Sealed Timber Bids: What You Need to Know to Sell Your Timber

South Carolina has close to thirteen million acres of forestland, and 87% of the forestland is privately owned.¹ Close to two-thirds of this privately owned forestland is considered family forests.² Family forests are owned by individuals and families for non-industrial use. Non-industrial use does not mean the owners cannot harvest timber or manage the forest for timber production, as many family forest owners do. Across the United States, the highest-ranking reasons for owning forestland are “the beauty, wildlife habitat, and nature protection the forestlands provide.”³ Over 40% of respondents to the National Woodland Owners Survey (NWOS) in 2013 reported that they have harvested trees for personal use, and more than 20% harvested trees for commercial use.³ In South Carolina, close to 40% of family forest owners reported harvesting trees either for personal or commercial use in the five years prior to the NWOS.⁴ Across the nation, harvesting timber is a once-in-a-lifetime event for many family forest owners. In South Carolina, we are fortunate to have regions with good soils and long growing seasons; these factors enable family forest owners that manage southern yellow pine plantations to experience multiple harvests during their lifetime. To achieve the highest return on investment, owners need to understand how to best market and sell their timber.

Selling Timber versus Marketing Timber

Selling your timber is simply offering the timber to a buyer and negotiating a price. While this is a great way to sell your timber, you may be missing out on a higher price. Marketing timber is a more complicated process that typically includes soliciting sealed bids from several timber buyers in the area. The goal of marketing timber is to get the highest possible price through competition. Research shows that marketing timber through a sealed bid can increase the value of your timber by 10% to 20%.^5–7 Direct negotiation with timber buyers known to pay higher prices is also effective marketing. Direct negotiation may be done by a consulting forester who is familiar with the timber market in your area. Using a consulting forester can increase the per-acre value received for the timber by up to 30%,⁵ either through the use of sealed bids or applying market knowledge in direct negotiations. While using a consulting forester is generally recommended for selling and marketing your timber, you as the landowner may do so yourself and achieve similar results. Many Cooperative Extension Service publications explain in detail the steps to marketing timber and managing a woodlot, some providing sample timber sale contracts and additional resources. For more in-depth information on timber marketing, see Marketing Timber in Tennessee,⁸ Marketing Timber,⁹ Timber Sales: A Planning Guide for Landowners,¹⁰ and Steps to Marketing Timber.¹¹ This article focuses on sealed timber bids and the information that should be included in a timber sale prospectus.

The Timber Bid Invitation

A timber bid invitation, or timber sale prospectus, is a document that includes all the critical information for a potential timber buyer to determine whether to make a bid on the proposed sale or not. Send the bid invitation to all the timber buyers in your area who you think may like to buy your timber. The first page typically includes the invitation to make a timber bid by asking potential buyers to place a sealed bid for a volume of timber by a given date and time. Sealed bids are typically opened at the specified time and date in a pre-determined location where bidders can attend the opening. No more bids should be allowed to enter the bidding process after the time you have specified in your timber sales prospectus. While you are in charge of who you want to sell your timber to, other bidders will most likely not bid on your future timber sale if you do not adhere to the rules during the current bidding process. If you only have one timber sale or two in your lifetime, this may not be a big deal. However, if you use a consulting forester or have more timber sales going on in the future, this can impact both your and your forester’s reputation and cost you lost timber bids down the road. The beginning of the bid invitation should include information on who is selling the timber, the timber location, and whether or not the timber is from more than one stand. Below are additional considerations of what should be in a timber sale prospectus.

Type of Sale

When you invite potential buyers to make a timber bid, you must tell them what type of bid to submit. Typically, sealed timber bids are prepared in one of three ways: lump-sum, per-unit, and blended price. However, other bid options may be viable. For additional considerations on the type of sale and subsequent timber sale contracts see An Introduction to Timber Sale Contracts.¹²

