Green Horizons Autumn 2000 Vol. 5, No. 3 News for people who take their trees seriously Autumn 2000 Published by the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry University of Missouri-Columbia Income from timber: Are you getting what you should? *Editors note: In the last issue of Green Horizons, an article by Larry Harper, entitled "The View from HarperHill," referred to an article written by Shelby Jones. There was an article on page 1 by Jones but it was not the article to which Harper referred. We regret any confusion this may have caused. Following is the article to which Harper was referring. Did you ever wonder if you were getting as much for your timber as other forest landowners across the state? A free publication, The Missouri Timber Price Trends, published by the Missouri Department of Conservation, summarizes average prices paid for standing timber, by species and grade. It can provide a good index of potential value of your timber IF, and notice I said IF, you have all the other necessary information to go with it, such as volume by species and grade. Unless you have sought the assistance of a professional forester, you probably don't have enough information to make a good estimate of sale value. However, if you knew the average value received per acre from all timber sales in the state, you could judge your own timber accordingly. If that stimulates your interest, read on. Data for Missouri Timber Price Trends is provided quarterly by Conservation Department foresters and private consultant foresters from timber sales conducted on both private and state lands. Part of the information provided with each report is the acreage on which the sale occurred and the total value of the sale price. Thus by compiling the total value of stumpage sold annually by all reporting foresters and dividing that sum by the total acreage of timber sales reported, an average dollar value per acre can be calculated. While this kind of average is useful only in a very general way, it still can provide an annual index of the returns forest landowners could expect if they manage their timber, and conduct timber harvests, with professional forestry assistance. Recently, I had an interest in calculating the average timber sale return value for a couple of years to use in a presentation to professional resource managers. So I pulled all the timber sale reports for the years 1999 and 1996 (over 200 reports). (All stumpage price reports are confidential, however, I had access to them because I also compile and edit Missouri Timber Price Trends.) This was done by hand because the acreage figures have not been entered into any computer records. The results were somewhat surprising. For calendar year 1996, returns from timber sales averaged $559 per acre for Missouri forest landowners. Does this surprise you? It surely surprised me and I work with these types of figures regularly. Calendar year 1999 was not quite as good. As those of you who follow timber prices know, stumpage prices were somewhat lower in 1999 compared with 1996 when virtually all timber products were selling at record levels. In 1999, on average, Missouri timber owners received $509 per acre for timber sold that year. Still pretty good, but indicative that timing of timber sales can make a real difference in financial returns. We will calculate the values from other years as time permits and report on them in future issues. Several points should be remembered when considering this average dollar return information. *All of the value information is a result of timber sales conducted by professional foresters. It is not possible to estimate returns realized by individuals who attempted to sell their own timber without professional assistance, because that information is not reported. *None of the timber sales reported were clear cuts! This means that the residual timber stands are probably producing even higher quality wood fiber presently and that future sales will result in even higher returns. *It is a good bet that landowners making these sales also had established a "value basis" for their timber with the help of their professional forester resulting in significantly reduced income liability on the proceeds. They gained both in higher stumpage returns and lower tax bills. You may not believe your timber to be worth $500 per acre just yet, and it may not be. Remember, these are average figures. But maybe it's worth more than you thought! Getting assistance from a professional forester is the best way to find out! - Shelby Jones, consulting forester New, in-depth agroforestry course for resource professionals offered at MU The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry (UMCA) will offer a two-day Professional Agroforestry Training for natural resource professionals on January 10-11, 2001. This course will introduce new, practical information for the design and implementation of agroforestry practices in Missouri. Even if you have attended a course previously offered by UMCA, you will find the material more in-depth and informative and the design sessions applied. Registration, limited to 100 people, costs $55 prior to December 15 and $65 after December 15. Registration includes breaks, two box lunches and materials: *An agroforestry training manual with over 100 pages of information on the five temperate agroforestry practices - alley cropping, silvopasture, forest farming, riparian forest