“I can avoid the cost of a consultant by dealing directly with the buyer at the lumber mill. He said there would be no middleman to cut into the profits.”

This sounds like a common scenario but there’s one thing to consider, the buyer is working for the mill not the landowner

A consultant is employed by the landowner to represent his interest in a timber sale.

Consulting foresters are trained professionals with a college degree and practical experience. Forest management advice and related services are provided to landowners on a contract basis. Consultants have the primary mission of representing the landowner’s interest.

Some of the services provided by consulting foresters include:

Timber Inventory
Management Plans
Timber and Land Appraisal
Timber Stand Improvement
Forest Acquisition and Divestiture
Ensuring Forest Regeneration
Computer Mapping
Marketing of Forest Products
GIS and GPS
Surveying
Environmental Regulatory Compliance
Tax Consultation
Timber Sales
Urban Forestry
Insect and Disease Control
Timber Damage Evaluation
Litigation