Conducting a timber inventory and appraisal is an important first step for managing your woodlands. Base-line information such as tree species composition, number of trees per acre, volume per species, volume per acre, total volume, average tree size and diameter class distribution will be learned.
This data can be used to establish your “timber basis”. Knowing your basis is necessary to minimize your capital gains tax liability in the event of a timber sale. Your basis can also help determine any “loss” that may occur as the result of a natural disaster or timber theft.
This data is also helpful to learn the overall health of your forest and allows us to determine when a timber harvest may be appropriate, what type of harvest strategy should be used and if any forest health management activities are needed.