Rayonier Inc.

2018 NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT

Thursday, May 17, 2018

4:00 p.m., Eastern Time

Rayonier Inc.

1 Rayonier Way

Yulee, Florida 32097

Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

April 2, 2018

Dear Shareholder,

You are cordially invited to attend Rayonier Inc.’s 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on Thursday, May 17, 2018, at 4:00 p.m., local time, at Rayonier’s headquarters, 1 Rayonier Way, Yulee, Florida 32097. At the meeting, our shareholders will be asked to:

Shareholders of record at the close of business on March 16, 2018, are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof.

Once again, we are pleased to utilize the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules allowing us to furnish our proxy materials to you over the internet. We believe this allows us to provide the information you need in a more timely, efficient and cost-effective manner.

As always, your vote is very important. We urge you to please vote by internet, telephone or mail as soon as possible to ensure your vote is recorded promptly, even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting.

Very truly yours,

David L. Nunes

President and Chief Executive Officer

Mark R. Bridwell

Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

REVIEW THE PROXY STATEMENT AND VOTE IN ONE OF FOUR WAYS:
		VIA THE INTERNET Visit www.proxyvote.com						BY MAIL Sign, date and return your proxy card or voting instruction form
		BY TELEPHONE Call the telephone number on your proxy card, voting instruction form or notice						IN PERSON Attend the Annual Meeting in Yulee, FL See page 40 for details

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 17, 2018: This Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement and the 2017 Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

			2018 PROXY SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement or in our corporate governance documents published on our website at www.rayonier.com. We encourage you to read this Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement in its entirety before voting. Throughout, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company,” and “Rayonier” refer to Rayonier Inc.

2017 PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

We are pleased with our strong performance in 2017 as well as the progress we made in furthering our strategic objectives. We achieved a number of significant milestones during the course of the year, in large part due to the continuing leadership of our executive officers and Board of Directors (“Board”), as well as the dedication and hard work of our employees. Key highlights of 2017 include:

SHAREHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

We value shareholder engagement and each year interact with and seek input from our shareholders through various shareholder outreach activities. In 2017, our key shareholder engagement activities included five investor road shows, eight investor conferences, an Investor Day and our 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (“2017 Annual Meeting”). These engagement activities are informative and help us to better understand our shareholders’ views and perspectives on our financial performance, business strategy, capital allocation strategy and public disclosures. We welcome investor interaction and feedback. Our Investor Relations department is the point of contact for shareholder interaction with the Company. Shareholders may also access information about the Company in the Investor Relations section of our website (www.rayonier.com).

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Rayonier’s commitment to good corporate governance is integral to our business, the key elements of which are below:

PROPOSAL NO. 1 - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Important information about the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills of each of our director nominees can be found beginning on page 5. Our Board recommends that you vote “FOR” each of the director nominees.

AC    Audit Committee            CC    Compensation and Management Development Committee            NGC    Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee

PROPOSAL NO. 2 - NON-BINDING ADVISORY VOTE ON “SAY-ON-PAY”

Our shareholders have the opportunity to cast a non-binding advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers, as set forth in Proposal No. 2 starting on page 14. Last year, our shareholders expressed a high level of support

for the compensation of our named executive officers, with 97% of the votes cast in favor of our compensation programs and practices. Accordingly, the Compensation and Management Development Committee (“Compensation Committee”) continued in 2017 to consistently adhere to its pay-for-performance philosophy and compensation program. Please refer to our Compensation Discussion and Analysis on page 15 for a detailed description of our compensation programs and practices. Our Board recommends that you vote “FOR” the non-binding advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named executive officers.

PROPOSAL NO. 3 - RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We are seeking shareholder ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young, LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2018. Please refer to page 34 for additional information. Our Board recommends that you vote “FOR” the ratification of Ernst & Young, LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2018.

HELPFUL INFORMATION & ONLINE RESOURCES

Beginning on page 39, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about proxy materials, voting, our annual meeting and company filings and reports.

PROPOSAL NO. 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

ELECTION PROCESS

The Board is responsible for establishing overall corporate strategy and for overseeing management and the ultimate performance of the Company. The Board held eleven (11) meetings during fiscal year 2017. During fiscal year 2017, all directors attended at least 75% of the combined total of all Board meetings and all meetings of committees of the Board of which the director was a member. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (“Nominating Committee”) of the Board has nominated the persons whose names are set forth below, all of whom are current directors. In the absence of a vote by a signed proxy, shares represented by the proxy will be voted FOR the election of each of these nominees to the Board.

DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS

We believe the members of our Board have the proper mix of relevant experience and expertise given the Company’s businesses and real estate investment trust (“REIT”) structure, together with a level of demonstrated integrity, judgment, leadership and collegiality, to effectively advise and oversee management in executing our strategy. There are no specific minimum qualifications for director nominees other than, as required by our Corporate Governance Principles, no director nominee may stand for election after he or she has reached the age of 72. However, in identifying or evaluating potential nominees, it is the policy of our Nominating Committee to seek individuals who have the knowledge, experience, diversity and personal and professional integrity to be most effective, in conjunction with the other Board members, in collectively serving the long-term interests of our shareholders. The Nominating Committee periodically evaluates the criteria for Board membership, taking into account the Company’s strategy, geographic markets, regulatory environment and other relevant business factors, as well as changes in applicable laws or listing standards.

DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS

Shareholders are being asked to vote on the election of nine (9) directors to serve until the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The Board has no reason to believe that any nominee will be unable to serve as a director. If, however, a nominee should be unable to serve at the time of the Annual Meeting, shares of Rayonier common stock (“Common Shares”) properly represented by valid proxies will be voted in connection with the election of a substitute nominee recommended by the Board. Alternatively, the Board may either allow the vacancy to remain unfilled until an appropriate candidate is identified or may reduce the authorized number of directors to eliminate the unfilled seat.

If any incumbent nominee for director should fail to receive the required affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast with regard to his or her election, our Corporate Governance Principles require the director to tender his or her resignation to the Board. The Nominating Committee would then consider such resignation and make a recommendation to the Board as to whether to accept or reject the resignation. The Company would publicly disclose the Board’s decision and rationale within 90 days after receipt of the tendered resignation.

Set forth below is certain information concerning each of the director nominees, including age, experience, qualifications and professional highlights during at least the last ten (10) years, based on data furnished by such nominee.

Mr. Kincaid has significant financial expertise together with broad experience in the real estate industry and a deep understanding of the structural and strategic implications of REIT status. We believe his experience and expertise are particularly well suited to assist the Board in understanding the opportunities and challenges presented by our REIT structure, as well as overseeing the Board’s management of our real estate business and general financing decisions.

Mr. Bass has extensive expertise in the real estate industry. He has led organizations as large as $1 billion in annual revenue, built lean operations and created long-term operational roadmaps to position companies to thrive in any market climate. Mr. Bass brings a broad real estate perspective to the Board’s evaluation of investment opportunities.

Mr. Fraser has substantial experience in debt and equity markets, bank markets, mergers and acquisitions, and risk oversight. He contributes strongly to the Board’s oversight of the Company’s overall financial performance, reporting and controls.

Mr. Jones has substantial expertise in forest management, technology and innovations, as well as forest and real estate investments. He is particularly well suited to assist the Board in its investment decisions and oversee the management of the Company’s forest resources and real estate businesses.

Mr. Lanigan has leadership experience with large, complex and diverse organizations, a strong background in financial, accounting and tax matters and experience in strategic planning and risk assessment. His years of service on other public company boards provide him with additional perspectives from which to view the Company’s operations and the Board’s activities.

Ms. Lincoln’s political experience, including in the areas of agriculture and forestry, is invaluable to the Board in helping the Company address a range of public policy and legislative trends.

Ms. Martin has direct operating experience in the land-based businesses of agriculture and timberland management, particularly in the southeastern United States, together with an understanding of national and regional financial markets. Ms. Martin’s skill set adds substantial value to Board discussions regarding our forest resources business, as well as overall economic forces and trends impacting the Company.

Mr. Nunes has more than three decades of forest products industry experience. He has served in key leadership positions at several timber and real estate companies, including Chief Executive Officer and President, and has substantial background in the areas of timberland management and investments, marketing, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions and capital planning. We believe this experience and leadership make Mr. Nunes uniquely well suited to contribute to the Board’s considerations of operational and strategic matters and to manage our core businesses.

Mr. Wiltshire has extensive expertise in the areas of managing and investing in forestry, timberlands, real estate and natural resources. Mr. Wiltshire brings a valuable perspective to the Board’s evaluation of investment opportunities and oversight of the Company’s forest resources and real estate businesses.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

OVERVIEW

The Company uses a combination of cash and stock-based incentive compensation to attract and retain qualified candidates to serve on the Board. In setting director compensation, the Board considers the significant time commitment and the skills and experience level necessary for directors to fulfill their duties. Non-management director compensation is set by the Board at the recommendation of the Nominating Committee. Our directors are subject to minimum share ownership and share retention requirements as discussed in the Compensation Policies and Governance Practices section on page 23 under “Stock Ownership Guidelines.”

