The forestland owners we work with have many reasons for owning their land: hunting, hiking, camping, wildlife watching, retaining longtime family land, and more. One reason that may be dormant for years is economic return. Sooner or later most landowners will reap some economic gain from their holdings with a timber sale and reinvest in another crop of trees.
Aunt Fanny Learns Forestry: Managing Timberland as an Investment by Brooks C. Mendell, Ph.D. is a great resource for all landowners whether or not they are getting ready to sell timber. The book has three parts: learning about forestry investment, implementing a forest management plan, and evaluating a forest purchase.
These lessons are not dry bone numbers and formulas. They are humorous, entertaining stories where Aunt Fanny learns about forestry from her nephew. Aunt Fanny is a retired banker who inherited family land and wants make the best use of it. Thinking back on my days in Forestry Economics, I wish Aunt Fanny had been there to liven the class up a bit.
Brooks Mendell, Ph.D. is the President and founder of Forisk Consulting. Forisk provides research and education in the forestry, timberland, and wood bioenergy sectors. You can purchase a copy of the book and sign up for an electronic newsletter at www.forisk.com.
If you need more information about managing your timberland as an investment email us at info@caseyandcompany.com or call the office at 336-838-5766.
