A new North Star rises in forestry, real estate
Buying or selling timberland can be tricky for the 36,000 private timberland owners here in Idaho. Unlike the big companies that have professional forest staff to keep their fingers on the pulse of the market, and who can deploy experts to the field to evaluate standing timber, the family owners of forests 50 acres and smaller scattered across North Idaho have to go it alone when it comes time to harvest timber or do land transactions.
That’s why Jim Lemieux started North Star Land Advisors. The forest industry professional with 45 years of experience in the field wants to take his expertise and help small forest owners achieve their goals and realize better returns on their land.
Lemieux earned his degree in forestry from Humboldt State University in California, then enjoyed a long career in forestry working for giants such as Louisiana-Pacific Corp. and PotlatchDeltic. He is also an associate broker with United Country Real Estate in Hayden.
Lemieux has resided here since 1999. His goal is to “Be a strategic partner with timberland owners here in North Idaho and elsewhere.” He said he wants “to be a problem solver for them, a subject matter expert they look to for forestry and real estate, to add to the overall financial return of their timberland and real estate portfolio.”
According to an April report from the University of Idaho’s Policy Analysis Group, there are around 36,000 private timberland owners in the state and most of those family forests are 50 acres or less. More than half of those family forests are owned by someone 65 or older, and UI estimates that 33 percent of those owners are likely to sell or give away their forest land within the next five years. That’s 560,000 acres of land changing hands, the UI report said — a large amount of transaction activity, according to Lemieux.
Small landowners are generally uncertain about what to do with their land. Lemieux said he wants to “come alongside them and help them manage their timberland.” Management could include anything from timber harvesting for cash generation, reduction of wildfire threats, wildlife habitat improvement, recreation, addressing property taxes, and more, he explained.
“There are a lot of dimensions to forest ownership where I believe I can provide that expertise to help them meet their goals,” he told NIBJ.
Lemieux said North Star Land Advisors could also help people who are currently forestland owners who will add to their ownership over time, and those who may want to acquire but have no experience in choosing a good forest for their goals.
It pains him to see property owners listing their timberlands with real estate agents who are not “timber-literate,” said Lemieux. As a Realtor, he said he has seen many people sell their land for far less than it was worth. Bringing in a forestry expert who can assess the value of the timber on the property usually results in better prices when the property is sold, he said.
“I want to see people get fair, full value,” he said.
He added that he likes “the educational role you can play in helping people.”
For more information, go to northstarlandadvisors.com or call 208-446-6671.
