If you think you have salable trees, there are steps you can take to make sure you get a fair price for them. This is true whether the trees are black walnut or some other valuable species.

You'll probably need the services of a consulting forester (sometimes called "commercial forester"). Consulting foresters are not government employees. They are self-employed business men and women who advise landowners on the value of their trees (among other things). You can usually get a list of consulting foresters from your state department of natural resources or forestry.

But before you contact a consulting forester, try to determine roughly whether you have anything to sell. Veneer buyers are looking for both good quality and good quantity, not one or the other. For example, if you have a single, apparently perfect 20-inch diameter tree, you probably won't get many buyers. But if you have a hundred such trees, you should be able to attract buyers from here and abroad.

If the trees are located in your yard or adjacent to buildings, you probably won't get much interest. The assumption is that such trees contain metal; e.g., nails, horse shoes, wire, etc. It's also usually more difficult to cut trees that are next to buildings.

If you are satisfied that your trees are valuable, you should then contact a consulting forester. Make sure he understands what you hope to accomplish. Discuss his fee in advance. Often he will charge a commission on the sale of the trees. Once hired, he will go to your site and identify and mark the salable trees. He will estimate the quality and quantity of wood in each tree as well as what price it should bring. He then will distribute requests for bids to log buyers in your area or beyond if the size of your holding justifies it. He may also advertise your offering in newspapers that log buyers receive in your state.

What about the genetically superior trees?

It is the intention of the ABWA to set up a database that contains descriptive information about members' plantations. Once that's done, we'll be able to provide a descriptive document of your salable trees to be distributed to veneer buyers worldwide. The database will include information about the varieties planted, when planted, how pruned, etc. So keep good records on your plantations such as pruning, fertilization, measurements and the dates each was carried out.

When a buyer appraises a tree, he makes assumptions about the condition, type, and number of defects on the inside. Any tree that he fears might have defects will be marked down. Our database should go a long way toward alleviating that fear. It should therefore help you get higher prices.

The more veneer-grade trees you have, the more buyers you'll attract. The larger the trees are, the higher prices they'll earn. Therefore, our advise to you is: Go forth and plant trees!