As the leading professional logging company that serves the beautiful state of Ohio, First Choice Hardwoods is proud to bring you over 100 years of combined experience in logging, timber assessment, timber buying, and other related services. We specialize in selective logging and sustainable forestry management.
If you’ve been looking for a selective logging company that you can trust to respect your property and care for your land professionally, First Choice Hardwoods is your team. As ethical logging is the heartbeat of our company, we are driven by industry best practices and thrive on profound customer care. Call us today at (614) 336-9758 to learn more about our services and land management practices.
Sustainable Logging Practices
With First Choice Hardwood managing your property’s logging operation, you can rest assured you have partnered with a company that brings the experience of sustainable timber harvesting to you and your timber. Before we bring out any equipment, we take several necessary steps to ensure we can maximize your forest’s output and minimize any negative impacts to your land. These steps include:
Assess Your Wooded Land’s Potential
Before we even think about beginning any cutting, our qualified team members will perform a thorough visual inspection of your land. We catalog the species, condition, location and maturity of your trees, and make sure we have a complete understanding of what you envision your property will look like in the end and what your short and long-term goals are.
Verify Property Boundaries
We use GPS and maps to ensure we work within property lines and only log in the areas that have been set aside for that purpose.
Proposal, Estimate, & Contract
First Choice Hardwoods will draw up a detailed proposal, complete with a fair and accurate estimate. Some things we consider include:
- Density of trees
- Types of trees to be harvested (We specialize in walnut and white oak but are not exclusive to those.)
- Size of property to be logged
- Difficulty of harvesting trees and condition of forest
We specialize in selective cutting, which means we will never clear-cut your property. Instead, we practice harvesting trees in a way that manages the establishment, continued growth, and final harvest of multiple age classes and species of trees.
Lump Sum Payment
We buy all our standing timber on a lump sum sale. This means we pay the seller the whole agreed amount before any trees are harvested. This helps to assure you that you will always receive your just compensation.
Road Development
Prior to logging, a usable road must be available to successfully transport the timber. We will use existing roads or carefully and thoughtfully develop new ones, minimizing erosion and our impact to your property.
Logging Best Practices with First Choice Hardwoods
Once an appropriate way to transport the logs is in place, the team of experienced loggers at First Choice Hardwoods will use cutting-edge technology and techniques to efficiently harvest the trees marked for removal, while minimizing damage to the surrounding ecosystem.
We adhere to a strict set of logging Best Management Practices (BMPs), to help promote sustainable long-term timber extraction and ecosystem health.
BMPs address all aspects of the timber harvesting processes including riparian zones, stream crossings, logging roads, wetland management and reforestation practices. In general, we utilize the methods that best fit the topography, soil types, and season, while minimizing soil disturbance.
Once we’ve completed logging, the clean-up crew at First Choice Hardwoods will ensure your property is left in better shape than when we found it. Clean up may include any of the following measures:
- Soil stabilization
- Erasure of any signs of mechanical equipment
- Repairs to structures or land, if needed
- Re-seeding or planting of immature trees
Call First Choice Hardwoods Today!
Partnering with First Choice Hardwoods to manage your forest for its future is a smart move for you and your land, call us today at (614) 336-9758 or toll-free at (800) 634-3310. We look forward to serving you!