How the Living Timber on Your “Cabin in the Woods” Property Can be a Money Maker

Peaceful cabin, fresh air, trees that go on for acres or miles. It’s easy to gaze out from your cabin in the woods at your forested land and see just that – a forest. But have you ever considered those trees as an investment?

Given the current skyrocketing demand for lumber, it might be time to. Lumber offers a unique way to diversify investment portfolios given that it is a sustainable, renewable resource, one we all need and use every day. The suggestion here is not to clear cut your land by any means.

Healthy forest harvesting can produce some additional income for your land, but only if it’s done sustainably. With local timber mills clambering for mature, healthy logs, there is a way to responsibly harvest trees that generates profit.

Talk to your local mill.

Pay a visit to your local lumber mills to see which woods are in the highest demand, and whether or not your timber fits the bill. Ask about what buyers are looking for and if there are any restrictions or standards your timber needs to meet in order to be profitable.

Choose wisely.

Proper forest management and wildfire mitigation are important whether you plan to sell your logs or not. A big part of this is thinning the trees, which means selectively going in and cutting down trees of varying sizes to allow for future growth.

Pro Tip: Reach out to the United States Forest Service in your area to see if they offer grants for thinning. Sometimes they do, providing incentive and income to keep your land healthy. For undergrowth, fell trees that simply aren’t thriving and allow enough space between each tree for new saplings to take root. Additionally, as you look for larger timber, select trees that might interfere with your views in coming years, but again, ensure you don’t harvest too many. Healthy trees grow most effectively in concert with each other, with the larger stands offering shelter and seeds for smaller growth.

Be patient.

If your land is home to stands of younger trees, it’s best to wait until you have enough mature trees to harvest, creating a balance between larger and smaller stands. This will most likely result in an ebb-and-flow revenue stream – something to keep in mind to help manage finances and expectations. Depending on the current size of your timberlands, it’s wise to plan for at least a few years between mature tree harvests.

Living in forested land comes with the inherent value of being so closely intertwined with nature. It also offers opportunities to make your timberland profitable while simultaneously keeping it healthy and thriving.

If you want to learn more about owning large-acre timberland, including what you’ll need to do to properly maintain and monetize it (if that is your goal), the expert team at Hayden Outdoors has you covered. Connect with industry-leading expertise on the best way to find the best land for you.