Unless you choose to harvest your own timber, you will sell your trees to a buyer who will be responsible for harvesting and transporting the trees. This type of timber sale is referred to as selling stumpage.
How the trees to be sold are marked, how potential buyers are notified of your sale, how the buyer and sales price are determined (single offer, oral bid or negotiation, written sealed bids), and how payment is made (lump-sum vs. sale-by-scale or pay-as-you-cut) depends on the character of the individual sale.
A professional forester’s knowledge of your property, potential timber buyers, timber markets, and potential buyers’ past performance is critical to selecting the appropriate timber sale method and buyer to maximize your income while protecting and enhancing the non-timber resources of your woodland.