By T. Scott Batchelor The Daily Reflector Greenville, North Carolina Thursday, February 22, 2007 Two paths diverge in the timber-management world, and the one taken makes all the difference. Forestry officials told a group of mostly women recently that proper management of trees, and seeking out reputable, qualified agents to negotiate their sale, can mean the difference between tumbling into a pitfall or walking away with cash plus a sustainable wildlife habitat.

About 15 women learned about timber management during a seminar put on Monday by N.C. Cooperative Extension and NCWoodlands, a nonprofit agency that represents the interests of private timber owners.

Titled Women In the Woods, the session, held at the Pitt County Agricultural Center, was geared "especially toward women," but was "not just for women," said Dennis Hazel, an N.C. State University forestry specialist.

When experts put on tree seminars, out of 50 attendees the mix of sexes winds up something like 48 men and two women, Hazel said.

"And usually the women dont end up asking a lot of questions," he said.

Wilma Steig of Greenville wasnt a wallflower when it came to queries about the 40 acres of woodlands she inherited a couple of years ago.

"Im at the point of, it needs to be thinned," Steig, 57, said of her timberland after the two-hour seminar ended. She came seeking information that would guide her toward choosing "somebody that I can trust" to help her in managing and harvesting the trees.

"Im totally naive on these matters," Steig said.

The seminar provided valuable information, she said. The most surprising nugget delivered by Hazel and Stephen Whitfield, executive director of NCWoodlands, was "how much people had lost (in timber sales) by not going to someone who is a professional (for timber-consulting services)."

Whitfield drove home the importance of choosing a qualified timber consultant or registered forester to handle management and harvesting of trees.

"Good, honest timber buyers are what makes everything go," Whitfield said. "But they're not obligated to look after your interests ahead of their own."

He urged the timber owners to hire consulting foresters, who are registered and licensed under rules set out by the state Legislature. Whitfield further advised the women - and the two men in attendance - to go with professionals who are members of the Association of Consulting Foresters.

Otherwise, he said, unscrupulous buyers called "pinhookers" could get the upper hand, with pitches such as: "Youve got bugs (in your trees)," a spiel that leads to what might appear to be a generous offer to purchase the "infested" timber.

Securing the services of a registered tree expert yields, on average, a 23 percent higher sale price for timber, Whitfield said.

But even before the time to sell rolls around, Hazel said owners need to educate themselves on proper management of the trees in order to maximize their value - monetary, aesthetic and environmental.

A crucial bit of knowledge is the kind of trees on the property, and their health, age and size, he said.

"You have to have some idea of what you have out there," Hazel said. That entails a "forest inventory" that records factors such as the number of trees per acre, diameter and soil quality.

Another key factor is, "What are your objectives?" Hazel said.

Most timber owners report wanting some financial reward from their stands, he said. But the top objective was to create a sustainable wildlife habitat.

As part of developing a forestry management plan, "Some recent aerial photography can help," and a land survey and legal description can be critical, Hazel said.

"Sometimes folks think they own land that they dont," he said.

Noting that the purpose of the seminar was "not to make you an expert," but was more like "basic training for land owners," Hazel told the attendees: "Dont panic."

"Theres a lot of help thats available to you out there," including cooperative extension offices, NCWoodlands and the N.C. Forest Service.

Furthermore, he said, while properly utilizing trees takes some time and effort on behalf of individual private owners, "Its not like managing a garden or a crop."

Whitfield also advised the group Monday that they were among the roughly 439,000 people who own two-thirds of the more than 17 million acres of forestland in the state.

Clayton Barnhill of Bethel was one of those who attended the seminar Monday.

Adding up his timber and that owned by his wife and sisters, the 67-year-old manages about 250 acres, he said.

"Ive just run into so many situations" relating to management and sales of that property, he said of his reason for attending.

"This is just a starting point," Barnhill said of the information forum. "Theres still things youve got to learn."

The women at the session "need all of this information, and then add to it," he said. Without arming themselves that way, "they could get creamed."

NCWoodlands is an independent grassroots not-for-profit organization that provides its members with a voice on national, state, and local issues affecting North Carolinas private woodlands. Our mission is to advance the interests of North Carolinas woodland owners and to encourage responsible stewardship of their property. We also seek to inform all North Carolinians on the benefits of forestry which include wealth creation, more wildlife, cleaner water, fewer wildfires, and healthier, more productive forests.