Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Forest Investment Associates Announces Pending $220 million Acquisition of 86,000 Acres of Georgia and Alabama Timberlands from Weyerhaeuser
Atlanta, GA – October 31, 2025 – Forest Investment Associates (FIA) today announced an agreement to acquire approximately 86,000 acres of high-quality timberland in Georgia and Alabama from Weyerhaeuser in a privately negotiated, off market transaction for approximately $220 million. The purchase is on behalf of a long-term FIA separate account client and is subject to customary closing conditions.
The acquired properties consist primarily of loblolly pine in exceptional growing conditions, ranking among the top quartile of FIA’s regional portfolio. A well-balanced age class structure supports sustainable harvests, and more than 90% of the estate offers year-round operations for management flexibility.
“FIA’s investment approach is rooted in acquiring and managing high-quality timberlands through disciplined, sustainability-focused stewardship,” said Mike Cerchiaro, President of FIA. “Our Core+ strategy builds on these fundamentals, leveraging active management and exposure to alternative and growing value drivers. Timberlands offer inherent land optionality, positioned to benefit from rising values linked to natural capital, conservation demand, rural property needs, and emerging energy and infrastructure trends. We see additional return potential as diversified income from nontimber revenues grows alongside strong asset fundamentals.”
This transaction underscores FIA’s ability to secure large-scale, high-quality assets outside competitive bid processes through our industry relationships. FIA’s intended management will focus on stable yields, diversified income, and long-term biological asset quality, demonstrating the Core+ timberland model’s ability to align client objectives with evolving market opportunities.
Andrew Boutwell, Senior Managing Director and Head of Investment Management, added, “Our relationships and market insight enable us to source transactions that align with investor priorities and execute them efficiently. Here, strong timber productivity, expanding local mill capacity, and favorable supply-demand fundamentals position these properties to benefit from expected strengthening in U.S. South sawlog pricing dynamics, with our local analysis indicating above average pricing pressure as new mills and infrastructure come online. The proximity to growing population centers of Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chattanooga also supports premium recreational leasing and targeted rural land sales.”
FIA will manage the forest under its Sustainable Forestry Initiative® certification, aligning to rigorous environmental standards. The acquisition includes the 931-acre Coosa Valley Prairie, protected under a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy, preserving rare habitat and biodiversity within a working forest.
About Forest Investment Associates
Forest Investment Associates (FIA) is a specialist investment manager with over 39 years of experience in timberland and natural capital. We partner with institutional investors globally to create value through disciplined, data-driven forestry asset management and environmental stewardship. The firm’s mission is to provide high-quality, sustainable forestry investments that deliver superior investment performance while cultivating client relationships based on mutual trust and exceptional service. FIA is majority employee-owned and manages more than 2 million acres of certified forests in the United States, Brazil, and Chile. Learn more: www.forestinvest.com.
