Where Do My Trees Go When They Are Cut?

I am a Registered Forester and Land Broker. I sell all different types of land including timberland. Many times the landowner will have some trees harvested and they want to know “where do my trees go?”  It is an interesting topic and the forest industries employees thousands of folks in Georgia and contributes millions of dollars to our economy.

Trees are harvested and delivered to different market depending on the species and size. For our discussion here, we will focus on pine trees. Pines are planted for commercial purposes. Following is a list of the predominant forest products (this is not an exhaustive list):

Pulpwood – These are the smallest trees in the forest usually measuring from 5 - 9" diameter at breast height. The trees are used for making paper

Chip-N-Saw - trees that measure between 8 and 14 inches diameter at breast height. The process chips off the rounded outer layer of a log before sawing the remaining cant or rectangular inside section into lumber i.e. the slabs are chipped away and the chips are used by paper mills for the production of paper. Chip-n-saw mills provide a market for trees larger than pulpwood and smaller than saw timber.

Chip-N-Saw Head

Sawtimber – trees that are processed at a sawmill into lumber. Usually measuring  > 12” diameter at breast height

Sawmill Tour

Plywood Logs - These are the large trees in the forest. Plywood is a wood product manufactured out of many sheets of veneers, or plies, pressed together and glued, with their grains going in opposite directions. It tends to be extremely strong, though not very attractive, and is treated in many different ways depending upon its intended application.

Plywood Veneers

Poles and Pilings -  trees that are fairly straight with limited amount of taper. Used for pilings when constructing in wet or swampy soils, utility poles, piers, docks etc.

Treated Poles

The important thing to remember is.....put your land to work for you. Land ownership can be expensive so you need the land producing income for you. This can be done by periodically thinning/harvesting timber or leasing the property for hunting rights. There are many ways to create income.

If you are interested in buying or selling land, please contact G. Kent Morris, RF, ALC 

at 706.457.0090