The Apalachicola River Timberlands (ART) property contains approximately 41,515 acres of fee ownership timberlands joining and nearby the Apalachicola River on the panhandle of Florida. The majority of the timberlands (87%) support bottomland hardwoods with the remainder consisting of upland pine. There is frequent flooding of the bottomlands in late winter and spring, but access to the property and within the property is considered above average for river-affected sites in the area. The property has been managed as an industrial forest for some time and is located near an assortment of wood using markets. The character and potential of this unique tract of land are overwhelmingly shaped by its proximity to the Apalachicola River. With few exceptions, the biological, hydrological and cultural nature of the property are dictated by the river.
Property Details |
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Property Name | |
State | Florida |
County | Calhoun, Gadsen, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty |
Total Acres | 41,515 |
Coordinates | N 30° 20′ 2.43″ W 85° 4′ 27.35″ |
Acquisition Date | December 2016 |
Previous Owner | Neal Land and Timber, Inc. |
Dominant Forest Type | Bottomland Hardwood |
Managing Consultant | Larson and McGowin, Inc |
Address | 10 North Florida Street, Mobile, AL 36607 |
The property footprint lies west of Tallahassee and extends from the base of Lake Seminole to the town of Wewahitchka and fronts the river for 52 miles. The acreage lies in Calhoun County (22,435 acres), Gadsden County (1,888 acres), Gulf County (2,311 acres), Jackson County (1,506 acres) and Liberty County (13,377 acres).
The property has been owned by a Neal family entity since 1917. Originally, Neal Lumber and Manufacturing Company acquired the land during a surge of corporate sawmill expansion in the Calhoun County area from 1910 to 1920. The company was later changed to Neal Land And Timber, Inc when Neal put an emphasis on increasing timber production from the land in the 1960’s. Neal Land and Timber has been managing the property for hardwood and pine production and leasing the land for hunting until disposition to Heartwood in December of 2016.
The timber resource on the Apalachicola River Timberlands property lies mostly on bottomland hardwood sites (87%) and the rest on upland sites (11%). The forest types include 2,076 acres of Natural Pine and Pine/Hardwood, 2,518 acres of Planted Pine, 34,375 acres of Bottomland Hardwood, and 741 acres of Non-Forest. Within the predominant type, bottomland hardwood—tupelo, cypress, sweetgum, water oak and ash comprise the top species in volume.