If you can measure it, you can manage it. To manage a forest effectively, you need to know what you have, and to know that, you need a timber inventory or "cruise." Very few land buyers and landowners genuinely understand what they need or are paying for when getting a “timber cruise.” Many either pay too much or pay for unreliable evaluations. You need a timber cruise when you are: Selling timberland. The timber can comprise a substantial part of a property’s value, so it ne