buffers and windbreaks, as well as detailed county-by-county listing of tree, forage and grass species suitable for agroforestry; *A copy of the new agroforestry book, North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice (402 pages); *A collection of 25 slides, with explanations, to illustrate each of the five practices; and, *Two videos, silvopasture and alley cropping, for use with landowners or to train other resource professionals. The videos describe the practice and what you need to think about to implement it. It also has several landowners discussing why they adopted agroforestry. For registration and hotel information, contact the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry at 203 ABNR, Columbia, MO 65211, ATTN: Dusty Walter (573) 884-7991; (WalterD@missouri.edu). Or visit the web page at: www.missouri.edu/~umca *Correction At the bottom of The Bid Sheet in the last issue of Green Horizons, the address for obtaining information about a professional consulting forester in your area was incorrect. It should have read: Missouri Consulting Foresters Association, P. O. Box 981, Columbia, MO 65205-0981. Internet resources for private forest landowners Forest landowners interested in learning more about their land's potential, its maintenance needs, and its unique characteristics, can get very good information from their state forestry agencies, and their service forester, extension forester or consulting forester. In addition to these sources, the internet also offers landowners a vast amount of information on forest land management. http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/forest/private/index.htm The Missouri Department of Conservation offers a wide array of assistance to private landowners on this web site. Included are wildlife habitat development, forest management recommendations and insect/disease identification. You can follow the links from this site to find out how to get in touch with the MDC in your area. http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/forest/products/guide.htm This Missouri Department of Conservation web site offers free information on how to conduct a timber sale, including how to determine what you have to sell, a sample of a sale contracts and assistance in understanding tax implications of a timber sale. http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/forestry/ This internet site, run by the Nebraska Forestry Extension, includes a large number of publications on forestry: planting and care of newly planted trees; planting for specific benefits, such as windbreaks; marketing your timber; and Christmas tree management information. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/forst2/ This site contains publications by the Kansas State University Extension on forestry topics. All of their publications at this site are free for downloading. They include good papers on chemical and fiber mat weed control, chain saw safety, wood as a source for heating, living snow fences, as well as many others. http://www.aces.edu/department/extcomm/publications/anr/anrfo.html For those interested in pine management, this site, run by the Alabama Cooperative Extension, can provide helpful information from prescribed burns and the use of herbicides, to publications on identifying diseases in your pine plantings. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/ir/index.htm The Forest Landowner's Guide to Internet Resources, was developed to help landowners better understand the extent and type of information currently available. The guide is organized in three sections: Part 1: Publications, Brochures and Fact Sheets This section of the web site organizes internet resources (publications, documents, fact sheets) by topic. These include: *Recreation *Wildlife/Hunting *Income Tax and Estate Planning *Economics of Forest Investments *Tree Identification/Species Information *Forest Health and Protection *Seedling Suppliers/Tree Planting *Forest Management Planning *Silviculture *Forest Sampling and Inventory *Forest Harvesting Operations *Timber Sales *Riparian Forest Management *Glossaries of Forestry Terms *Special Forest Products *Miscellaneous Part 2: Internet Resources by State Here, landowners can find forestry/land management information specific to their particular state. The guide focuses on resources of interest to landowners in 20 states of the Northeast, although much of the information is relevant to Missouri. Part 3: Other Resources This section of the Guide provides links to other resources of interest: government agencies, newsletters, and organizations. The guide can be viewed and consulted on line. A printable (PDF) version of the guide is also available at this site. The web site will be updated every six months to include newly available resources and to correct any changes in web site addresses. New silvopasture video A new video on the agroforestry practice of silvopasture is available from the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry. The video: *Discusses benefits associated with a silvopastoral practice; *Looks at planning and design considerations; and, Presents key management requirements. It is useful for natural resource professionals and landowners who wish to gain a greater understanding of what constitutes a successful silvopasture practice. The cost of the video is $20 plus tax, shipping and handling. To order, please visit the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry Web site at: www.missouri.edu/~umca For an order form, or contact Sara Peters at (573) 882-9866. Green Horizons readership survey From time to time, we like to survey our readership to find out if what we publish in Green Horizons is meeting your needs. The following questions are designed to solicit your input on the current content of Green Horizons and to hear about the types of articles you would like included in future issues. Please complete this survey, fold it over so that the address on page 6 is on the outside. Please indicate your interest in the following subjects by ranking them 1, 2 or 3, where 1 = very interested, 2 = somewhat interested, and 3 = little or no interest. Fill in the circle of the number that best describes your interest. 