Joint Venture Investment (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures [Abstract]


5.	JOINT VENTURE INVESTMENT

The Company holds a 26 percent interest in Matariki Forestry Group ("Matariki"), a JV that owns or leases approximately 0.3 million acres of New Zealand timberlands. In addition to the investment, Rayonier New Zealand Limited ("RNZ"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., serves as the manager of the JV forests and operates a log trading business.

In February 2010, the JV sold a 35 percent interest in the JV to a new investor for NZ$167 million. Matariki issued new shares to the investor and used all the proceeds to pay down a portion of its outstanding NZ$367 million debt. Upon closing, Rayonier's ownership interest in Matariki declined from 40 percent to 26 percent. As a result of this transaction, results for 2010 include a gain of $11.5 million, net of $0.9 million in tax, or $0.09 per diluted share.

Rayonier’s investment in the JV is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Income from the JV is reported in the Forest Resources segment as operating income since the Company manages the forests and its JV interest is an extension of the Company’s operations. A portion of Rayonier’s equity method investment is recorded at historical cost which generates a difference between the book value of the Company’s investment and its proportionate share of the JV’s net assets. The difference represents the Company’s unrecognized gain from RNZ’s sale of timberlands to the JV in 2005. The deferred gain is recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated number of years the JV expects to harvest the timberlands.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for equity investment, or group of investments, for which combined disclosure is appropriate, including: (a) the name of each investee and percentage of ownership of common stock, (b) accounting policies for investments in common stock, (c) difference between the amount at which the investment is carried and the amount of underlying equity in net assets and the accounting treatment of the difference, (d) the total fair value of each identified investment for which a market value is available, (e) summarized information as to assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the investees (for investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries, common stock of joint ventures, or other investments using the equity method), and (f) material effects of possible conversions, exercises, or contingent issuances of the investee. Other disclosures include (a) the names of any investee in which the investor owns 20 percent or more of the voting stock and investment is not accounted for using the equity method, and the reasons why not, and (b) the names of any investee in which the investor owns less than 20 percent of the voting stock and the investment is accounted for using the equity method, and the reasons why it is.

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