Selling Timber in Lauderdale County, MS
Quick answer
There are 18 timber businesses listed for Lauderdale County, Mississippi: 17 consulting foresters and 1 timber buyer, logger or mill. 9 of them have offices in the county. The rest are registered to work here and travel in, and every listing shows how far its office is from the county seat.
Timber prices for Lauderdale County
No county publishes its own timber prices. These are Mississippi's published stumpage prices, what landowners are paid for standing timber, and the best public guide to what timber in Lauderdale County is bringing. Your own timber can sell above or below them.
| Pine sawtimber | $22.03 per ton |
| Pine chip-n-saw | $12.52 per ton |
| Pine pulpwood | $4.77 per ton |
| Oak sawtimber | $57.35 per ton |
| Mixed hardwood sawtimber | $39.81 per ton |
| Hardwood pulpwood | $9.02 per ton |
Source: Mississippi State University Extension, Q2 2026. All Mississippi timber prices
Before you talk to anyone, find out what your timber is worth
Most landowners in Lauderdale County have no idea what their standing timber is worth, which is exactly the position a buyer wants you in. Four questions gets you a ballpark range before the first offer lands.
Consulting Foresters in Lauderdale County (8)
These 8 foresters have offices right here in Lauderdale County. A forester works for you, not for the buyer.
Charles F Ledbetter is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Meridian, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 00908.
Eric W Entrekin, doing business as Southeast Forestlands, LLC, is a consulting forestry firm based in Meridian, Mississippi. It serves private landowners across Mississippi and western Alabama, and it names Lauderdale, Jones, Clarke, Jasper, Newton and Neshoba counties for its timber sale work. Their own words put it plainly: "never the mill." The firm does not buy timber or log it. The work covers forestry consulting, timber sales, appraisals, management plans, timber stand improvement, reforestation, prescribed burning, herbicide application, aerial photography, USDA forestry programs, tree farm certification and land sales. The species named are pine sawtimber and hardwood grade. A sale runs as a sealed-bid process. The timber is put in front of qualified buyers, the firm handles a written contract, and it stays involved through the harvest. The smallest job shown on their pages is an approximately 40-acre timber sale in Kemper County, so that is the smallest tract they have shown working on. They describe three decades of cruises, sales and management plans. Eric Entrekin holds Registered Forester MS/AL #2175, is an MS Real Estate Sales Agent, is an FAA UAS Remote Pilot (#3930408), and is a USDA Technical Service Provider (TSP #20-23350). This suits a landowner with pine or hardwood timber in these counties who wants a forester on their side of the table before any sale is signed. From southeastforestlands.com, read 17 October 2026.
Jason L Goforth is a forestry consulting business in Meridian, Mississippi. It operates as Goforth Forest Management, Inc., started in 2001 by Ricky, Jason and Ryan Goforth. The firm offers turn-key forest management, timber sales and real estate work. It says its aim is to "serve the landowners best interests in all aspects of timber management." Its listed county is Lauderdale. The firm states it has over 60 years of combined experience in selling timber and managing timberland investments. It works with owners who want timber production, better aesthetics, hunting or recreation. Its timber sales are offered by bid, with sale details, maps and timber volumes provided for each tract. The one sale on its pages is a 120 acre tract in Clarke County, Mississippi, which it is offering as agent for the Vise Family. This business suits a landowner who wants one firm to handle both the management of the land and the sale of its timber, and who wants to review the sale details in writing before deciding. From goforthforest.com, read 17 October 2026.
Jeremy Scott Tew is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Meridian, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 02261.
Goforth Forest Management, Inc. is a forestry consulting firm in Meridian, Mississippi, listed under the name Ricky G Goforth. Ricky, Jason and Ryan Goforth started the firm in 2001. Its main work is forest management consulting, and it also handles real estate. The firm offers "turn-key forest management services," along with timber sales. Its stated goal is to serve the landowner's best interests in all aspects of timber management. Between them, the partners have over 60 years of combined experience selling timber and managing timberland investments. Its listed county is Lauderdale, and the one timber sale on its pages is in Clarke County. The smallest job on those pages is a 120-acre tract the firm offers for sale by bid as agent for the Vise Family. That is the smallest job it has shown, not a minimum it sets for landowners. The sale came with maps, timber volumes and sale details. Anyone with questions, or who wants to see the property, can call the office at 601-693-2738. It suits a landowner who wants help with both the management of the land and the sale of its timber, and who is comparing firms for a tract about the size of the 120-acre sale on its pages. From goforthforest.com, read 17 October 2026.
Robert Bernie Mitchell is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Meridian, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 01837.
Robert T Deen is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Meridian, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 01226.
Tracy Scott Smith runs Natural Resource Management Company from Collinsville, Mississippi. The firm was founded in 1991 as a "full service consulting forestry, wildlife and fisheries management firm." It added real estate brokerage in 1997, in response to demand from existing clients. The work falls into four groups. There is consulting forestry and timber sale work, and the firm names itself a timber sale specialist. It also writes forest and wildlife management plans and handles reforestation. Fishery management covers pond and lake stocking. The real estate side covers sales and acquisitions, and the firm has land listed for sale in Lauderdale and Winston counties. The area it covers is Lauderdale County. Scott Smith is the broker, forester and biologist on the firm's pages. The office is at P.O. Box 283 on Hwy 19 North in Collinsville, Mississippi 39325, and the phone number is (601) 626-8088. It suits a landowner in Lauderdale County who wants forest management, pond work and help buying or selling land from one firm. From nrmcland.com, read 17 October 2026.