2017 / 2018 COMPENSATION PAID TO NON-MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS

Non-management director compensation is set by the Board at the recommendation of the Nominating Committee. For the 2017-2018 period, each non-management director received and/or earned the following cash compensation (prorated for partial year service):

Directors may defer up to 100% of their cash compensation. Any deferred amounts are paid to the director in a single lump sum on the later of the date the director becomes 72 or the conclusion of the director’s term, or upon termination as a director, if prior to age 72. Any deferred amounts earn interest at a rate equal to the Prime Rate as reported in The Wall Street Journal and is compounded annually.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION TABLE

The following table provides compensation information for the one-year period ended December 31, 2017 for all individuals serving on our Board at any time during 2017.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES

Our Board operates under a set of Corporate Governance Principles, which include guidelines for determining director independence and consideration of potential director nominees. The Corporate Governance Principles can be found on the Company’s website (www.rayonier.com). The Board, through the Nominating Committee, regularly reviews developments in corporate governance and best practices and, as warranted, modifies the Corporate Governance Principles, committee charters and key practices.

DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The Company’s Common Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). In accordance with NYSE rules, the Board makes affirmative determinations annually as to the independence of each director and nominee for election as a director. To assist in making such determinations, the Board has adopted a set of Director Independence Standards which conform to or are more exacting than the independence requirements set forth in the NYSE listing standards. Our Director Independence Standards are appended to the Company’s Corporate Governance Principles, available at www.rayonier.com. In applying our Director Independence Standards, the Board considers all relevant facts and circumstances.

Based on our Director Independence Standards, the Board has affirmatively determined that all persons who have served as directors of our Company at any time since January 1, 2017, other than Mr. Nunes, are independent under applicable NYSE listing standards and SEC rules.

In addition, members of our Audit Committee and Compensation Committee are subject to certain additional independence criteria. Specifically, the Board has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is independent within the meaning of Rule 10C-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and qualifies as a “non-employee director” as defined in Rule 16b-3(b)(3) under the Exchange Act and as an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(4)(C)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Board has also determined that all of the Audit Committee members are independent within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. For additional information regarding independence and qualifications of the Audit Committee, see the “Report of the Audit Committee” on page 35.

The Nominating Committee, on behalf of the Board, annually reviews any transactions undertaken or relationships existing between the Company and other companies with which any of our directors or Board nominees are affiliated. The Board determined that none of the transactions or relationships identified for 2017 were material to the Company, the other companies or the subject directors and Board nominees.

COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board has three standing committees, the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating Committee, each of which operates under a written charter available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website (www.rayonier.com).

BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AND OVERSIGHT OF RISK

Our governing documents allow the roles of Chairman of the Board and CEO to be filled by the same or different individuals. This approach allows the Board flexibility to determine whether the two roles should be separate or combined based upon the Company’s needs and the Board’s assessment of the Company’s leadership from time to time. Although our Board regularly considers and is open to different structures as circumstances may warrant, the Board believes that the current arrangement of separating the roles of Chairman and CEO is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders at this time because it provides the appropriate balance between strategy development and independent oversight of management.

Richard D. Kincaid currently serves as the Chairman of the Board as a non-executive and independent director. The responsibilities of the independent Chairman include, among other things:

The Board oversees risk management at Rayonier by annually appointing the members of an Enterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) Committee, which consist of senior executives. The ERM Committee is responsible for identifying and assessing the material risks facing the Company and providing periodic reports regarding such risks to the Audit Committee for review and evaluation of mitigation strategies. The Audit Committee then assigns ongoing Board level oversight responsibility for each material risk to either the full Board or the appropriate Board committee. The ERM Committee also completes an annual risk assessment with regard to the Company’s overall compensation policies and practices, which is reviewed by the Compensation Committee. We believe that these governance practices, including the interaction of the various committees, facilitate effective Board oversight of our significant risks.

NON-MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR MEETINGS

Our non-management directors met separately in five (5) regularly scheduled meetings during 2017.

BOARD SELF-EVALUATION PROCESS

Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Principles, the Nominating Committee is responsible for establishing and overseeing a process for annual self-evaluation of the effective operation and performance of our Board and of each Board committee. We use a discussion-based process in which each director discusses privately with our Corporate Secretary opportunities to improve Board and committee performance, as well as any other topics or concerns the director may have. Each director may also provide feedback directly to the Chair of the Nominating Committee as part of this process. The results of the discussions are then reported to the Board and each committee utilizing a roundtable discussion format, and any necessary follow-up actions are developed.

DIRECTOR ATTENDANCE AT ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Directors are encouraged, but not required, to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. At the 2017 Annual Meeting, all directors were in attendance.

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD

Shareholders and other interested parties who would like to communicate their concerns to one or more members of the Board, a Board committee, the Chairman or the independent non-management directors as a group may do so by writing to any such party or group at Rayonier, c/o Corporate Secretary, 1 Rayonier Way, Yulee, Florida 32097. All concerns received will be appropriately forwarded and, if deemed appropriate by the Corporate Secretary, may be accompanied by a report summarizing such concerns.