1. With a lump-sum sale, bidders give you a total price based on the volume of timber that is to be harvested. This price is then paid to you by the winning bidder as one sum. The designated trees are sold to the buyer with that price payment. While this type of sale is common in some areas, it typically requires a buyer who can afford to buy the timber up-front before the harvest. A lump-sum sale may work for you if you are harvesting small acreage. For the sale of a larger tract in a remote area far away from a mill, the lump-sum timber bid may not be the best option to get a large number of timber bids. A modified version of the lump-sum sale is to receive periodic lump-sum payments for designated sections of the harvest before cutting them. The modified, lump-sum sale allows the buyer to pay you the lump-sum amount in multiple smaller payments so that it fits within their cash-flow model. For example, you may sell a 100-acre tract as a lump-sum sale, but the timber buyer splits the one hundred acres into five, 20-acre tracts and pays you for one, 20-acre harvest at a time. The complete one hundred acres will get harvested, but instead of receiving one big check at the beginning of the harvest, you will get five smaller checks over a designated period. The details of this type of agreement will be up to you and the timber buyer to discuss and negotiate. A consulting forester can advise you and help you with the decision making.
2. Per-unit timber sales are perhaps the most common in South Carolina. With a per-unit sale, you are asking for bids for each product that you are selling, based on one unit of that product (e.g., tons, MBF, cords). If you have a thinning planned, you may advertise for a per-unit (ton) price of pulpwood and chip-and-saw products. That way, you will receive one price for every ton of pulpwood and one price for every ton of chip-and-saw timber cut on your property. The advantage of per-unit sales is that you will get paid for every unit, whether it is tons, board feet, or others, harvested from your property. The timber buyers typically do not have to have the total cash for the sale in hand before the harvest starts, but rather pay you weekly, based on the timber harvested during the week. Often there is a lag of about one to two weeks between the harvest and the landowner getting paid. The one- to two-week pay lag is standard practice and is not necessarily a reason for concern. When you do not get money for more than two weeks, it is wise to follow up with the buyer to request payment or stop the harvest until payment is received. Another area for concern with per-unit sales is the possibility that higher value products (e.g., sawlogs, poles) harvested may get reported to the landowner as lower-value products (e.g., chip-n-saw). In some instances, higher-value products were mixed in with lower-value products to complete a load or to shorten transportation distances, thus generating lower revenue for the landowner. While mixing high- and low-value products in a single load is not a typical practice, it has happened in the past, and a landowner needs to be aware of what products are being harvested and the products for which they get paid. A consulting forester can help with monitoring a harvest and ensuring adequate payment.
3. A blended price sale is becoming more popular in timber sales across the state. Like a per-unit sale, you get paid for every unit of product harvested from your property. Instead of receiving a different price for every single product, you are asking for one price across all products, thus a blended price. The blended price means that for every unit of product harvested (e.g., pulpwood, chip-and-saw, sawlogs, poles), you will get the same amount of money. With the blended price, you do not have to worry about the proper merchandising of your timber, as the product type will not impact your income; this is a great advantage over a per-unit sale. Again, you will get paid on a weekly basis, unless otherwise specified. A potential disadvantage is that some loggers and timber buyers may skip harvesting lower-value products in preference for high-value products. Ensure all designated trees are harvested by frequently inspecting the harvest site yourself, working with a consulting forester to inspect the site, or a combination of the two.

For any per-unit sale (this includes blended price), the South Carolina forest laws¹³ require that the timber buyer provides you with load tickets for every load of timber coming from your timber sale. A load ticket is typically filled out by the logger and trucking company before a load of timber (e.g., pulp, chip-n-saw, sawlogs, poles) leaves the landing and is updated at the mill with weight and volume information. It includes a unique identifier, information about the seller and buyer, weight and volume, product type, date and time, and some more. Section 48-23-97 of the South Carolina Code of Laws states that each timber buyer must furnish all load tickets to the timber grower in a legible format within thirty days of the completion of the timber harvest.¹⁴ The load weight or volume on load tickets is the basis on which you receive payment for each unit of timber sold. Many timber buyers also provide the load tickets with each payment they make to you.

If the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified your property, mention this in your timber bid announcement. The certification may increase the number of bids you receive or give your property preference in harvest scheduling. Lastly, you should reserve the right to refuse any or all offers. Reserving the right to refuse offers is essential in case the timber bids are not as high as you expected, enabling you to wait for better market conditions before selling your timber. Before advertising the timber sale, you should come up with an undisclosed minimum value that you would accept for the timber. If the bids are below your threshold, you would refuse all offers and not sell your timber at that time. Your undisclosed minimum bid should be reasonable for the time you offer your sale. Otherwise, potential buyers may not be willing to put time and money into evaluating your future sales. A consulting forester can help you calculate a reasonable minimum bid, but you can also consult with other forest owners on recent timber sales and current market conditions. The South Carolina Forestry Commission also offers a quarterly timber price report¹⁵ that provides you with current timber price information.