Consulting Foresters in Neighboring Counties (9)
Listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters consulting forester roster, the Forest Products Network (SREF) mill directory and the Mississippi Forestry Commission forestry vendors directory as working Lauderdale County, from an office elsewhere. Closest first.
A&W Land, LLC appears in the Mississippi Forestry Commission's Forestry Vendors directory in Clarke County. The directory lists it for timber & land services, timber inventory & contract cruising and timber sales / appraisals. The Commission compiles that directory from vendors who submit their own information to it; a listing is not an endorsement.
Casey Harve Newton is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Florence, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 02651.
Chad W Thornhill is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Enterprise, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 02103.
ForestSouth, LLC is a forestry consulting firm in Brandon, Mississippi. Owner Ryan Ramsey is a registered forester who works directly with the landowner to "help meet all of your land and timber needs and goals." The work includes management plans, timber appraisals, timber sales, inventory cruises, forest and land mapping, GPS of property, road system design, timber stand improvement, reforestation, prescribed burning, and wildlife habitat work. Land sales or purchases are also listed. The counties served are Attala, Calhoun, Carroll, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Kemper, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Winston and Yazoo. Ryan has been a consulting forester for over 25 years. He holds Mississippi Registered Forester #2124 and Alabama Registered Forester, and he is a licensed real estate agent in Mississippi. He keeps at least 16 hours of continuing education every two years. The firm has worked for private landowners, private industry, and the federal government. It suits a landowner in one of those counties who wants a registered forester to plan the land and value the timber, and who may also need help buying or selling land. From forestsouth.com, read 18 October 2026.
Gary B Butler is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Dempoolis, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 00665.
Harold Dunning Quinney is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Linden, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 02430.
James Dalton Sullivan is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in DeKalb, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 02805.
Michael Stewart Ashe is a sole practitioner, listed on the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters' roster of consulting foresters in Livingston, in Lauderdale County. A consulting forester works for the landowner rather than the buyer. The Board licenses foresters and publishes the roster; appearing on it is not an endorsement. Registration number 02325.
Redmond Construction Co. appears in the Mississippi Forestry Commission's Forestry Vendors directory in Attala County. The directory lists it for debris removal, firebreaks / firelane establishment & maintenance, forest management & maintenance, logging road / skid trail / loading deck maintenance, lot & land clearing, mechanical site preparation (light & heavy), prescribed burning, silvicultural burning, site preparation & fire management, site preparation burning, subsoiling (open field), timber & land services, wildlife & habitat improvement and wildlife habitat enhancement. The Commission compiles that directory from vendors who submit their own information to it; a listing is not an endorsement.
Timber Buyers, Loggers & Mills in Lauderdale County (1)
This buyer is based in Lauderdale County. Being close matters: hauling is one of the biggest costs taken out of your check.
Charles Ledbetter, Forestry Consultant is a logging contractor in Meridian, Mississippi. It has a Google Maps business listing in that category. A listing here is not an endorsement.
Questions landowners ask
How many timber buyers and foresters serve Lauderdale County?
18 businesses are listed for Lauderdale County: 17 consulting foresters and 1 buyer, logger or mill. 9 of them have offices in the county.
How much is my timber worth in Lauderdale County?
Nobody can tell you what your timber is worth without walking it. Value depends on the species, the size and grade of the trees, how thickly they stand, the ground conditions and how easily a logger can reach them. Mississippi State University Extension Service publishes the quarterly Mississippi Timber Price Report, state-wide average stumpage in $/ton, which tells you what the market is doing, not what your tract holds. Anyone who quotes you a figure without seeing the land is guessing, and a guess in that direction is rarely in your favour.
What stumpage value means →Do I need a forestry consultant to sell timber in Lauderdale County?
You do not have to use one. A consulting forester works for you rather than the buyer, marks the timber, runs a sealed-bid sale and typically charges a percentage of the sale. Research from several state extension services has found that timber sold through a consultant often returns enough more to cover the fee, though results vary by tract and by market. The decision usually turns on the size of the sale and whether you have sold timber before.
Do I need a forestry consultant? →Do I need a permit to cut timber in Mississippi?
Mississippi has no statewide permit and no notification to harvest timber on your own land — the article of the state code that once regulated forest harvesting was repealed in 2017, and the Forestry Commission's own step-by-step harvest guidance has no permit or notice step in it. Best Management Practices are published by the Forestry Commission and the state calls their use voluntary, but voluntary is not the same as unenforceable: Mississippi law makes it unlawful to cause pollution of state waters, the Department of Environmental Quality investigates and enforces against harvests that do, and the federal Clean Water Act exemption for forest roads and site preparation depends on following the mandatory practices. Counties have less room here than in Georgia or Alabama — since 16 March 2018 no Mississippi county or municipality may adopt an ordinance restricting forestry activity on agricultural land — but ordinances already in place before that date still stand, so check with your county before work starts. One more thing worth knowing: if someone cuts your trees without your consent, Mississippi sets the damages at double the fair market value of the timber plus the cost of replanting, and an honest mistake is not a defence.
Permit rules in Mississippi →What is timber worth in Lauderdale County?
No price series is published for Lauderdale County on its own. Mississippi's latest published stumpage figures (Mississippi State University Extension, Q2 2026) put oak sawtimber at $57.35 per ton. What your own timber brings depends on the species, the size and amount of it, and how far it is from a mill. A timber cruise by a forester settles it.
Forester listings for Lauderdale County come from the Mississippi Board of Registration for Foresters consulting forester roster, the Forest Products Network (SREF) mill directory and the Mississippi Forestry Commission forestry vendors directory, revised 22-Sep-26. The register is updated quarterly.