Nature of Business Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Business Operations	NATURE OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS Rayonier Inc., 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 timber growing regions in the U.S. and New Zealand. The Company owns or leases approximately 2.7 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, with 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 5 — Segment and Geographical Information for further discussion of its reportable business segments and Note 3 — Discontinued Operations for additional information on the sale of the Wood Products business and the spin-off of the Performance Fibers business. 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 and sale of higher and better use (“HBU”) properties as well as the log trading business. 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 2.7 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 April 4, 2013, the Company acquired an additional 39 percent interest in the New Zealand JV, which currently owns or leases approximately 451,000 gross acres (309,000 net plantable acres) of New Zealand timberlands. The acquisition of additional interest brought the Company’s ownership to 65 percent. As a result, the New Zealand JV’s results of operations have been consolidated and included within the New Zealand Timber segment (formerly within the Forest Resources segment) since the date Rayonier acquired control. Rayonier’s wholly owned subsidiary, Rayonier New Zealand Limited (“RNZ”) serves as the manager of the New Zealand JV forests. See Note 4 — Joint Venture Investment. During 2014, the Company acquired approximately 62 thousand acres of timberlands. See Note 8 — 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 Development Improved properties, prior to improvement. As a portion of the Company’s acreage has become more valuable for development, residential, recreational or conservation purposes than for growing timber, Rayonier employs a detailed land classification process for all of its timberland and HBU acres. Trading The Company’s trading business comprises log trading in New Zealand 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 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., 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 timber growing regions in the U.S. and New Zealand. The Company owns or leases approximately 2.7 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, with 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 5 — Segment and Geographical Information for further discussion of its reportable business segments and Note 3 — Discontinued Operations for additional information on the sale of the Wood Products business and the spin-off of the Performance Fibers business.

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 and sale of higher and better use (“HBU”) properties as well as the log trading business. 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 2.7 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 April 4, 2013, the Company acquired an additional 39 percent interest in the New Zealand JV, which currently owns or leases approximately 451,000 gross acres (309,000 net plantable acres) of New Zealand timberlands. The acquisition of additional interest brought the Company’s ownership to 65 percent. As a result, the New Zealand JV’s results of operations have been consolidated and included within the New Zealand Timber segment (formerly within the Forest Resources segment) since the date Rayonier acquired control. Rayonier’s wholly owned subsidiary, Rayonier New Zealand Limited (“RNZ”) serves as the manager of the New Zealand JV forests. See Note 4 — Joint Venture Investment.

During 2014, the Company acquired approximately 62 thousand acres of timberlands. See Note 8 — 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 Development Improved properties, prior to improvement. As a portion of the Company’s acreage has become more valuable for development, residential, recreational or conservation purposes than for growing timber, Rayonier employs a detailed land classification process for all of its timberland and HBU acres.

Trading

The Company’s trading business comprises log trading in New Zealand 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 complements the New Zealand Timber segment by adding scale and achieving cost savings that directly benefit the New Zealand Timber segment.