DIRECTOR NOMINATION PROCESS

Potential director candidates may come to the attention of the Nominating Committee through current directors, management, shareholders and others. It is the policy of our Nominating Committee to consider director nominees submitted by shareholders based on the same criteria used in evaluating candidates for Board membership identified from any other source.

DIVERSITY

Our Nominating Committee has not adopted a formal diversity policy in connection with the consideration of director candidates or the selection of nominees. However, the Nominating Committee does utilize a skills-matrix to evaluate the specific personal and professional attributes of each director candidate versus those of the existing Board members to ensure diversity of experience and expertise among our directors. The Nominating Committee assesses such diversity through its annual assessment of Board structure and composition and review of the annual Board and committee performance evaluations.

RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS

Our Board has adopted a written policy designed to minimize potential conflicts of interest in connection with Company transactions with related persons. Our policy defines a “Related Person” to include any director, executive officer or person owning more than five percent of the Company’s stock, any of their immediate family members and any entity with which any of the foregoing persons are employed or affiliated. A “Related Person Transaction” is defined as a transaction, arrangement or relationship in which the Company is a participant, the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a Related Person has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. For 2017, no Related Person Transactions were submitted to the Nominating Committee for approval or ratification, and no transaction with any Related Person was identified.

STANDARD OF ETHICS AND CODE OF CORPORATE CONDUCT

The Company’s Standard of Ethics and Code of Corporate Conduct is available on the Company’s website (www.rayonier.com).

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION; PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES

Keith E. Bass, John A. Blumberg, Dod A. Fraser, Scott R. Jones, Richard D. Kincaid and Andrew G. Wiltshire each served as members of our Compensation Committee during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. No member of the Compensation Committee served as one of our officers or employees at any time during 2017 or had any Related Person Transaction or relationship required to be disclosed in this Proxy Statement. None of our executive officers serve, or served during 2017, as a member of the board of directors and compensation committee of a public company with at least one of its executive officers serving on our Board or Compensation Committee.

PROPOSAL NO. 2 – NON BINDING ADVISORY VOTE ON “SAY- ON-PAY”

In accordance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (“Dodd-Frank Act”), the requirements of Section 14A of the Exchange Act and related SEC rules, and the preference expressed by a majority of our shareholders at our 2017 Annual Meeting, we are providing shareholders with an annual advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) beginning on page 15, and in the tables and other narrative disclosure in this Proxy Statement.

As described in detail in such disclosures, our executive compensation programs are designed to focus our senior leaders on the creation of long-term shareholder value. Our compensation programs provide a substantial majority of named executive officer compensation in the form of “at risk” performance-based incentives, consisting primarily of long-term stock-based awards. We believe this properly aligns the interests of our executives with those of our shareholders, and with the long-term objectives of the Company.

This proposal provides shareholders with the opportunity to endorse or not endorse our compensation arrangements for our named executive officers through the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, that the Company’s shareholders approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (which disclosure includes the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the executive compensation tables and related material).”

While this vote is not binding on our Board, the Board values the opinions of our shareholders and will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering future executive compensation arrangements.

NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

This CD&A provides information about our 2017 compensation programs for our named executive officers.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OUR COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY. Our compensation philosophy emphasizes “pay for performance” programs designed to reward superior financial performance and sustained increases in the value of our shareholders’ investment in Rayonier, while recognizing the need to maintain competitive base pay, retirement, health care, severance and other fixed compensation programs. We generally target total compensation levels consistent with the median of our peer group and survey benchmarks, with an emphasis on long-term incentive compensation. By providing a substantial portion of our named executive officers’ total targeted compensation in the form of long-term incentive awards, we seek to drive sustainable increases in our market valuation and to outperform our peers on a relative total shareholder return basis while promoting equity ownership to further align the interests of our executives with our shareholders.

SAY-ON-PAY. The Compensation Committee carefully considers the results of our shareholders’ advisory “Say-on-Pay” vote. Last year, in conjunction with the rollout of changes to our compensation program and governance practices, our shareholders expressed a high level of support for the compensation of our named executive officers, with 97% of the votes cast in favor of our compensation programs and practices.

COMPENSATION POLICIES AND GOVERNANCE PRACTICES SUMMARY.

COMPONENTS OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Consistent with our compensation philosophy, a substantial majority of senior executive compensation is in the form of variable “at risk” pay, aligning compensation with performance and shareholder value. For 2017, the portion of total target compensation (which is comprised of base salary and targeted annual and long-term incentive award levels) allocated to variable “at-risk” compensation was 78% for our CEO and 63% on average for our other named executive officers.

