Our SFPNA Sustainable Forestry Program team of foresters, biologist and professionals are here to assist you in achieving the goals and objectives you have for your woodlot.

I am interested in the SFPNA Sustainable Forestry Program's services, so how does it all begin?
To get started, please call us at 207-858-4201 and we will be happy to discuss your woodlot, your plans for the property, and what you'd like us to help you achieve. After this discussion, we can schedule a date for the SFPNA Sustainable Forestry Program to walk your woodlot with you and provide you with an evaluation.

Do I need a management plan for my woodlot?
It will depend on what your goals are for your woodlot. If you are interested in conducting a timber harvest, managing habitat for certain species (flora and/or fauna), or wish to enroll in the Maine Tree Growth Tax Program, American Tree Farm System, FSC Group Certification and/or Sustainable Forestry Initiative ® (SFI), you will need a management plan. Simply, a management plan identifies your goals, objectives, the physical characteristics of your woodlot, and prescriptions for your timber in order to reach your goals.

Do I need to have a timber harvest conducted on my woodlot?
Determining if a timber harvest is necessary on your woodlot depends on your objectives, as well as the condition of your woodlot. In order to assess the condition of your woodlot and make accurate recommendations, the SFPNA Sustainable Forestry Program would need to schedule a date to meet with you and walk through your woodlot.

For older, more mature woodlots, in some cases, a timber harvest will increase the value of your property by removing the low quality, and/or biologically mature trees and promoting the healthier ones to grow. Additionally, timber harvests, if properly conducted, can enhance the wildlife habitat on your lot. For younger woodlots, pre-commercial harvests may serve to your advantage, as they can help your property yield sellable wood more quickly, by speeding up the process to achieve a return. In other cases, the best thing to do is leave the woodlot to grow until it is ready to be harvested. Your forester can help you with these decisions.

How does conducting a timber harvest work?
Our foresters will work with you to design a timber harvest that meets your objectives and matches the guidelines of your management plan. Once a timber harvest plan has been prepared and agreed upon, our foresters will mark the areas on your woodlot where your timber will be harvested and where equipment will be used. Since there's a variety of different forest equipment used in Maine, we take the time to make sure that the right equipment mix will be used on your property. Once your trees are harvested and merchandized to the highest and best use, the timber is delivered to their final destinations.

How do I get paid?
In the state of Maine, "Pay as you cut" is common practice for paying a landowner for their wood. Under this method, as your wood is delivered to the mill it is either stick scaled or weigh scaled. All sawlogs that go to either a sawmill or veneer mill are stick scaled. A licensed scaler will measure the logs to determine the number of board feet and quality of each stick or log. Payment is based on both factors. Once a load of wood is scaled, the sawmill sends their payment to Sappi. Sappi then pays the contractor and the landowner. Pulpwood is handled the same way except that the scale is based on tons. At the end of the harvest, you will receive a summary report, which tells you how much wood has been harvested and the dollars generated.

Where does my harvested wood go?
As wood is harvested and brought to the landing, it is sorted by product type (veneer, logs, pulp, fuel) and hardwood/softwood. This helps ensure that your trees are marketed for highest and best use, meaning that your log quality trees will not be sold for anything less than log quality. We work with over 40 different area sawmills, which creates a secure market for your products and helps get you the best prices. All logs are delivered to the sawmill which yields the best return for the landowner. All hardwood pulpwood will come to Sappi, as our Somerset Mill is a primary receiver of this product. By having Sappi work with you to manage your property, you have a secure source for your hardwood pulpwood.