1 2 3 1. How to sell culled timber for the highest price. 1 2 3 2. Designing a profitable agroforestry practice. 1 2 3 3. Pruning walnut trees for best growth. 1 2 3 4. How the Tree Farmer of the Year manages his or her forest. 1 2 3 5. Markets in Missouri for exotic native tree species such as osage orange, persimmon or basswood. 1 2 3 6. How and when to fertilize your tree plantings. 1 2 3 7. The Bid Sheet: Quotations of prices. received from actual timber sales. 1 2 3 8. How much is this timberland worth? Readers make an estimate and check it with a professional appraisal. 1 2 3 9. Growing shrubs and bushes for the floral market in agroforestry practices. 1 2 3 10. Getting the next generation interested in the tree farm. 1 2 3 11. How to build hiking trails on your private forest land. 1 2 3 12. Managing a small woodlot for best bird-watching. 1 2 3 13. Bring the classroom to the forest: how to work with local schools and teachers. 1 2 3 14. What is old growth and how can we keep it? 1 2 3 15. Meet your local forester: Profiles of Missouri's professionals foresters and how they work with landowners. 1 2 3 16. How we capitalize on bird-watchers. Landowners charge for self-guided forest tours for local bird-watchers. 1 2 3 17. Lease-hunting: A bonus crop from the woods. 1 2 3 18. Cattle in the woods: good or bad? 1 2 3 19. Agroforestry practices for small farms 1 2 3 20. How a Missouri landowner makes $500 an acre from 5 acres of black walnut. 1 2 3 21. Planting trees with high survivability and fast growth rates. 1 2 3 22. How a tree farmer prunes his trees from the top down! 1 2 3 23. The 5 most helpful tools for use in the forest. 1 2 3 24. How to build a solar drying kiln. 1 2 3 25. Where to get professional help with your timber sale - a list of Missouri's consulting foresters. 1 2 3 26. How much does timber stand improvement (TSI) cost and what is it worth? 1 2 3 27. Harvesting ornamental and medicinal plants from your forest. 1 2 3 28. Tax law changes for forest owners. 1 2 3 29. Analyzing government cost-share programs for forestry. 1 2 3 30. How to increase nut production from my trees. 1 2 3 31. How much does it cost to cut a tree - a look at the cost of getting a log from the landowner to the mill and the price differentials. 1 2 3 32. Six steps to prepare and use a forest management plan. 1 2 3 33. When is the optimum age to harvest my trees? 1 2 3 34. How to use forestry tree and log measuring tools. 1 2 3 35. How to determine your site index for predicting tree growth. 1 2 3 36. A look at how Missouri uses its timber resources - Missouri's forest products. 1 2 3 37. Characteristics of Missouri's most important trees. 1 2 3 38. Is there a place for clear-cutting in Missouri forest management? 1 2 3 39. How do I manage my forest for best use by wildlife? 1 2 3 40. Eight steps to a successful timber sale. 1 2 3 41. The future market for real Christmas trees. Other topics you would find interesting: ______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Around the state… Master Tree Farmer Program expands into new state Landowners in Missouri will now join their counterparts in 13 other southern states who have the opportunity to participate in a unique short-course for forest landowners. The Master Tree Farmer Program, a seven-week, 21-hour live broadcast, will cover topics such as basic forestry terms and concepts, hardwood management, marketing and selling timber, tax and estate issues, wildlife management options, and forestry services available for landowners. The course, slated for February 6, to March 20 (Tuesday evenings for seven weeks) will broadcast live from the campus of Clemson University in South Carolina. It will feature national and regional experts in the various topic areas. Last year, more than 1,200 landowners participated at 62 sites in ten states. Twelve counties have currently been identified as potential workshop host locations for the course in Missouri: Howell, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Marion, Jasper, Boone, Clay, Morgan, Vernon, Franklin, Madison, and Douglas. Each site will have a local host facilitator. The estimated registration fee of $50 will include: course access, a comprehensive course notebook, hat, patch, instructor notes and refreshments. For more information contact John Dwyer at (573) 882-3537 (Dwyerj@missouri.edu), or if you are interested in attending, contact the local University Outreach and Extension center in the host county. New book for Missouri forest owners A new book is now available to help Missouri's private landowners manage their forest land. Forest Management for Missouri