Nature of Business Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Business Operations	NATURE OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS Rayonier Inc., a North Carolina corporation, including its consolidated subsidiaries (“Rayonier” or “the Company”), is a leading timberland real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the U.S. and New Zealand. Shares of the Company have a $0.00 par value. Rayonier owns or leases approximately 2.6 million acres of timberland, located in the United States and New Zealand. Included in this property is approximately 0.2 million acres of timberlands located primarily along the coastal region from Savannah, Georgia to Daytona Beach, Florida, some of which has long-term potential for real estate development. The Company also engages in the trading of logs, primarily to support the Company’s New Zealand export operations. Rayonier operates in five reportable business segments: Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber, New Zealand Timber, Real Estate and Trading. See Note 4 — Segment and Geographical Information for further discussion of reportable business segments. The Company is a REIT and is generally not required to pay federal income taxes on its U.S. timber harvest earnings and other U.S. REIT operations contingent upon meeting applicable distribution, income, asset, shareholder and other tests. The U.S. timber operations are primarily conducted by the Company’s wholly-owned REIT subsidiaries. Non-REIT qualifying and certain foreign operations, which are subject to corporate-level tax on earnings, are operated by taxable subsidiaries. These operations include the Real Estate segment’s entitlement activities, limited development activities and sale of higher and better use (“HBU”) properties. The Company’s consolidated joint venture, Matariki Forestry Group (“New Zealand JV”), is subject to entity-level tax in New Zealand. SOUTHERN, PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NEW ZEALAND TIMBER The Company’s Timber segments own or lease approximately 2.6 million acres of timberlands located in the U.S. and New Zealand. The Timber segments conduct timber harvesting activities, manage timberlands and sell timber and logs to third parties. On March 3, 2016, the Company acquired an additional 12% interest in the New Zealand JV, which currently owns or leases approximately 410,000 gross acres (293,000 net plantable acres) of New Zealand timberlands. The acquisition of additional interest brought the Company’s ownership to 77%. The Company maintains a controlling financial interest in the New Zealand JV and, accordingly, consolidates the New Zealand JV’s balance sheet and results of operations. Rayonier’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Rayonier New Zealand Limited (“RNZ”) serves as the manager of the New Zealand JV forests. See Note 7 — Joint Venture Investment. During 2017, the Company acquired approximately 109,000 acres of timberlands in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington and New Zealand for $242.9 million. During 2016, the Company acquired approximately 111,000 acres of timberlands in the U.S. for $366.5 million. See Note 3 — Timberland Acquisitions for additional information. REAL ESTATE The vast majority of the Company’s HBU properties are managed as timberland and generate cash flow from timber operations prior to their sale or, in the case of Improved Development properties, prior to improvement. All of the Company’s U.S. land sales, including HBU and non-HBU, are reported in the Real Estate segment. Rayonier employs a detailed land classification process for all of its timberland and HBU acres. TRADING The Company’s trading business is comprised of log trading conducted by the New Zealand JV in two core areas of business: managed export services on behalf of third parties and procured logs for export sale by the New Zealand JV. The Trading segment primarily complements the New Zealand Timber segment by adding scale and achieving cost savings that directly benefit the New Zealand Timber segment.

NATURE OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Rayonier Inc., a North Carolina corporation, including its consolidated subsidiaries (“Rayonier” or “the Company”), is a leading timberland real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the U.S. and New Zealand. Shares of the Company have a $0.00 par value. Rayonier owns or leases approximately 2.6 million acres of timberland, located in the United States and New Zealand. Included in this property is approximately 0.2 million acres of timberlands located primarily along the coastal region from Savannah, Georgia to Daytona Beach, Florida, some of which has long-term potential for real estate development. The Company also engages in the trading of logs, primarily to support the Company’s New Zealand export operations.

Rayonier operates in five reportable business segments: Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber, New Zealand Timber, Real Estate and Trading. See Note 4 — Segment and Geographical Information for further discussion of reportable business segments.

The Company is a REIT and is generally not required to pay federal income taxes on its U.S. timber harvest earnings and other U.S. REIT operations contingent upon meeting applicable distribution, income, asset, shareholder and other tests. The U.S. timber operations are primarily conducted by the Company’s wholly-owned REIT subsidiaries. Non-REIT qualifying and certain foreign operations, which are subject to corporate-level tax on earnings, are operated by taxable subsidiaries. These operations include the Real Estate segment’s entitlement activities, limited development activities and sale of higher and better use (“HBU”) properties. The Company’s consolidated joint venture, Matariki Forestry Group (“New Zealand JV”), is subject to entity-level tax in New Zealand.

SOUTHERN, PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NEW ZEALAND TIMBER

The Company’s Timber segments own or lease approximately 2.6 million acres of timberlands located in the U.S. and New Zealand. The Timber segments conduct timber harvesting activities, manage timberlands and sell timber and logs to third parties. On March 3, 2016, the Company acquired an additional 12% interest in the New Zealand JV, which currently owns or leases approximately 410,000 gross acres (293,000 net plantable acres) of New Zealand timberlands. The acquisition of additional interest brought the Company’s ownership to 77%. The Company maintains a controlling financial interest in the New Zealand JV and, accordingly, consolidates the New Zealand JV’s balance sheet and results of operations. Rayonier’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Rayonier New Zealand Limited (“RNZ”) serves as the manager of the New Zealand JV forests. See Note 7 — Joint Venture Investment.

During 2017, the Company acquired approximately 109,000 acres of timberlands in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington and New Zealand for $242.9 million. During 2016, the Company acquired approximately 111,000 acres of timberlands in the U.S. for $366.5 million. See Note 3 — Timberland Acquisitions for additional information.

REAL ESTATE

The vast majority of the Company’s HBU properties are managed as timberland and generate cash flow from timber operations prior to their sale or, in the case of Improved Development properties, prior to improvement. All of the Company’s U.S. land sales, including HBU and non-HBU, are reported in the Real Estate segment. Rayonier employs a detailed land classification process for all of its timberland and HBU acres.

TRADING

The Company’s trading business is comprised of log trading conducted by the New Zealand JV in two core areas of business: managed export services on behalf of third parties and procured logs for export sale by the New Zealand JV. The Trading segment primarily complements the New Zealand Timber segment by adding scale and achieving cost savings that directly benefit the New Zealand Timber segment.