RECENT RANGE IN STUMPAGE PRICES *
Timber Sold by Bid
We are often asked what stumpage should be for standing trees or timber. There are no easy answers to that question. Every woodlot is different. The quality of the trees and volumes to be harvested vary from lot to lot. Ease with which the timber can be removed varies. Distance to markets vary, and so on.
After a lot of thought and discussion we have decided to publish general results of timber we have sold by bid. The numbers have been homogenized so specific clients cannot be identified, and some prices shown are averages of several bid sales that occurred in the same area around the same time. However, all prices are what were actually paid for standing timber. The table shows the general area of the sale as well as quality of timber and ease of harvesting the timber.
Remember, no two woodlots are the same and prices shown may or may not reflect what you can get for your timber.
Another source of information are the prices reported to the Maine Forest Service and published annually: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/annual_reports.html#stumpage
The prices reported are one to two years out of date when the reports are published, and the state’s reports have no information on quality, volumes, or logger choice, so it’s difficult to relate them to any particular parcel of timber. It is probably best to look at numbers over several years to get an idea of price trends rather than to use a specific number as a guide to the value of a particular stand of timber.
Most landowners are best served using the services of a licensed forester when timber is to be valued or sold. The forester should have no conflict of interest and no purchase interest in the timber. Their fiduciary responsibility should be to the landowner and no other.