Landowners, written by Bruce Palmer and designed by Joan McKee, is a comprehensive reference for anyone interested in getting more from their woodlot. The book starts by leading the landowner through a step-by-step process of preparing a management plan and taking inventory of the woodlot. This leads to a discussion of forest ecology, silvicultural systems, regenerating forests, improvement practices, managing different forest types and marketing timber. Other important aspects of forest management are included, such as forest protection, best management practices, wildlife management and tax considerations. The appendices are one- and two-page reference sheets on log and tree volume tables; how to measure the diameter and height of trees, basal area, site index and stand density; how conduct to an inventory and log tally; and sources of forestry assistance. It also contains sample forms for bid solicitations, timber sale contracts and tally sheets. The book is free and is available from Missouri Department of Conservation offices. Tree Farm Stewardship Days to be held in March The theme of the 2001 Tree Farm Stewardship Days conference will be "Adding Value to the Natural Resource." Some of the workshops planned are: *setting up black walnut and pecan agroforestry practices; *lease hunting and wildlife management; *managing woodlots for profit; *increasing grandchildren's interest in a woodland inheritance; and, *bidding and selling timber to maximize revenues. Other items on the program include landowner show and tell, an awards luncheon and a lease-hunting panel. For more information, see the March 2-3 entry of the calendar on the back page of this issue of Green Horizons. Woodland megatrends (Excerpts from a study by forest industry consultants Neil Sampson and Lester DeCoster of the current trends affecting the nation's non-industrial private forests.) "Ownerships that are least likely to be managed with professional advice are increasing in number and relative importance to the future of America's forest." "There are almost 10 million private forest ownerships today with the vast majority-almost 95 percent-holding fewer than 10 acres." "The evidence suggests that holdings smaller than 10 acres are seldom managed under a forest management plan assisted by public programs, and those larger than 500 acres often have their own professional staff or are likely to hire private consultants." Calendar of upcoming events January 10-11, 2001 Agroforestry Training for natural resource professionals. University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry at MU in Columbia will offer a two-day training on designing and implementing the five temperate agroforestry practices. Registration is $55 before December 15 and $65 after December 15. (See detailed announcement on page 1). For more information, contact Dusty Walter, technical training specialist at (573) 884-7991 or email him at walterw@missouri.edu. Also, check out the Center's home page at http://web.missouri.edu/~umca February 2, 2000 Missouri Nut Growers Association. Nut evaluation, City-county building, Nevada, Mo., 9 a.m. Contact: Mary Ann Byrd. (660) 925-3253. February 3, 2001 Missouri Nut Growers Association. Annual Show and Meeting. City-County building, Nevada, Mo. 9 a.m. Mary Ann Byrd (660) 925-3253. March 2-3, 2001 "Adding Value to the Natural Resource" will be the theme of the 2001 Tree Farm Stewardship Days Conference. It will be held at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, Jefferson City, Mo. Contact: Julie Rhoads (573) 882-3234 or rhoadsj@missouri.edu (See detailed announcement on page 7 of this issue). April 14, 2001 Missouri Chapter of the Walnut Council. Will be held at the Phil Moore Farm: 4 miles south, 1.4 miles east of Pleasant Hill Mo., on 219th St. Program features planting hardwood trees for filter strips. Contact Phil Moore at (816) 540-3169. Send your forestry related event dates to: Sandy Hodge 203 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Bldg., MU Center for Agroforestry Columbia, MO 65211 Green Horizons is published quarterly by the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. All submitted material is subject to editing for style and length. Editorial board: Scott Brundage, Missouri Consulting Foresters Association (573) 443-3977 Philip Moore, president, Missouri Chapter of the Walnut Council, (816) 540-3169 Gene Garrett, director, MU Center for Agroforestry, (573) 882-3647 Sandy Hodge, editor, Green Horizons, MU Center for Agroforestry, (573) 884-6729 Paul Manson, president, Missouri Nut Growers Association, (660) 548-3477 Cory Ridenhour, Missouri Forest Products Association (573) 634-3253 John Shopland, superintendent, MU Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center, (660) 848-2268 Clell Solomon, Missouri Christmas Tree Producers Association (660) 273-2368 Larry Harper, president, Missouri Tree Farm Committee (573) 442-5326 Wayne Wittmeyer, Forest Stewardship Program (573) 751-4115 Mailing address: Green Horizons, c/o Sandy Hodge, MU Center for Agroforestry, 203 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Bldg., Forestry Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. CAPTIONS: page 1: Seeking assistance from a professional forester is the best way to get a good estimate for your timber sale. page 3: New agroforestry training manual debuts January 10-11 at the professional agroforestry training course.