The Association of Consulting Foresters of America, Inc. (ACF) was founded in 1948 to advance the professionalism, ethics, and interests of professional foresters whose primary work was consulting to the public. The ACF is the only national association for consulting foresters. Currently, there are over 520 members in 41 states and 2 Canadian provinces. For a complete understanding of the Association see the ACF website.

Certified Arborist

An arborist by definition is an individual who is trained in the art and science of planting, caring for and maintaining individual trees. ISA Arborist Certification is a non-governmental, voluntary process by which individuals can document their base of knowledge. It operates without mandate of law and is an internal, self-regulating device administered by the International Society of Arboriculture. Certification provides a measurable assessment of an individual’s knowledge and competence required to provide proper tree care. For a complete understanding of the Certified Arborist program see the ISA website.

Certified Forester®

This program is voluntary, nongovernmental, and open to qualified Society of American Foresters (SAF) members and nonmembers. A Certified Forester agrees to abide by current Certified Forester requirements and procedures for certification and recertification as may be revised periodically by SAF, to maintain continuing professional development, and to conduct all forestry practices in a responsible, professional manner consistent with state and federal regulations governing environmental quality and forest management practices. For a complete understanding of the Certified Forester program see the SAF website.

Consultant

A person offering forestry services for a fee. This person may be a Professional Consulting Forester, Forestry Technician, Certified Forester®, or someone else with education or experience in natural resources management.

Forester

A professional engaged in the science and profession of forestry - note foresters are commonly credentialed by states or other certifying bodies, e.g., the Society of American Foresters and may be licensed, certified, or registered indicating specific education and abilities; the requirements for credentialling differ and usually include earning a baccalaureate degree in forestry, sometimes equivalent experience, and usually passing a comprehensive examination. The Dictionary of Forestry, John A. Helms editor, the Society of American Foresters, 1998 (NOTE: The State of Ohio does not currently license, certify or register foresters offering services in Ohio.)

Forestry Service Providers

A generic term for a person offering any or all of the following services: tree planting, implementation of best management practices, buyer of timber, or implementation of a silvicultural activity such as stand improvement. The individual providing these services may or may not be a Certified Forester®, Professional Consulting Forester or Forestry Technician.

Forestry Technician

Individuals with a two-year associates degree. Forestry technicians usually work in the forest under the supervision of a forester conducting such tasks as measuring timber and associated forest resources, supervising harvesting operations, surveying, regeneration, and timber sales transactions. (Adapted from a description of Technical Education Programs from the Society of American Foresters web site).

Industry Forester

A forester that is employed by one of the forest industries (e.g. a sawmill or paper mill) responsible for procuring logs for their employer and may offer forestry services to landowners.

Logger

The occupation of cutting down trees, cutting them into logs, and transporting the logs to the sawmill (Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition). The Ohio Forestry Association (OFA) has developed a “Master Logger” program that lists individuals that meet certain criteria, including training. For a complete understanding of this program see the OFA website.

Procurement Forester

A forester responsible for purchasing timber or logs for their company or business. This individual may or may not be a Certified Forester® or Forestry Technician. Typically, this person arranges for standing timber to be harvested, either by their own logging crews or by contract crews, once they have purchased standing timber.

Professional Consulting Forester

A Certified Forester® and/or a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters that offers forester services for a fee. These individuals typically have a minimum of a B.S. degree in a forestry curriculum from an approved college; a minimum of 5 years of experience in practical forestry administration, management, or other special forestry classification.(Adapted from descriptions of membership requirements for the Certified Forester® Program of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and the Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF). For a complete understanding of the Certified Forester® Program of the Society of American Foresters, see the SAF website. For a complete understanding of the Association of Consulting Foresters, see the ACF website.

Service Forester

Employed by the State of Ohio, these individuals are available to provide landowners with current information for the long term management of their woodlands; can provide management plans and advice on how to accomplish the plan’s objectives, and; provide landowners with technical assistance and information on tree planting projects, woodland improvement activities and timber marketing assistance.

Timber Buyer

A person responsible for purchasing timber or logs for their company or business. This individual may or may not be a Certified Forester®, or Forestry Technician. Typically, this person arranges for standing timber to be harvested, either by their own logging crews or by contract crews, once they have purchased standing timber.

Urban Forester

A public (federal, state, local) or private sector professional, responsible for managing or assisting in the management of public vegetation (mainly woody) to enhance the long-term environmental, social, and economic vitality of the community.