Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Approved Consulting Foresters

Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:3-2; the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), NJ Forest Service, maintains a list of foresters approved to annually attest that a landowner is in compliance with the woodland management plan and program. This is an additional requirement for certain woodland owners to qualify their woodlands for Farmland Assessment values.

To be included on the list an approved forester must: have graduated from a four year college or university accredited by the Society of American Foresters with a major course in forest management or have completed the Cook College-Rutgers University forest management option within the natural resource management curriculum or have a graduate degree that the DEP determines to be equivalent to the aforementioned major course work in forest management. Must have two years experience in the preparation of woodland management plans of the implementation of forestry practices for the protection, development, marketing, and utilization of forest land resources; and abide by the Society of American Forester's code of Ethics.

Approved Foresters are professionally trained to assist landowners to clarify their objectives and to prepare and implement forest management plans that will achieve those objectives. Their work is provided on a fee or contract basis, and their services are available to the general public.

Fees charged by a consulting forester may be based on an hourly or daily rate, acreage of the forest, or a contract price based on a percentage of gross revenues from the sale of forest products. Many variables - distance, size of tract, boundary line designation (marking), location, terrain, site, stand conditions and landowner's objectives, to name a few - are determining factors in establishing a fee. Therefore, consulting fees for management services not only can vary between consultants but also must necessarily vary tract to tract and area to area.

Costs should be one consideration in choosing a consultant but a forester's experience, past performance record and understanding of the client's objectives are also important factors.

Compilation and distribution of this list in no way infers that the Bureau of Forest Management attempts to quarantee the professional competence or quality of performance of approved foresters beyond those requirements to be included on the list. It is provided to assist landowners in obtaining certification by an approved forester that their woodlands are in compliance with the filed woodland management plan in accordance with N.J.A.C. 18:15-2.7.