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As of the Wells Timberland follow-on offering is not yet effective in Alabama, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, or Tennessee.

Why Timberland? > A Naturally Green Asset

A renewable and sustainable natural resource, timber can be a long-term source of energy and raw materials. An investment in sustainably managed timberland supports several environmental objectives:

Comparison
  • Forest regeneration and carbon absorption
    Forest growth in the U.S. has continually exceeded harvests since the 1940s, giving us 10 million more U.S. forest acres than 15 years ago.1 Young trees consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen at a 1.5:1 ratio, but this rate of absorption slows as trees mature, so replanting trees supports air quality.

  • Low-energy production
    Wood products use 4% of the energy used to manufacture U.S. industrial raw materials, yet are 47% of the output. That’s because plastic takes six times more energy to produce than wood, glass
    14 times more, steel 24 times more, and aluminum
    126 times more.2

  • Renewal of certain wildlife habitats
    A variety of plants and animals can thrive at different stages of forest growth, including areas where more sunlight reaches the forest floor following a harvest.

  • Protection of the nation’s forests
    Professional timberland management helps to safeguard forest habitats from catastrophic fires, insects, and other threats. On an annual basis, the total damage from physical threats is 0.8% on professionally managed U.S. timberlands.3 Of course, there’s no guarantee that there won’t be any fires or insects on private forests, but the risk is managed and planned for by professional timberland managers.

1Abundant Forests Alliance, retrieved March 28, 2008 from http://www.abundantforests.org/renew.html.
2APA – The Engineered Wood Association and the South Carolina Forestry Commission, 2008.
3“An Overview of Fire as a Forest Damage Agent” and “An Overview of Insects & Diseases as Forest Damage Agents,” Dr. Jack Lutz and Dr. Donald MacKay, 8/25/08. Dr. Jack Lutz has been commissioned by Wells to perform timber research.

DISCLOSURES

Click here to view SEC filings for up-to-the-minute updates to the Wells Timberland portfolio. Click here to view a PDF of the prospectus. Click here to view a risk factor disclosure.

Wells Timberland REIT, Inc. has a limited operating history and to date has made only one acquisition, Mahrt Timberland, a collection of timberlands in Georgia and Alabama. Wells Timberland REIT, Inc. may not achieve the level of diversification described in the prospectus.

As of March 24, 2010, Wells Timberland's total borrowings were approximately 114% of net assets and 50% of the cost of the timber assets before adjustments for depletion and amortization. Wells Timberland is prohibited from making discretionary distributions or redeeming shares under its share redemption program (except for qualified disabilities and death) until certain loans and financial targets are satisfied.

This material contains forward-looking statements, which generally can be identified by our use of words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue," or other similar words. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in interest rates, demand risks, and lack of availability of financing.

Wells Timberland REIT, Inc. is sponsored by Wells Real Estate Funds, Inc. Wells Real Estate Funds, Inc. is affiliated with Wells Investment Securities, Inc. – Distributor – Member FINRA/SIPC.