Volume, Area, and Type of Harvest

Besides specifying the type of bid you are inviting, it is essential to provide a summary of the area (acres) and volume you are planning to harvest. Along with area in acres, you also need to describe the type of harvest you are planning: a first thinning, second thinning, clear cut, selective cut, etc. For thinnings, include information on whether the thinned trees will be marked with paint or an operator-select harvest. Also, provide information on whether the timber to be harvested is in a planted or naturally regenerated stand. The distinction between planted or naturally regenerated stand is important, as different costs are associated with each of these harvest types and regeneration methods that may impact the final bid.

Further, provide information about the species to be harvested, is it all pine, hardwood, or a mix of different species? Species can have an impact on harvest productivity and cost of harvesting equipment, and thus can also impact the final bid. Lastly, provide an estimate of the total volume of timber to be cut for each product class (e.g., softwood pulpwood, hardwood pulpwood, chip-and-saw, sawlogs, poles, etc.). The volume information can be estimated based on a cruise of your timber. A consulting forester can do this for you, or you can cruise your timber to estimate timber volume by product class. A ten or twenty-percent cruise will usually suffice for a timber bid invitation. Mention the type of cruise completed to estimate the volume (e.g., 10% point-sampling) in your invitation to bid, and also include language encouraging all bidders to collect their own volume estimates. While providing all of the above information in a few sentences at the beginning of the timber bid invitation, you may consider adding a volume table from your cruise to the invitation, especially if there is a great diversity of species to be harvested. A common way is to list each product with a total removal volume for the harvest area (table 1), or with a per-acre removal volume (table 2). Some sellers also like to include a stock and stand table with an estimated diameter distribution and density of removal trees (table 3).

Sample introductory text is provided below:

“The SFI certified Clemson Experimental Forest is accepting sealed, per-unit bids for an operator-select second thinning of approximately 62 acres of planted loblolly pine with an estimated removal of 620 tons of pulpwood and 1,302 tons of chip-n-saw. Volume estimates were derived from a 10% point-sampling cruise. Bidders are encouraged to inspect the sale area and determine the volume estimates. The sale consists of one stand located at 1567 Issaqueena Lake Road, Six Mile, SC. Sealed bids are due by mail, fax, or email, by May 25, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. and will be opened at the Clemson Experimental Forest Operations Lab at 1234 Hugo Drive, Clemson, SC. All bidders are welcome to attend the opening of the bids. The seller reserves the right to refuse any or all bids.”

Table 1. Simple volume table with total removal volume.

Table 2. Volume table for two products with per-acre removal volumes.

Table 3. Stock and stand table with diameter distribution and the number of trees per acre for trees to be removed.

Site Inspection

When you advertise your timber sale and provide an estimated volume from a cruise that you or your consulting forester completed, also consider that some bidders like to collect volume numbers for the sale area. You should include language in your timber bid invitation encouraging bidders to inspect the sale area. Coordinating bidder inspections can be done in different ways. Public land timber sales often tell bidders that they can access the property at any time to do their volume determination. As a private forest owner, you may not want strangers walking through your property. To avoid that, you can provide bidders with a set date and time to meet with you for a walk-through of the property. This site meeting before bid submission serves many purposes, including:

• Showing the timber stand to the bidders
• Discussing any harvest restrictions
• Showing bidders there is competition for this sale, which may increase the bid you received
• Inviting bidders to cruise the stand after the site meeting, so that bidder can individually evaluate the sale

An alternative to meeting with the bidders is to set two or three different days that you will allow bidders to come and go as needed, to cruise your property. Setting aside specific dates has the benefit that you know when people may access your property so that you can prepare for their visit. Yet another solution would be to tell bidders to contact you before cruising or visiting the property. Requesting contact before a bidder visits the property can be labor-intensive for you, as you may have to take many calls and schedule visits. Additionally, requiring bidders to schedule a visit may discourage them from doing a cruise or from bidding on your sale. All solutions are valid and useful, depending on your situation. If you live on the property, you may want to limit random visitors, although you may not mind visitors on a property not connected to your residence.

