Barnwell Forestry
About Barnwell Forestry
Barnwell Forestry is a forestry consulting business based in Louisville, Kentucky. They help landowners sell timber, plan for the future of their woodland, and deal with problems like invasive plants or timber trespass. Mike Silliman leads the company, with over 25 years managing forestland across Kentucky and the Southern Appalachians. The team includes Certified Foresters through the Association of Consulting Foresters and Certified Arborists through the International Society of Arboriculture, along with licensed pesticide applicators. They work in Jefferson County and describe their reach as managing forestland across Kentucky and the Southern Appalachians, with past work named in Grayson Co KY. A timber sale with them runs through several stages: a timber cruise to inventory species and volume, individual tree marking before harvest, competitive bidding among buyers, a written contract, site visits during logging to check the logger is following the contract, and a final post-harvest plan. They also handle forest management plans, timber basis and appraisals, invasive species work (Bush Honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, Tree of Heaven), prescribed fire for oak-hickory stands, and timber trespass cases. Species mentioned include Oak-Hickory, Maple-Beech, and high-value hardwoods. Their own words: they aim at "accurately valuing your timber before any cutting begins" and to "help you receive full, fair market value for your timber." This fits a landowner in or near Jefferson County who wants someone to run the whole sale process, not just name a buyer, and who may also have invasive plants, a trespass dispute, or an estate appraisal to sort out. From barnwellforestry.com, read 4 October 2026.
Can they handle a timber sale?
Selling standing timber properly takes three things. Here's what the state register credits this firm with.
Timber AppraisalAn estimate of what your standing timber is worth in dollars, based on how much there is, its quality, and current prices. When you are selling, settling an estate, dividing property, or need a value for taxes or insurance.What does this mean? → — not listed
works out what your standing timber is worth
Timber Cruise & Volume EstimateA field measurement of your standing trees — their species, sizes, and quality — that adds up to how much wood you actually have. Before you sell, so you go in knowing roughly what is out there rather than taking a buyer's word for it.What does this mean? → — not listed
measures and grades what's actually out there
Timber Sale & Contract AdministrationRunning the sale for you: advertising the timber, taking bids, writing the contract, and overseeing the logging so the agreed terms are met. When you want someone on your side handling the whole sale rather than dealing with buyers and loggers yourself.What does this mean? → — not listed
runs the sale and handles the contract
This firm isn't credited with all three, which doesn't make it a worse forester — plenty specialise in management planning, wildlife or wetlands. It does mean that if your goal is to sell timber, you'd likely need someone else for the part that's missing.
Everything they're registered for
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Barnwell Forestry
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