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Betsy Bates

Supply-Demand Issues Hold Timber Markets Flat

October 14, 2016/0 Comments/in news-2016 /by Betsy Bates

The factors of supply and demand are at work in the timber markets, impacting stumpage (standing tree) prices paid to tree growers for timber products, from large lumber-size trees for home building and other construction projects to smaller pulpwood-size trees for the paper and packaging industry.

Marshall Thomas, president of F&W Forestry Services, Inc., one of the nation’s leading forestry management and consulting firms, wrote in his company’s quarterly newsletter, The F&W Forestry Report, that while the long term outlook for forestry remains good, in the short term tree growers should not expect much in the way of change from the timber markets.

“While housing starts continue to ease upward along with lumber prices during the third quarter, prices paid to landowners for pine sawtimber stayed flat—a condition that is unlikely to change until housing starts rise considerably,” Thomas said. “Even then, it is likely to take some real wet weather or another supply disturbance to put real pressure on pine sawtimber prices.”

Thomas also reports that while prices for pine pulpwood eased somewhat during the quarter, they “remain high enough to provide an economically viable alternative to sawtimber management in some regions.”

TO SEE THE FULL ARTICLE IN THE FALL 2016 F&W FORESTRY REPORT, SUBSCRIBE NOW»

Betsy Bates

F&W Utilizing Drones in Forest Management

October 14, 2016/0 Comments/in news-2016 /by Betsy Bates

F&W Utilizes Drones To Provide Landowners With Innovative, Cost Effective Ways To Manage Their Forests

By Stephen Logan, Manager, F&W’s Forest Inventory GroupDCIM100MEDIADJI_0355.JPG

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently implemented new regulations for the commercial operation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones. With these changes, F&W is poised to become a leader in forestry aerial imagery acquisition and analysis. From geo-referenced imagery to 3D models of the forest, the sky is the limit. Forestry projects that previously required expensive manned aircraft and clear weather can now be accomplished in a cost effective and timely manner.

Prior to August 29, 2016, the FAA mandated that any company looking to use UAS for any purpose deemed as furthering a business had to obtain a special exemption. That exemption approval process was burdensome, costly, and time consuming. The new FAA regulations create a drone certification process for low-risk commercial UAS flights and individuals can become certified to operate UAS aircraft by meeting certain conditions, including:

  • Passing an initial aeronautical test and retesting every two years;
  • Passing a background check by the Transportation Security Administration;
  • Be at least 16 years old;
  • Make the UAS and any required documentation available for inspection by the FAA; and
  • Report any accident that results in injury or property damage greater than $500 to the FAA within 10 days.

Technology researchers at F&W have been preparing for the new rules for several years by testing and flying drones under a recreational status. They have also been working with peers in Uruguay to take advantage of the new technology. This has allowed F&W to vet hardware and software to best meet the needs of the forest landowner as well as develop innovative ways to use the technology.

From the simplest standpoint, the UAS allows the user to capture up-to-date aerial imagery for mapping purposes. A major benefit to the landowner is harvested acres can be calculated in an efficient manner. Previously a forester would traverse the boundary with a GPS unit and provide the results to a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technician to clean and incorporate into client maps. This was a time consuming, expensive, and sometimes dangerous process.

When using the UAS, the forester simply finds an open area to launch the UAS, plans the flight using specialized software, and monitors the UAS to ensure it safely completes its assigned task. The resulting imagery is provided to GIS analysts to complete the process and create updated maps and information for clients. UAS technology is more efficient and offers significant savings in manpower time when compared to the previous GPS methodology.

Other uses for the UAS captured imagery include property inspection, harvest status checks, weather damage, and herbicide efficacy.

A couple of key applications where F&W has used the UAS for is Southern Pine Beetle inspection and Cogon grass infestation location. Both of these are easily identifiable from the air and extremely important to detect early to prevent spreading.

More in-depth analysis can also be completed with information captured from the UAS. Digital elevation models (DEM) can be created from the point cloud of data generated by the UAS. This provides an elevation for each image pixel and allows analysis of land features such as stream locations, tree heights, and tree canopy gaps. It also enables the GIS analyst to create 3D models of the forest. Imagine being able to view your property in 3D without leaving the home or office.

UAS technology offers landowners new and innovative ways to manage their forests and the opportunities it offers for the future are even more exciting. F&W is currently working on completing plantation survival and young stand inventories based on imagery only. In addition, combining UAS imagery and less intensive traditional sampling methodology can improve the efficiency and accuracy of samples of merchantable forests.

With the easing of restrictions on commercial drone use, F&W is taking advantage of the technology to provide its clients with cutting edge deliverables in a timely and cost efficient manner.

For more information about F&W’s UAS services, contact Stephen Logan at [email protected] or (229) 883.0505, ext. 148.

Betsy Bates

Overall Farm Land Values Dip in 2016 But Up In Southern Pine Belt

October 14, 2016/0 Comments/in news-2016 /by Betsy Bates

Agricultural land values decreased slightly in 2016 but rose in several Southern pine belt states, according to the annual survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“The United States farm real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, averaged $3,010 per acre for 2016, down $10 per acre (0.3 percent) from 2015 values,” the USDA reported.

That’s in contrast to an overall increase of 2.4 percent in 2015 and 1.1 percent in 2014.

Land values in F&W’s service areas, which comprise the Southern pine belt plus New York, rose 2.5 percent overall to $3,351/acre.  Within the F&W service region, West Gulf states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas) showed an increase of 1.7 percent, while the Southeast averaged an overall increase of 0.8 percent.  Land values in the Mid-Atlantic region (North Carolina and Virginia) and New York showed a decrease of 0.8 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.

TO SEE THE FULL ARTICLE IN THE FALL 2016 F&W FORESTRY REPORT, SUBSCRIBE NOW»

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