Like a real estate agent in selling a house, a consulting forester walks you through the challenges of harvesting trees. Call before you cut and find the right forester for you and your woodlot.

Once you've selected a forester, have him or her meet with you to discuss what you want from your harvest. Your forester will then mark the trees that should be cut to meet your goals for your woodlot.

With a buyer chosen and a contract signed, you're ready for a logger to start cutting. Your forester will monitor the harvest periodically to ensure that the contract terms are carried out.

A written contract is essential to a good timber harvest. It lays out who will do what, which trees will be cut, how the work will be done, how much you'll be paid, how clean up will occur, and what should happen if something goes wrong.

Foresters typically bid timber out to multiple sawmills to get the best price. Work with your forester to choose a responsible bidder.

When the cutting finishes, your woodlot can look like a mess. Under direction from your forester, your logger should clean up the site in accordance with your timber sale contract and best practices to protect your woodlot and water quality.