They are an investment group much like Plum Creek was or, currently like the Heartwood Forest Land Group. Only smaller. They raise money from investors and buy timber lands. The selling point to the investors is that over head costs of owning the land and returning on the investment will be accomplished by harvesting timber and, in more rare cases, leasing any mineral rights that might exist with properties procured during it's ownership by the investment group. So, if the land in question has not been properly managed for long term sustainability concerning available surface resources, it usually means the investor has a plan on selling the property to make their money.
Because gas and mineral rights to lands many of these investment groups purchase, is often already owned and not for sale when they buy the surface, it leaves just the timber to cover the return to the investor. If that isn't available, then land resale is the only hope they have to make money. However, the purchase price for this piece of land is very cheap/acre. Roughly $230 an acre. So, that means that property has little return value even in a land resale. Which is not uncommon on rural timber lands of this size
I know absolutely nothing about the property in question. The purchaser of the property. Or, who the SPP group usually sells large tracts to. But, i know these investment firms look to try and break these large tracts up into smaller tracts if there are available buyers. Because return will be better. And, that is where the investment group itself makes its real coin. By many 1000-2000 acre land resales versus one huge land sale. Through out the history of these resource based investment groups, some funds return 700-800% of expected and required return to these investment groups while some have never resold due to having no development potential.
What all this means is SPP isn't buying the land in order to micro manage the sale of small parcels most people could afford. It's hoping to buy the land and resale it to 100 or so different buyers to make the most money. But, will likely sell it to one single buyer after having to set on it a long time. And, with the kinds of money these firms raise for timber land investment, at $230/acre of investment, they can set on it a LONG time. Plus there likely is some form of timber resource to help offset a potential dead cost to ownership.
No one really knows how this will play out. But, for the best interest of continued public use, it'd sure help if a decent amount of the timber resource was in a condition to harvest and put through those remaining mills.