2017 TARGET COMPENSATION MIX

We do not have specific pay ratios for our CEO as compared to our other senior executives, but the Compensation Committee does take into account internal pay equity factors to ensure that compensation differences within the Company are consistent with respect to different job levels and responsibilities. For example, the Compensation Committee believes that the CEO has substantially more responsibility and impact on shareholder value than any other named executive officer. Therefore, the Compensation Committee sets his total compensation at a level appreciably higher in relation to that of other named executive officers, but at a level the Compensation Committee believes is appropriate and reflective of market practice and with a greater portion of his total compensation contingent on our performance.

BASE SALARY. Base salary is a fixed compensation component intended to compensate our executives based on experience, expertise and job responsibilities. Each year, the Compensation Committee reviews the base salary of our CEO and each of his direct reports, including all of our named executive officers. In making adjustments to base salary levels, the Compensation Committee considers a number of factors including: external market data; the approved annual salary budget; level of responsibilities; experience and breadth of knowledge; and individual performance.

ANNUAL BONUS PROGRAM. We provide cash compensation in the form of an annual bonus incentive, adopted under the Rayonier Non-Equity Incentive Plan, which is designed to reward executives based on the Company’s financial performance against key budgeted financial metrics, and the attainment of identified strategic objectives. For purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code, we use a funded bonus pool approach; whereby once threshold performance goals are reached, the bonus pool is funded at maximum, and the Compensation Committee uses its negative discretion to reduce that amount to the payout amount, if any, to which the named executive officer is entitled based on performance against our pre-established performance factors as described below. The annual bonus program provides for a target bonus award opportunity for each executive based on salary grade, expressed as a percentage of base salary. For 2017, the target bonus award opportunities for the named executive officers were as follows: Mr. Nunes, 100%; Mr. McHugh, 65%; Messrs. Long, Corr and Bridwell, 55%.

Bonus Plan Metrics. Under our 2017 Rayonier Annual Bonus Program (“2017 Bonus Program”), Recurring Cash Flow performance against budget, weighted 80%, and performance against our annual Strategic Objectives and a Quality of Earnings Assessment, weighted 20%, are used to fund the overall bonus pool. The Compensation Committee believes that Recurring Cash Flow provides a strong measure of management performance, as it isolates the operational cash flow performance of the business excluding the impact of extraordinary items (both positive and negative) while also accounting for ongoing capital investment. Recurring Cash Flow is defined as Cash Available for Distribution plus interest expense, which eliminates the impact of capital structure decisions. Cash Available for Distribution is defined as cash provided by operating activities adjusted for capital spending (excluding timberland acquisitions, real estate development investments, and spending on the Rayonier office building) and working capital and other balance sheet changes.

The bonus pool funding level is calculated using the table below, interpolating values between the threshold, target and maximum levels, with zero payout for performance below threshold:

Under our bonus pool structure, individual awards can be adjusted down to 0% or up to +30% of the calculated payout level, not to exceed 150% of target awards, based on performance against individual performance objectives.

Measuring 2017 Results. Performance results under our annual bonus program with respect to Recurring Cash Flow may be adjusted to take into account material unusual, nonrecurring and non-budgeted items impacting the bonus calculation. For 2017, no adjustments were made to the payouts calculated under the definition of Recurring Cash Flow. Our results generated a financial performance bonus pool of 120% of target. Payout at target award levels for 2017 required achievement of Recurring Cash Flow of $194.2 million, representing the annual budgeted amount approved by the Board in December 2016.

Our strategic objectives for 2017 centered around refining our long-term growth strategy, improving the quality of our timberland portfolio through active portfolio management, executing our real estate and land resources strategy to unlock value from our timberland portfolio and formulating a strategy for articulating Rayonier’s brand promise to internal and external stakeholders.

After assessing performance for 2017 against the identified strategic objectives, and after reviewing a detailed variance analysis of budget versus actual financial performance, the Compensation Committee approved a payout of 25% for the strategic objectives and quality of earnings component, bringing the overall payout level to 145% of target awards for each named executive officer. In making this determination, the Compensation Committee was pleased with the level of recurring cash flow generated by the Company in 2017, while at the same time seeing numerous examples of management’s focus on enhancing long-term shareholder value. In particular, the Compensation Committee was pleased with management’s active portfolio management efforts in terms of specific timberland acquisitions and dispositions and progress made in advancing the Wildlight development project, including the successful move into Rayonier’s new headquarters building. The Compensation Committee also factored in the progress made on refining the Company’s growth strategy and articulating Rayonier’s brand promise to internal and external stakeholders.

Final 2017 Bonus Awards. The final annual bonuses earned by our named executive officers for 2017 were approved by the Compensation Committee and, for Mr. Nunes, by our independent directors, in February 2018, and appear in the Summary Compensation Table on page 25, under the heading “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation.” As discussed above, the bonus pool funding for 2017 was 145% of target.

