20 to qualify, plant a couple more into trees. They'll be ready for harvest in 40-50 years. Forestry doesn't always mean lumber, or pulp wood. It can be firewood. Start a small firewood company if you have to prove income from the land and sell a few cords to break even. Sometimes that's all it takes to reap the tax benefits.

Good points! Harvesting firewood is one of my favorite things to do. I'm going to take your advice and go visit the extension office asap. Thanks for the encouragement! I'll let you know what I find out.

 

[MossRoad]

Good points! Harvesting firewood is one of my favorite things to do. I'm going to take your advice and go visit the extension office asap. Thanks for the encouragement! I'll let you know what I find out.

Yeah, never hurts to see what's available in your state for free. You pay your taxes to support those programs, take advantage of them if available to you. That's what they're designed to do... soil and water conservation, forest preservation, wildlife habitat, farm land preservation, etc...

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Just because its log-able, doesn't mean you have to log it.

What I'm getting at is, check with your extension agent. See if you can come up with a forestry management plan. If you have 27 acres of which only 19 are in woods and you need 20 to qualify, plant a couple more into trees. They'll be ready for harvest in 40-50 years. Forestry doesn't always mean lumber, or pulp wood. It can be firewood. Start a small firewood company if you have to prove income from the land and sell a few cords to break even. Sometimes that's all it takes to reap the tax benefits.

For the Virginia use-value assessment rules, if you have the 20 acres of continuous forest, it doesn't have to produce any income. The property I own falls into that category...you have to apply and be approved, and the previous owners did. I am clearing about 20 acres of my 54. So I should still qualify and in 5 years, the Areas that I am clearing will also qualify thru the agricultural rules.

 

[Zerk]

Loggers are not known for putting up with crap.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Loggers are not known for putting up with crap.

Just spewing it out! :shocked:

 

[MossRoad]

 

[DT86]

Loggers are not known for putting up with crap.

Wtf is that supposed to mean?

They only pick apples from the low hanging branch?

 

[newbury]

Just because its log-able, doesn't mean you have to log it.

What I'm getting at is, check with your extension agent. See if you can come up with a forestry management plan. If you have 27 acres of which only 19 are in woods and you need 20 to qualify, plant a couple more into trees. They'll be ready for harvest in 40-50 years. Forestry doesn't always mean lumber, or pulp wood. It can be firewood. Start a small firewood company if you have to prove income from the land and sell a few cords to break even. Sometimes that's all it takes to reap the tax benefits.

Good points! Harvesting firewood is one of my favorite things to do. I'm going to take your advice and go visit the extension office asap. Thanks for the encouragement! I'll let you know what I find out.

Another point is that standing timber can be a variable source of money in the bank.
If disease free there is little harm in letting it grow. For instance right now most all forms - sawtimber, pulpwood, chip-n-saw is said to be down around pre-recession prices. We've got about 180 acres of mixed hardwood surrounding a 20 acre patch of pine which we sold twice years ago but they never cut it.
That pine is probably pushing 60 or 70 years old. So I'm trying to decide to cut the 200, replace it all with pine, or cut the 20 nd wait for the hardwood to get better prices. But it isn't a rush to harvest.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Loggers are not known for putting up with crap.

Interesting take. We had a contract to clearcut. The contract stipulated that all merchantable materials were to be removed. They failed to hold up their end of the contract. This failure was pointed out, gently, on a weekly basis, for 4 weeks. During which, they continuously disregarded the contractual harvesting plan and took out my most valuable trees. Leaving the tops laying where they fell, and ignoring the less valuable trees. During our final conversation, one of the things that he said was that he couldn't afford to concentrate on the pine. If you can't afford to do that while you have a good supply of more valuable timber mixed in, how do you propose to address the pine when you have taken all the hardwoods and there are no more big money days? Simple. You don't. They were not honoring the contract. I can't say what their original intent was, but their actions show quite simply that they were going to take all my hardwoods and leave me with pine. Taking value from my land and not giving me the agreed result on the land. They were stealing from me.
So Loggers may not be known for putting up with crap...but because of loggers like the ones I dealt with, they are known for cheating people. They are known for destroying land and leaving it in terrible condition. It isn't fair to paint a group of people with such a broad brush, I am sure there are many good, reputable loggers who do exactly what they say they will. Just not these guys.

 

[RickB]

Interesting take. We had a contract to clearcut. The contract stipulated that all merchantable materials were to be removed. They failed to hold up their end of the contract. This failure was pointed out, gently, on a weekly basis, for 4 weeks. During which, they continuously disregarded the contractual harvesting plan and took out my most valuable trees. Leaving the tops laying where they fell, and ignoring the less valuable trees. During our final conversation, one of the things that he said was that he couldn't afford to concentrate on the pine. If you can't afford to do that while you have a good supply of more valuable timber mixed in, how do you propose to address the pine when you have taken all the hardwoods and there are no more big money days? Simple. You don't. They were not honoring the contract. I can't say what their original intent was, but their actions show quite simply that they were going to take all my hardwoods and leave me with pine. Taking value from my land and not giving me the agreed result on the land. They were stealing from me.
So Loggers may not be known for putting up with crap...but because of loggers like the ones I dealt with, they are known for cheating people. They are known for destroying land and leaving it in terrible condition. It isn't fair to paint a group of people with such a broad brush, I am sure there are many good, reputable loggers who do exactly what they say they will. Just not these guys.

The guy was screwing you blind for 4 weeks. Do you have a lien on his equipment yet, or are you still dicking around with him??