If you are a prospective buyer considering the purchase of land, you likely will have goals for conserving and managing natural resources for wildlife, forest, recreation, and agricultural purposes. Appraising the natural resource value of real estate property can be a complex and challenging task, as it involves estimating the benefits, costs, and in some instances damage to natural and environmental resources. There are different methods and techniques that can be used for the purpose of evaluating the current and even potential value of a tract of land listed for sale.  The evaluation depends on the type and availability of data, the characteristics of the natural resource, and the objectives of the valuation.  We are here to help you find this information.

One of the approaches we may use is market-based methods, which rely on existing market prices or costs to infer the value of natural resources. We can use an approach, which uses the current or historical prices of similar natural resources as an alternative for their value.  This method is suitable when there is a well-defined and competitive market for natural resources, such as timber products or agricultural crops, hayfields or pastures for grazing.

We also use our professional opinions to estimate the value of natural resources based on their characteristics and quality as well as using non-market methods, which consider the variation in property prices to estimate the value of environmental attributes, such as soil quality, water quality, or scenic views or other unique natural resources found on a tract of land.

Our choice of methods to appraise natural resource values depends on various factors, such as data availability and quality, resource characteristics, and scarcity. We will typically use multiple methods, when possible, to cross-check and validate the results.

If you are considering land to purchase for hunting and fishing, while integrating agricultural practices, we can provide you with elements to consider in your decision-making process.  We would be glad to provide evaluations and recommendations as a service to you as a prospective buyer or a real estate agency when natural resources are desired in the evaluation of a piece of property.