Payment, Performance Bond, and Timeframe

Now that you have provided bidders with clear instructions for the bid, it is time to tell them how you would like to get paid. When making a lump-sum sale, tell the bidders when you would want to receive the money for the sale. Typically, you can request the money be due at the time of bid-opening, especially for smaller sales, or as a certified check within a specified period after bidding closes, such as fourteen days. Specify the interval over which you prefer to receive payment when making per-unit or blended price sales. Many timber buyers pay weekly or bi-weekly, while others may pay at the end of the harvest, depending on how much timber is being cut. Put your preference for payment in writing within the timber bid invitation.

With per-unit and blended price sales, you can also ask for a deposit at the time of bid-opening or contract signing. The deposit amount varies based on the total value of your timber sale and can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. The deposit will count against any outstanding balance from the harvest; this means that for the first few days or weeks, you may not receive any check from the timber buyer as the harvested value is depreciated against the deposit you already received. Once the value of the timber harvested is above the deposit value, you will get paid again. For example, if you asked for a $4,000 deposit, and your blended price per ton is fifteen dollars, you will not get any additional money until at least 267 tons (or about ten truckloads) have been harvested on your property. Receiving a deposit of any amount is essential, as a sales contract is not binding until there has been some consideration, which in this case would be the exchange of money.

A performance bond is often requested at the time of contract signing or bid opening for any type of payment. The performance bond is a certain amount above the bid value, usually 10% of the bid value, that is held in a non-interest-bearing account to pay for damages, if any, caused by the logger. After harvest is complete, the performance bond money is returned to the timber buyer, unless damages need to be assessed. You can think about this as a security deposit. If everything goes as planned, the buyer will receive the performance bond money back. It is good practice to provide a letter to the buyer stating they have fulfilled all contractual obligations when releasing the performance bond money.

While making sure you specify how you would like to get paid, it is also important to provide a timeframe for the timber harvesting operation in your timber bid announcement. If you do not specify a start and end date, the timber buyer may wait several years before cutting your timber. While delayed harvest is not typical, you also have no simple way to get out of the contract. To avoid delays in timber harvest and contractual disputes, provide a timeframe in which the harvest must take place. Often, this timeframe is twelve, eighteen, or twenty-four months. Include a statement in the bid invitation stating that the timber buyer will forfeit both the deposit and performance bond if the timber harvest is not completed within the stated timeframe. While this is not common, it does happen on occasion. After the timeframe has expired, you can then advertise your timber sale again. Delayed timber harvest is not optimal for your forest management plans, but at least you received some compensation for the delay in the form of the deposit and performance bond.

Sample verbiage for the payment, performance bond, and timeframe section of the timber bid invitation is provided below:

“Weekly payments based on harvested volumes are expected to be received on Fridays. A deposit of $5,000 will be counted against the harvested volume, and a $5,000 performance bond is due at contract signing. The timber is to be harvested within eighteen months of contract signing. The buyer will forfeit the deposit and performance bond if the harvest is not completed within the specified timeframe.”

Harvesting Considerations

For any sale, let bidders know how the timber to be harvested will be selected. If you are choosing an operator select harvest, provide your residual target basal area in the bid invitation and any guidance for selecting take trees. If trees are marked, make sure to mention that in the announcement, and provide the color in which trees are marked. For first thinnings, provide information on skid trail placement: will skid trails be marked, chosen based on a specific spacing, or will be removed every fifth row?

Include a statement that requires access roads to the landing be kept in good shape and are restored to good traveling conditions for a pickup truck after completing the harvest. You may also stipulate that gravel will be placed at the site entrance from a county or state road to minimize mud on the road. If ditches are in place, ensure that the timber buyer agrees to restore all ditches to the same or better condition as found before the harvest. Stipulations for restoration to the pre-harvest condition can be included for any gates, fences, etc., that may be on the property. Specify what you would like to have done with debris left at the landing. Should the debris at the landing be left in a pile or spread across the site? Maybe all debris should be removed or chipped? Include wording telling the timber buyer that they are responsible for all required permits, including encroachment permits for crossing ditches along state highways, etc. Some utilities, such as gas, sewer, and water, require permits before crossing their underground infrastructure.

All logging operations should follow best management practices (BMPs) to protect soil health and water quality. Include a statement directing contractors to comply with South Carolina BMPs. Before signing a contract, require the successful bidder to provide proof of commercial liability insurance for at least $1 million and workers’ compensation insurance. You can also state that all workers need to follow OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) safety regulations. Proof of adequate insurance is important, in case an accident involving the logging contractor happens. Without the insurance, any claims may be directed to the landowner rather than the logging contractor.

