With a downturn in the economy, landowners are often tempted to sell some or all of the marketable timber on their land, sometimes in response to the first person who approaches them, offering cash for the right to do so. The value of timber on land is generally not reflected in the appraisals of local tax assessors so, without consultation of with both a professional forester as well as an attorney with experience in timber contracts, a landowner may not be aware of the reasonable value of the timber on the land.  Moreover, without professional assistance,  a landowner may not be  reasonably protected from the persuasive sales pitch of a timber buyer nor receive a fair price for the trees that are taken. In addition, the forest, itself, may be overcut, taking many years to return to a condition consistent with the long range interests of the landowner for wildlife habitat and the like.