Dear Editor,
As a follow up on last week’s article (“Trial set for Jan. 16 in timber lawsuit,” Nov. 22), if you are any kind of land owner with timber of any kind it pays to know your rights. Please contact the State of Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce for any questions. They can put you in touch with the department that suits your need. They can also give you creditable names of professionals that can and will assist you.
Here are a few tips if you are planning on harvesting timber or selling your timber of any kind.
1. Have your product looked at by a certified professional. Ask for his or her certifications, how long they have been in business as a start. Personal recommendations from most of them are family, close friends or business associates.
2. Have a 100 percent cruise of your timber completed and trees identified as to what they are, such as chip-in-saw, poles, saw logs, etc.
3. If you sell your timber for less than $25 to $30 a ton for chip-n-saw, you are giving it away! Do not be taken advantage of.
4. Hold these foresters, and logging companies, feet to the fire on the contract. Make them repair your fences, roads and whatever else is messed up during the harvesting process.
5. Remember that the tops, limbs and other by-products are merchantable also. This can be ground into chips. You deserve all you can get for your wood products plus it helps clean the area up for replanting.
6. If you replant get in writing a guarantee that will ensure that you get a 100 percent stand of live trees. You pay for live trees; you should get a 100 percent stand of live trees. Hire someone that will see your woodland is getting the best yield it can.
7. Keep up with lumber prices on the stock market; it will give you an idea as to what building materials are going for. Also, just look at your receipt from where you bought any lumber. It’s not cheap!
8. Don’t do business with someone just because your mom and dad know them or they go to church with you or your kids are on the same ball team. You are just hurting yourself if you don’t do your homework.
9. Last for now, look, these folks aren’t selling their trees that cheap; why should you?
Charles A. Poole
Foxworth
