A consulting forester is a degreed and trained professional forester that independently provides a wide range of forestry services (for a fee) to private landowners, land managers, industry, and governmental agencies. In addition, many of them provide forestry services for financial, legal, and accounting professionals associated with property management.
Consulting Foresters are qualified professionals that work in the best interest of the client. Research from a number of states shows that landowners that hire a Consulting Forester to assist with timber sales receive higher timber sale returns, are left with higher quality and more valuable residual stands, and have less environmental damage than landowners that do not hire consulting foresters. The consultant's fee is frequently more than offset by these higher values.
Some of the basic principals and credentials of a Consulting Forester are:
- Consulting Foresters have obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in forestry from an accredited College.
- Consulting Foresters usually are active members in one or more professional organizations that are dedicated to the practice of forestry.
- Consulting Foresters usually are professionally certified, licensed, and/or registered; however, the requirements for certification, licensing, and registration are different for each State.
- Consulting Foresters are not engaged in the buying (procurement) of timber products.
Two links to publications available on line regarding Consulting Foresters are:
- Consulting Foresters: Who are they and what do they do? by Paul Drysdale, Consulting Forester, Michigan Forest Association's “Michigan Forests” Magazine, Winter Edition 2015
- Hiring a Consulting Forester by Bill Cook, Michigan State University Extension Forester, Extension Bulletin E-3188, October 2012
Links to Other Articles of Interest