LONG-TERM INCENTIVES. The Rayonier Incentive Stock Plan (“Stock Plan”) provides the Compensation Committee the flexibility to award long-term compensation incentives through a variety of equity-based awards. Long-term incentive awards allow us to offer a competitive overall compensation package, and also provide opportunities for share ownership by our executives in order to increase their proprietary interest in Rayonier and, as a result, their interest in our long-term success and commitment to creating shareholder value.

In 2017, the Compensation Committee chose to award performance shares (weighted 70%) and time-based restricted stock (weighted 30%). The Compensation Committee believes this mix provides a strong incentive to our executives to focus on the ongoing creation of shareholder value and to deliver sustained increases in the Company’s market valuation and performance relative to our peers on a total shareholder return basis. The three-year vesting and payment periods for

our performance share awards and the five-year vesting period for our restricted stock awards also provide a retention incentive for our executives. In setting the grant date value of target long-term incentives to be awarded to each named executive officer, the Compensation Committee considers external market pay data, performance and potential, as discussed below under “Compensation Benchmarking.”

The Compensation Committee may also award one-time equity grants for special purposes, such as new hire, promotion or retention. These awards typically take the form of time-vested restricted stock grants. Long-term incentive awards for 2017 are reflected in the “Summary Compensation Table” on page 25 and the “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” table on page 27. Long-term incentive payouts in 2017, if any, are reflected in the “Option Exercises and Stock Vested” table on page 29.

Performance Shares. The target award level is determined at the beginning of a 36-month performance period. Performance share awards were approved by the Compensation Committee (and, for the CEO, by our independent directors) in February 2017 and the performance period began on April 1, 2017 and ends on March 31, 2020.

The payout, if any, will be based on the level of economic return we produce for our shareholders (referred to as TSR relative to that produced by the 2017 Performance Share Peer Group, chosen by the Compensation Committee as those companies most likely to be considered “operational competitors” of Rayonier’s core businesses.

TSR is calculated for the performance period based upon the return on a hypothetical investment in Rayonier shares versus the return on an equal hypothetical investment in each of the peer companies, in all cases assuming reinvestment of dividends. The 2017 Performance Share Award Program awards will be paid out, if at all, in April 2020 after the end of the performance period on March 31, 2020, based on our percentile TSR performance against the peer group, as follows:

The payout percentage is capped at 100% of target if Rayonier’s TSR for the performance period is negative.

The 2017 Performance Share Peer Group includes a custom peer group of timber companies, weighted 80%, and the companies comprising the real estate segment of the S&P 400 Midcap Index, weighted 20%, as shown below:

OTHER COMPENSATION INFORMATION

EXECUTIVE PERQUISITES. In addition to benefits that are available broadly to our employees, Rayonier executive officers are eligible to participate in the Executive Physical Program. Each executive-level employee of the Company is encouraged to have a physical examination every year. The Company does not offer any other executive perquisites.

RETIREMENT BENEFITS. We maintain the following plans and programs to provide retirement benefits to salaried employees, including the named executive officers, to the extent such employees are eligible participants under the plan terms:

The benefits available under the plans listed above are intended to provide income replacement after retirement, primarily through distributions from a 401(k) or other deferred compensation plan. We place great value on the long-term commitment that many of our employees and named executive officers have made to us and wish to incentivize them to remain with the Company with a focus on building sustainable value over the long term. Therefore, the Company has determined that it is appropriate to provide employees with competitive retirement benefits as part of their overall compensation package.

Our defined contribution retirement plans are designed to encourage employees to take an active role in planning, saving and investing for retirement. As a supplement to our 401(k) plan, the Excess Savings and Deferred Compensation Plan is designed to provide eligible employees and executives with a convenient and efficient opportunity to save for retirement while deferring applicable income taxes until withdrawal. For a detailed description of the Excess Savings and Deferred Compensation Plan, see the discussion following the “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation” table on page 31.

Our defined benefit pension plans, the Retirement Plan for Salaried Employees of Rayonier and the Rayonier Excess Benefit Plan, were closed to new employees on January 1, 2006. On December 31, 2016, benefits under our defined benefit pension plans were frozen for all participants. No additional benefits will be accrued under these plans. Of our named executive officers, only Mr. Long is a participant in these plans. Our other named executive officers were hired after January 1, 2006 and are ineligible to participate. For detailed descriptions of our Retirement Plan for Salaried Employees and the Rayonier Excess Benefit Plan, see the discussion following the “Pension Benefits” table on page 30.

For those eligible participants who were employed prior to the January 1, 2006 closure to new participants, the Rayonier Salaried Retiree Medical Program provides salaried employees eligible for retirement with access to a Company-sponsored healthcare plan funded entirely by the plan participants. This benefit is extended on an equivalent basis to all eligible retirees who are plan participants.

The Compensation Committee reviews these retirement benefits programs periodically to evaluate their continued competitiveness.