Sample verbiage for the harvest considerations section of the timber bid invitation is provided below:

“The second thinning will be operator-select to an average residual basal area of seventy-five square feet per acre. Trees of poor form and with defects are to be removed first, leaving the most vigorous and straight trees for crop trees. Existing skid trails are to be used. Property boundaries are marked with yellow paint. The access road to the landing is to be kept in good shape at all times and will need to be restored after the harvest for use with a pickup truck. Gravel will need to be placed where the access road meets the state highway. All required permits and fees are the responsibility of the buyer. Debris at the landing site must be evenly distributed after the harvest. South Carolina’s best management practices must be followed. The successful bidder must show proof of commercial liability insurance in the amount of $1 million ($1,000,000) as well as workers’ compensation insurance before signing the contract. OSHA worker safety regulations shall always be followed.”

The Bid

Many timber bid invitations provide a section for the bidder to enter their bid. Providing a bid entry section ensures that all bidders provide exact dollar amounts and provides them with a template to calculate your payment. Table 4 provides a simple bid entry form. When using a bid entry-form, consider providing a space for the bidder to add their contact information.

Table 4. A simple entry form for per-unit bid values.

Maps

Every timber bid invitation should include a map of the property to be harvested, outlining the boundaries, roads, and access points. Clearly mark the area to be harvested. The property map should also include markings for (1) existing logging decks and gate locations (if any), (2) streams, creeks, and wetlands, and any existing crossings over them, and (3) sensitive areas such as old home sites, gravesites, etc. The map can be drawn on an aerial image of your property from Google Maps or Bing Maps, etc. You can hand draw the map on top of an aerial image or use free software on the internet to draw the map. Figure 1 shows an example of a timber sale map drawn using Google Earth Pro.

Figure 1. An example of a map outlining the harvest area, roads, and streams. This map is for demonstration purposes only. Image credit: Patrick Hiesl, Clemson University.

Contracts

Once you received all the bids and opened them at the specified date and time, you will have to sign a written contract with the highest bidder. Timber sale contracts can be simple one-page documents, or quite inclusive, consisting of multiple pages with stipulations and information. For more details about writing your timber sales contract, see An Introduction to Timber Sale Contracts.¹² If your timber sale contract will be inclusive with many restrictions, it is wise to attach your timber sale contract template to the timber bid invitation to let all the bidders know about the details in the contract. Attaching the timber sale contract with the bid invitation will ensure that everyone is on the same page and the bids submitted accounted for your stipulations.

Summary

Selling your timber is an important aspect of forest management; however, you have to decide if you want to simply sell your timber or if you want to market your timber for the highest possible value. Several factors play into this decision-making process. Besides your management objectives, you should also think about the quality of a thinning by a known logger versus an unknown logger. Is the risk of long-term residual stand damage worth the extra money? A consulting forester will be able to guide you through the process of finding the best way to harvest your timber to meet your goals and objectives. In many instances, marketing your timber to many buyers is beneficial, and a sealed bid will be the right choice for you. While a consulting forester can write a timber bid invitation for you, a simple timber bid invitation example is provided in the appendix.

Using sealed timber bids has the advantage of potentially generating more interest and competition for your timber sale, resulting in a higher price for your timber. The seller should fully explain their expectations and consistently communicate them through the timber sale bid invitation and final contract. A potential disadvantage is that you may not be familiar with the highest bidder, and you may not know the quality of the work they will complete. You can lessen this disadvantage by having a performance bond paired with a comprehensive sales contract that clearly communicates your preferences and expectations.

