[Osinski]

So because the lumber companies have the equipment to harvest your timber, they own it and dictate the amount they will pay you for it?

[SamAdams76]

So because the lumber companies have the equipment to harvest your timber, they own it and dictate the amount they will pay you for it?

If they paid me for the rights to harvest the timber, then they do indeed own it. I can't sign an agreement with them to harvest timber on my land and then back out of it after they have already invested in all the infrastructure to make it possible. I assume the oil companies have their agreements with Venezuela in writing.