POST-TERMINATION AND CHANGE IN CONTROL BENEFITS

Severance Pay Plan. The Severance Pay Plan for Salaried Employees provides severance benefits to all salaried employees of Rayonier, including the named executive officers, in the event their employment is terminated (other than “for cause” and other non-qualifying terminations defined in the plan). Upon execution of a satisfactory separation agreement, the severance benefit available to our named executive officers ranges from 20 weeks to 26 weeks of base salary, plus an additional week of base salary for each year of service over one year.

Executive Severance Pay Plan. The Compensation Committee recognizes that, as with all publicly-traded corporations, there exists the possibility of a change in control of Rayonier and that the uncertainty created by that possibility could result in the loss or distraction of senior executives, to the detriment of Rayonier and our shareholders. The Executive Severance Pay Plan, referred to in this discussion as the “Executive Plan,” reflects the Compensation Committee’s view that it is critical to encourage executive retention and that the continued attention and dedication of our senior executives be fostered, notwithstanding the possibility, threat, rumor or occurrence of a change in control of Rayonier. In addition, the Executive Plan is intended to align executive and shareholder interests by enabling executives to consider corporate transactions that may be in the best interests of our shareholders and other constituents without undue financial concern over whether the transaction would jeopardize the executives’ own employment.

The Executive Plan achieves these objectives by providing benefits to eligible executives designated by the Compensation Committee, which currently include all of our named executive officers, in the event of a change in control of the Company. Any benefits payable require a “double-trigger,” meaning in addition to a change in control, the executive must be involuntarily terminated (other than “for cause”) or resign for “good reason” before any payments or benefits are triggered. If the executive is involuntarily terminated (other than “for cause”) or resigns for “good reason” within 24 months of the change in control, he or she will be entitled to enhanced severance benefits, which depend on the executive’s status as a Tier I or Tier II executive. The Executive Plan has no excise tax gross-up provision. The Executive Plan includes a best net benefit provision, which provides eligible executives with the greater of (1) the full benefit less the excise tax, with the executive personally responsible for paying the excise tax, or (2) a capped benefit, with the amount reduced just below the threshold for triggering the excise tax. The Compensation Committee reviews the Executive Plan annually and retains the discretion to terminate the Executive Plan, or to include or exclude any executive, including any named executive officer, at any time prior to a change in control. As of December 31, 2017, Messrs. Nunes, McHugh, Corr and Long are included as Tier I executives, and Mr. Bridwell is included as a Tier II executive.

The potential payments under the Executive Plan are calculated in the “Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control” table on page 32.

DECISION MAKING PROCESS

ROLE OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE, MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORS. The Compensation Committee has responsibility for establishing our compensation philosophy and for monitoring our adherence to it. The Compensation Committee reviews and approves compensation levels for all executive officers as well as all compensation, retirement, perquisite and benefit programs applicable to such officers. The Compensation Committee establishes annual performance objectives for the CEO, evaluates his accomplishments and performance against those objectives, and,

based on such evaluation, makes recommendations regarding his compensation for approval by the independent members of our Board. All of these functions are set forth in the Compensation Committee’s Charter, which is available on our website (www.rayonier.com) located under the Corporate Governance tab on our Investor Relations page and is reviewed annually by the Compensation Committee.

The Compensation Committee’s work is accomplished through a series of meetings, following a regular calendar schedule, to ensure that all major elements of compensation are appropriately considered and that compensation and benefit programs are properly designed, implemented and monitored. Special meetings are held as needed to address matters outside the regular compensation cycle. Working with the Compensation Committee Chair, our Vice President, Human Resources prepares an agenda and supporting materials for each meeting. Our Vice President, Human Resources, and our Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, along with Mr. Nunes, generally attend Compensation Committee meetings by invitation, but are excused for executive sessions. The Compensation Committee invites other members of management to attend meetings as it deems necessary to cover issues within their specific areas of expertise or responsibility.

The Compensation Committee also seeks advice and assistance from compensation consultants and outside counsel. The Compensation Committee has engaged a compensation consulting firm, Farient Advisors, to provide advice, relevant market data and best practices to consider when making compensation decisions, including decisions involving the CEO and the programs generally applicable to senior executives. Farient Advisors does not provide any services other than consulting services related to executive and Board compensation. The Compensation Committee has assessed the independence of our compensation consultant against the specific criteria under applicable SEC and NYSE rules and determined that no conflict of interest is or was raised by their work for the Compensation Committee.

COMPENSATION BENCHMARKING. In an effort to attract, motivate and retain a talented management team, the Compensation Committee studies market norms among our industry peers and comparably-sized general industry companies in an effort to provide a competitive compensation program that targets median (50th percentile of our peer group) compensation levels. Of course, variations from these general expectations may occur based on the expertise and experience level of a given executive as well as individual, Company and market factors.

