Forestry & Wildlife Sciences Extension

Table 1 summarizes average costs for seven common forestry practices in the U.S. South since 1996. Costs were derived from a survey of forestry professionals in private forest industry, public agencies, and forestry consultants located across the southeastern United States. This survey has been completed every two years since 1982, and provides cost trend data for southern forestry practices. Survey results for the 2008 survey includes data provided by 53 forestry professionals in private forest industry, public agencies, and forestry consultants located in 14 southern states

We believe the results provide a reasonable representation of costs for various forestry practices in Alabama. However, it should be noted that costs for individual, nonindustrial private forest landowners will depend on a number of factors. For example, local availability of vendors and the size of area to be treated by a certain practice may influence costs. A good rule of thumb is treating larger areas generally costs slightly less on a per acre basis than the same treatment on smaller acreages.
More detailed cost information on specific forestry practices can be obtained by requesting a reprint of Costs and Costs Trends for Forestry Practices in the South, by Rebecca J. Barlow, Mathew F. Smidt, Jennifer Z. Morse, and Mark R. Dubois in the September/October 2009 issue of Forest Landowner, www.forestlandowners.com.

Survey Year
Forestry Practice	1996	1998	2000	2002	2004	2006	2008
Controlled, prescribed burning	14.65	16.58	17.70	14.41	21.08	24.94	29.31
Mechanical site preparation	108.05	122.14	136.03	166.50	105.23	119.72	157.32
Planting
by hand	0.0607	0.0670	0.0641	0.0800	0.0668	0.0863	0.1079
by machine	0.0651	0.0593	0.0770	0.1100	0.1162	0.1168	0.1386
Precommercial thinning	89.22	71.27	82.27	102.10	74.98	58.89	80.81
Fertilization	56.52	54.80	43.08	56.04	50.08	77.98	110.28
Timber cruising	3.06	4.10	3.45	5.40	3.32	6.01	6.28
Marking trees for harvest	12.21	15.06	25.70	65.09	14.62	58.26	86.99

Table 1. Average cost of forestry practices in $/acre or $/seedling in the south from 1996-2008 cost of practices surveys. All costs are per acre except for planting which is dollars per seedling planted. Tree seedling costs are not included.

Adapted from: Barlow R.J., M.F. Smidt, J.Z. Morse, and M.R. Dubois. 2009. Cost and cost trends for forestry practices in the South. Forest Landowner. 68(5):5-12.

*Prepared by Dr. Becky Barlow, Extension Forester/Assistant Professor, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.