Natural Resources: Maryland / Delaware Stumpage Price Reports

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Frequently Asked Questions
* What is stumpage?
* Why four regions?
* What do the prices mean?
* What are the different products mentioned in this report?
* How are prices reported?
* Where to get help?

The stumpage price report is a cooperative effort between:

Maryland Cooperative Extension, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Department of Natural Resources-Forest Service, Delaware Forest Service, Maryland Tree Farmers and Forest Landowners. It is consolidated and distributed three times per year by the University of Maryland, Wye Research and Education Center, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658. Their phone number is 410-827-8056.

The prices contained in this publication are collected from consulting and state agency foresters in four price-reporting areas throughout Maryland and Delaware, and are intended to serve ONLY AS A GUIDE in the marketing of standing timber.

The actual value of a specific stand of timber may be influenced by the following factors:
1. Timber quality
2. Volume to be cut per acre
3. Logging terrain
4. Market demand
5. Distance to market
6. Season of year
7. Distance to public roads
8. Woods labor costs
9. Size of the average tree to be cut
10. Type of logging equipment
11. Percentage of timber species in the area
12. End product
13. Landowner requirements
14. Landowner knowledge of market value
15. Property taxes
16. Performance bond requirements
17. Insurance costs
18. Size of harvest

Any one of the above factors can have a highly significant effect on stumpage prices for a species in one given area while it may have a less significant effect in another area.

The report provides the average and range of values for different species in four regions:
1) Eastern Shore (ES) = Kent-Worcester County and Sussex-Kent County, Delaware;
2) Southern (S) = Anne Arundel/Prince George's-St. Mary's County;
3) Central (C) = Cecil-Carroll/Montgomery County and New Castle County, Delaware; and
4) Western (W) = Frederick-Garrett County.

The University of Maryland is equal opportunity. The Universitys policies, programs, and activities are in conformance with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex and disability. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Americans with disabilities Act of 1990; or related legal requirements should be directed to the director of Personnel/Human Relations, Office of the Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About the Stumpage Price Report

What time period does this report cover?

The MD/DE Stumpage price report gives the prices paid in the states of Maryland and Delaware for stumpage during the time period indicated on the specific report. This is usually every 4 months.

What is stumpage?

Stumpage refers to the price that a landowner receives for standing trees.

Why four different regions?

The four regions described in this report were designed to more accurately reflect the forest product markets in Maryland and Delaware. The markets within each of the four regions are unique. For example, the quality and quantity of black cherry and oaks produced in the Western Region usually surpasses that of the other three regions. Loblolly pine is a timber species that is found mostly on the Eastern Shore and Southern Region. The four regions were developed to take these types of differences into consideration while providing a more accurate and easily understandable price report. It is important to note that counties in border areas may reflect the trends of all the regions on which they border.

What do the prices mean?

The Stumpage Price Report reflects the stumpage prices observed over the three-month period. Due to the dramatic changes common in timber markets, past reports may not accurately describe the latest market conditions. A current report is one's best guide to the current market status. It must be remembered that this report is based primarily on a survey of consultant foresters and public agencies. The report is intended to describe general trends in the market and ignore specific factors that may affect one timber tract or another. There are many factors that can influence the price of timber on a given tract of land and they are listed on the front cover. For example, you may notice that the range of prices for one species may vary from 50 to 350 dollars per thousand board feet. One reason for this wide range is that the lower value is for timber of poor quality while the higher value is for timber of high quality that would be used for veneer products.

What are the different products mentioned in the report?

The majority of the prices reported are for timber that is sold and used to produce sawtimber and veneer products. Sawtimber trees are typically above 12 inches in diameter at breast height (4.5 feet from the ground) and have at least one 8-foot log that can be harvested. Sawtimber trees are harvested, taken to a sawmill and cut up into boards, railroad ties, and other dimensional products. Veneer quality timber is typically of larger diameter, comes from the bottom log of the tree, and has no branches or imperfections. These logs are usually turned at a special mill that slices thin strips of wood that are used as veneer on a variety of wood products. Poles are used for telephone poles, piling, and related products. They must meet special requirements. Fuelwood refers to timber sold for firewood markets. Typically this will include poorer quality trees, dead trees, as well as tree tops. Pulpwood includes trees that are used to produce paper products. Biomass includes trees that burned for power generation.

How are the prices reported?

The stumpage prices for each species and or product category include three pieces of information: 1) the number of reports; 2) the range of values from lowest to highest; and 3) the average of all reported values. Poles, fuelwood, pulpwood, and biomass are special products that are sold by the linear foot, cord, or the ton. All other prices are reported as the dollars per thousand board feet of timber. One board foot is 12 inches x 12 inches x 1 inch, with the number of board feet in each tree depending on its diameter, number of logs, and defects. Therefore, a thousand board feet of timber may be made up of a few large trees or many small trees. The scale used to determine board feet in standing trees is the International ¼ inch scale, which provides the most accurate measure of board feet for the four regions. Stumpage prices reported in a Doyle log scale, another common rule, tend to underestimate the volume of timber, and must be adjusted to be compatible with the International 1/4 inch scale.

Where to get help?

The sale of timber products should include three people: 1) the forest landowner selling the timber; 2) a licensed professional forester to assist the landowner in determining which trees should be harvested and working with the logger; and 3) the logger who carries out the actual harvesting of the trees.

A list of licensed professional foresters is available on the web or by calling your state forester or Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service at 410-260-8531. Those in Delaware can call the Delaware Forest Service at 302-739-4811. Maryland Cooperative Extension also provides educational publications and workshops that can be of great value to forest landowners considering a timber harvest. For more information write or call the Wye Research and Education Center, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658 / 410-827-8056 or Western Maryland Research and Education Center, 18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756 / 301-432-2767.

Penn State Cooperative Extension also provides a stumpage price report that is available online and would be of value to counties that border Pennsylvania.