Contact: Bob Ratliff
New computer software developed at Mississippi State University is making easier the estimation of timber and timberland investment values.
FORVAL for Windows, a free computer program for forest valuation and investment analysis, recently was made available by the university's Forest and Wildlife Research Center. It can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/products/software/forval.html.
"This Windows-based computer program helps estimate the investment value of timber and timberlands and also aids in evaluating forestry investments from a financial standpoint," said program designer and forestry professor Steve Bullard. "There is a lot of interest in the program among people who are turning to forestry as an investment."
Forestry industry personnel, forestry consultants, private landowners, and state and federal agency foresters already are using the program.
Written in Visual Basic computer language, FORVAL may be used without an instruction manual. Users simply enter data requested for each box on the form, then press an appropriate button to perform the desired action.
Users of the software can determine pre-commercial timber value, projected stumpage prices, and other financial information such as net present value, rate of return, land expectation value, and future value.
For further information about the software, telephone Bullard at (662) 325-2781 or by e-mail at sbullard@cfr.msstate.edu.