The private sector plants tree farms that aren't harvested for 40 years. So long as there are strong property rights, profitable investments can be made at just about any time scale.
In fact, the main reason the private sector might in some cases not want to make investments that take a long time to pay off is regulatory uncertainty. If every year you own that tree farm entails a significant chance the government might pass a new law banning logging there, you'll want to chop those trees down sooner rather than later. The more the government regulates and the more regulations change over time, the less sensible it is to make long-term plans and long-term investments.
In fact, the main reason the private sector might in some cases not want to make investments that take a long time to pay off is regulatory uncertainty. If every year you own that tree farm entails a significant chance the government might pass a new law banning logging there, you'll want to chop those trees down sooner rather than later. The more the government regulates and the more regulations change over time, the less sensible it is to make long-term plans and long-term investments.