Timber Sales on State Forests
Timber sales occur on State Forests, which were purchased for watershed protection, timber production, recreation and similar purposes. The Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Bureau of State Land Management manages State Forests according to the sustainability standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) - two organizations internationally recognized for establishing forest management standards. The bureau undergoes annual surveillance audits to certify that the standards are being met.
Pursuant to Section 9-0505 of the Environmental Conservation Law, the Department sells standing timber from State Forests. The timber is marked by Department foresters and sold to the highest responsible bidder through a public, competitive bidding process. Current estimates, based on forest inventory data and timber sale records, indicate that the Department harvests less than half of the average annual growth each year. In other words, after accounting for natural mortality and harvest removals, the volume of timber on State Forests is still increasing.
Timber sale contracts include provisions requiring the buyer to abide by Best Management Practices (BMPs) to protect environmental resources. These BMPs include the use of temporary bridges or culverts to protect streams, installation of erosion control devices during and at completion of the harvest, seasonal harvesting restrictions to avoid wet soil conditions, and equipment restrictions to protect sensitive areas, among others.
The following web pages provide information on all current sales of standing timber offered on State Forest properties.
More about Timber Sales on State Forests:
- Timber Sales on State Forests in Region 3 - (Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester Counties)
- Timber Sales on State Forests in Region 4 - (Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady Counties)
- Timber Sales on State Forests in Region 5 - (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties)
- Timber Sales on State Forests in Region 6 - (Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and St. Lawrence Counties)
- Timber Sales on State Forests in Region 7 - (Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties)
- Firewood Sales on State Forests in Region 7/Central New York - This page describes the homeowner firewood sale being conducted by Region 7's Lands and Forest Office in Sherbure. Firewood sales are being conducted by bids for forests in Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga and Tompkins counties.
- Timber Sales on State Forests in Region 8 - (Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates Counties)
- Timber Sales on State Forests in Region 9 - (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara and Wyoming Counties)
