Those of you with your woodland in MFL (or knowledgeable of it)..
Is it worth becoming Certified? I am in MFL, but not the Certified component of it. I went to a forestry demo tonight & the speaker said Certified MFL is popular.

I've heard people who are Certified have a better market for their wood, though I don't know of anyone that can vouch for that from personal experience.

I believe the Certification affords limited market opportunities where sustainable managed stands and ethically sourced timber practices are preferred and/or required by the buyer. I have never run into that- it's usually just based on the quality of the timber and price dictated by supply and demand. I'd ask what additional market opportunities exist if you go that route.

Our issue is the next cut we have scheduled is only about 6 acres of thinning (smaller, gnarly stuff and ironwoods). There's no one that will bid a job that small, so we will end up doing it ourselves. Some will be sold as firewood, a few select pieces will be split into bow staves and sold.

Maybe look for a non-mechanized logger.

Have you looked into the Certified program requirements? Last I saw them they looked pretty easy to follow, but I wasn't top invested so I didn't look too close. You might already be doing all the things it requires and just have to sign the paperwork.

I've looked into Certified a little bit. I haven't decided yet if it's worth it.

A lot State Tree Farm programs have been certified with the American Tree Farm program, Costs a lot of man hours to maintain certification, and have 3rd parties inspecting woods. Most of the 3rd parties (bean counters) don't spend much time in the woods. They just look at the Standards and see if the audited land owners are adhering to the standards. So several States have gone to a recognition program with the American Tree Farm program.

The only Companies that are paying premiums for certified lumber are stave companies that make oak barrels out of white oak for distilleries. Most of those companies are in the south.

Bottom line - Check with you State Foresters and ask.

There is money to be made working in your woods with EQIP and CSP programs. The NRCS in you State can give you information on those programs.

Large companies are approaching landowners with woods offering to pay for carbon credits, be careful with those programs

Regarding MFL in Wi, what are folks doing during this lousy timber market? The plans are supposed to be followed, but finding someone willing to log oak pulp for example seems nearly impossible. And there seems to be less loggers these days. By the time folks who do have their land logged hire a consultant, I wonder if there's much money left over

With the lousy market it seems like it'd be hard for DNR to strictly enforce all the MFL plans, b/c I don't think there's buyers for all the wood

Mill uncertainty/closures/allotments etc play a role I guess

Have a friend just entered into it. Has to log in the next two years. Cannot move pulp, saw log prices not great. Finding a logger is tough.

Good points

I am guessing you are doing this for property tax valuation?

I put right at 11 ac into timber valuation when I bought it for property tax purposes.
Paid a consultant to write me up a management plan, etc

Couple of years ago I rolled it over into wildlife valuation because there are enough oaks dying without me cutting a bunch.

No market for the timber around here either

We tap maples in two woodlots that are in MFL. I don't know anything about further certifications or other aspects. One wood lot was logged in 2024 and the other one in 2025. What was logged were maples, some oaks, beech and a few ash that were still alive. Both woods are about 60-70% hard maple. The only thing we have viewed is that the first one that was logged the woodlot was really left in a real mess and the last one was logged and managed much better, so finding a logging firm that leaves the woodlot in better shape maybe worth the effort. I do not know what the owners received for price for the logs that were harvested.

Bryce

as things stand I would suggest you have the loggers leave the tops where they fall.
they provide a nursery bed for future tree seedlings, the deer can't get at them till the tops rot away then the seedllings are tall enough to escape the deer.
DNR forester told me this is his new operating method.

as things stand I would suggest you have the loggers leave the tops where they fall.
they provide a nursery bed for future tree seedlings, the deer can't get at them till the tops rot away then the seedllings are tall enough to escape the deer.
DNR forester told me this is his new operating method.[/quote]

You must not have much multi flora rose up north. The land that neighbors the land I hunt on is choked with that now and that's within a few short years after it was logged. When it's that thick there isn't any other trees growing up through other than junk trees.

We collected those two woodlots and 3 others today. Both firms mostly left the tops where they were laid, but the one firm pushed the cut wood they did not want into big piles, pushing over lots of younger saplings and creating lots of deep ruts in the wood. Also the hit several of the remaining trees with their equipment, so to me one firm did a much better job of cutting and removing the logs.

Bryce