References Cited

1. USDA Forest Service. Forests of South Carolina, 2018. Asheville (NC): US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; 2019.
2. South Carolina Forestry Commission. By the numbers: SC forestry facts & figures: FY2015–16. Columbia (SC): South Carolina Forestry Commission; 2017. https://www.state.sc.us/forest/pubs/bythenumber2015-16.pdf.
3. Butler BJ, Hewes JH, Dickinson BJ, Andrejczyk K, Butler SM, Markowski-Lindsay M. Family forest ownerships of the United States, 2013: Findings from the USDA Forest service’s national woodland owner survey. Journal of Forestry. 2016;114(6):638–647.
4. Butler BJ, Hewes JH, Dickinson BJ, Andrejczyk K, Butler SM, Markowski-Lindsay M. USDA Forest service national woodland owner survey. A technical document supporting the Forest Service Update of the 2010 RPA Assessment. Newtown Square (PA): US Department of Agriculture Forest Service; 2016.
5. Munn IA, Franklin EC. Do consultants really generate higher timber prices? The Consultant. 1995;(Winter):26–29.
6. Athey S, Levin J, Seira E. Comparing open and sealed bid auctions: Evidence from timber auctions. Quarterly Journal of Economics. 2011;126(1):207–257. doi:10.1093/qje/qjq001.
7. Sendak PE. Timber sale value as a function of sale characteristics and number of bidders. Radnor (PA): USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station; 1991.
8. Mercker D. Marketing timber in Tennessee. Knoxville (TN): The University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture; 2011. https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1790.pdf.
9. Hoover WL. Marketing timber. West Lafayette (IN): Purdue University; 2002. https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-111.pdf.
10. Bardon R. Timber sales: A planning guide for landowners. Raleigh (NC): North Carolina State Extension; 2015. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/timber-sales-a-planning-guide-for-landowners#.
11. Demers C, Long A. Steps to marketing timber. Gainesville (FL): University of Florida, The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences; 2002. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FR/FR13000.pdf.
12. Hiesl P, Pohlman S. An introduction to timber sale contracts. Clemson (SC): Clemson Cooperative Extension, Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension; 2020. LGP 1055. http://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/an-introduction-to-timber-sale-contracts/.
13. SC Forestry Commission. South Carolina Forest Law Handbook. 8^th ed. Columbia (SC): South Carolina Forestry Commission; 2017. https://www.state.sc.us/forest/reflaws.pdf.
14. Environmental Protection and Conservation. Ch. 23. Forest Generally. 97. Wood load tickets required for certain ticket sales; exceptions; penalties: S.C. Code. § 48-23-97. 2002 [accessed 2020 Jul 1]. https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t48c023.php.
15. SC Forestry Commission. SC Timber Price Reports. Columbia (SC): South Carolina Forestry Commission; 2020. https://www.state.sc.us/forest/mprice.htm.

Appendix

Timber Bid Invitation – Example

(The timber sale and all contact information are examples only.)

The SFI certified Clemson Experimental Forest is accepting sealed per-unit bids for an operator-select second thinning of approximately 62 acres of planted loblolly pine with an estimated removal of 620 tons of pulpwood and 1,302 tons of chip-n-saw. Volume estimates were derived from a 10% point-sampling cruise. Bidders are encouraged to inspect the sale area and determine the volume estimates. The sale consists of one stand located at 1567 Issaqueena Lake Road, Six Mile, SC. Sealed bids are due by mail, fax, or email, by May 25, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. and will be opened at the Clemson Experimental Forest Operations Lab at 1234 Hugo Drive, Clemson, SC. All bidders are welcome to attend the opening of the bids. The seller reserves the right to refuse any or all bids.

The second thinning will be operator select to an average residual basal area of seventy-five square feet per acre. Trees of poor form and with defects are to be removed first, leaving the most vigorous and straight trees for crop trees. Existing skid trails are to be used. Property boundaries are marked with yellow paint. The access road to the landing is to be kept in good shape at all times and will need to be restored after the harvest for use with a pickup truck. Gravel will need to be placed where the access road meets the state highway. All required permits and fees are the responsibility of the buyer. Debris at the landing site must be evenly distributed after the harvest. South Carolina’s best management practices must be followed. The successful bidder must show proof of commercial liability insurance in the amount of $1 million ($1,000,000) as well as workers’ compensation insurance before signing the contract. OSHA worker safety regulations shall always be followed.

Weekly payments based on harvested volumes are expected to be received on Fridays. A deposit of $5,000 that will be counted against the harvested volume and a $5,000 performance bond are due at contract signing. The timber is to be harvested within eighteen months of contract signing. The buyer will forfeit the deposit and performance bond if the harvest is not completed within the specified timeframe.

Please enter your bid amount into the provided space below and submit this form to the Clemson Experimental Forest Operations Lab by mail, fax, or email by May 25, 2020, at 10:00 a.m.

Bidder Contact Information:

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Map of the advertised timber sale with stand boundaries painted in yellow.