In setting 2017 compensation levels for senior executives, including each of the named executive officers, the Compensation Committee reviewed median compensation levels at comparably sized general industry companies using a blend of two survey sources: (1) the TowersWatson CDB Executive Compensation Survey for companies with revenues of less than $1 billion; and (2) the US Mercer Benchmark Database Executive Compensation Survey database for companies with revenues between $400 million and $1 billion. See Appendix B for a list of companies included in the TowersWatson and Mercer surveys.

For our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Farient Advisors also provided the Compensation Committee compensation levels of our industry peer companies, as disclosed in each company’s annual proxy statement. These companies, listed below, are evaluated each year and chosen by the Compensation Committee as those most likely to be considered “operational competitors.”

In setting compensation levels, the Compensation Committee also considered total direct compensation in the context of the relatively short period of time each of the named executive officers has served in his or her respective role. For 2017, target total direct compensation (consisting of base salary, target annual bonus and target long-term incentive award) levels for our named executive officers fell below the median on average.

COMPENSATION POLICIES AND GOVERNANCE PRACTICES

STOCK OWNERSHIP GUIDELINES. We believe that share ownership requirements help to further focus the senior management team on the long-term success of our businesses and the interests of our shareholders. All executives at the Vice President level and above are required to acquire and hold, within five years after taking such position, Rayonier shares with a value equal to a designated multiple of their base salary as shown below:

We also require that each independent director, within four years of joining our Board, maintain a minimum ownership interest in Rayonier at a level equal to four times the director’s annual equity retainer. Prior to satisfying his or her ownership requirement, a director or executive is prohibited from selling any Rayonier shares other than shares withheld or sold to satisfy taxes in connection with a performance share payout, restricted stock award or stock option exercise. All of our directors and executive officers have met or are on track to meet their ownership requirements within the required period.

PROHIBITION ON HEDGING AND PLEDGING SHARE OWNERSHIP. Our executive officers and directors are not permitted to hedge their economic exposure to our common shares, to hold their ownership interests in our common shares in a margin account or to otherwise pledge their common shares as collateral for a loan. For a more detailed description, see the “Share Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers” section on page 37.

TAX CONSIDERATIONS. Section 162(m) of the Code precludes a public corporation from taking a deduction for compensation in excess of $1 million for certain of our named executive officers. Prior to the 2018 tax year, Section 162(m) provided an exemption to this limit on deductibility if specific criteria were satisfied. The exemption was repealed by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law in December 2017 effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. In reviewing and establishing our compensation program and payments, the Compensation Committee considers the anticipated tax treatment to Rayonier and the named executive officers. However, deductibility of compensation is only one factor that the Compensation Committee takes into account in setting executive compensation, and the Compensation Committee retains the flexibility to award compensation that is not deductible in its discretion. In addition, Section 162(m) imposed a number of requirements that must be met for awards to qualify for deduction. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that performance-based awards intended to qualify for deduction under Section 162(m) will be fully deductible under all circumstances.

CLAWBACK POLICY. We have an extensive “Clawback Policy” that provides the Compensation Committee discretion to recover incentive awards paid or outstanding in the event of a financial restatement or detrimental conduct. Detrimental conduct includes failure to comply with material policies of the Company, committing an illegal act in connection with the performance of a covered employees’ duties or taking any action or failing to take action which puts the Company at a material risk. The financial restatement provision of the plan applies to Section 16 Officers and allows the Compensation Committee to recover the difference between the incentive-based awards paid and the value that would have been paid had the relevant information been known at the time the award was paid. The detrimental conduct provision applies to a broader group of management and provides the Compensation Committee discretion to recover all or a portion of any incentive awards paid or outstanding during the prior 36 months.

REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the CD&A required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, recommended to the Board that the CD&A be included in this Proxy Statement, which is incorporated by reference into the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

The Compensation and Management Development Committee:

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

This table discloses compensation for 2017, 2016 and 2015 for Rayonier’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and our three other most highly compensated executive officers.

CEO PAY RATIO

As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following information about the relationship of the annual total compensation of our employees and the annual total compensation of David Nunes, our President and Chief Executive Officer (our “CEO”). For fiscal 2017:

Based on this information, for 2017, the ratio of the annual total compensation of our CEO to the median of the annual total compensation of all employees was 38 to 1.

To identify the median of the annual total compensation of all our employees, as well as to determine the annual total compensation of our median employee and our CEO, we used the following methodology and material assumptions, adjustments and estimates:

GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS

This table discloses potential payouts under the 2017 Rayonier Annual Bonus Program and the 2017 Performance Share Award Program along with 2017 restricted stock awards for our named executive officers.

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END

This table discloses outstanding stock option, performance share and restricted stock awards for the named executive officers as of December 31, 2017.