Timber Sales

HTWS will manage the sale of your timber from start to finish. We will cruise your standing timber to determine it's value given the current timber markets, market to numerous timber buyers, receive bids for your timber, and award the best buyer with the sale contract. We will handle all of the contracts and negotiations, and ensure that all of the "t's are crossed and the i's dotted." Once harvest begins we will make weekly trips to your tract to make certain that the proper care is being given to your property and that all of the terms of the contract are followed. Examples of contract terms include: minimizing rutting, minimizing damage to residual standing timber, or following all state best management practices (BMP's).  Immediately after harvest, a final inspection will ensure full compliance with all terms of the contract and complete the timber sale. 

Reforestation

Reforestation is the process of putting a recently harvested timber stand back into trees (typically pine). The reason we say that this is a process is because it does not usually involve only the replanting of seedlings. More often than not, a recent clear-cut will need to be prepared for planting with the use of forestry-labeled herbicides. Forestry herbicides will eliminate the competition so that the pine seedlings will be able to flourish unhindered. In the late winter to early spring following herbicide application, pine seedlings will need to be planted. Holding a herbicide applicators license, HTWS has the experience and knowledge to prescribe the right combination of herbicides for your tract. Not every tract is the same and some will require different suites of herbicides to get the job done. HTWS can coordinate these services, starting with a site visit to determine the best plan for investment in reforestation.

Hardwood Management

When you look at a mature hardwood forest, what do you see? What species are there? What kind of sawtimber quality is present? What forces do you believe led the forest to develop into what you see? What do you think it will look like 50 years from now? What do you want it be 50 years from now? These are just a few of the myriad of questions that can be asked concerning hardwood forests. In central Virginia, oak-hickory upland forests are often the most valuable forests that landowners can manage. However, it is well documented that oak-hickory forests are slowly shifting towards faster growing sunlight loving species such as maple, sweetgum, and poplar. Landowners have to take proactive management steps to ensure the longevity of their “oak-hickory” forests. The Virginia Dept. of Forestry now offers a cost share program for hardwood management that can help landowners to offsets the costs of some of the management actions. For landowners seeking to improve their hardwood forests, HTWS offers turnkey services such as: crop tree release, stand marking, cruising, timber stand improvement, and prescribed burning. We can also help to landowners into the cost share program by coordinating with the local DOF foresters on the projects.

Forest and Wildlife Management Planning

Often times landowners have many different goals for their land, but they do not know how to plan for the long term life of the assets that it holds (timber and wildlife). HTWS can help the landowner merge their property ownership goals with responsible and ecological forest and wildlife management. Forest management planning can also help the property obtain eligibility for many state cost-share programs for which a management plan is a requirement. HTWS can also help plan and design wildlife habitat manipulations to match the long term goals of the property owner.

Waterfowl impoundments

In central VA, most waterfowl “honey holes” hard to come by and the best ones are already leased. Building your own impoundment is a great way to provide suitable habitat and to have a place to hunt! HTWS offers waterfowl impoundment design and construction oversight. We work with a local grading contractor to build waterfowl impoundments for duck hunting enthusiasts. Call us today to schedule a meeting to discuss your waterfowl hunting dreams!!

GPS / GIS Mapping

Aerial photography and the sophistication of global positioning systems (GPS) has come a long way in recent decades. Many photos are publicly available but require special software to use. GPS units are often expensive and the typical landowner has no need to invest in a unit. HTWS can use GPS and aerial photography to create maps of your properties to use at hunting camps or to simply have as a reference.  
 

Boundary Marking

Online property programs certainly make it easy to get a general idea of the shape and location or your property. However, they are often not precise and therefore can cause serious trespass issues. HTWS has the knowledge and expertise to read surveyor plat maps and locate actual property boundaries on the ground. HTWS can mark property boundaries so that the landowner (and the neighbors) can know whose is whose. HTWS can also post (No Trespassing signs) your property if that service is wanted.

Be sure to check out Helpful Hints at the bottom of the page where we will be adding tidbits about taxes, wildlife, and forest management periodically.