What is a ‘forester?’ Is it someone who lives in the forest? This person is an individual who is trained to manage the natural resources of the woodlands. Their scope of responsibility includes timber harvesting, organizing and protecting parks and reserves, and ecological restoration. They have different specializations to address the scope of their duties and responsibilities which encompasses the job of simply caring for the woods.

Those who want to pursue this career must generally earn a degree in a field which includes the study of biology and the analysis of the economic and cultural value of woodlands but they do not necessarily have to earn a degree with that specific major.

TYPES OF FORESTERS

• Industrial - This is a person employed by a private company. Their task is to manage company-owned woodlands for logging businesses. They may also get in contact with private owners to buy products for the company or vice versa. They usually contact private owners and ask permission to conduct timber cruising to estimate and determine the type, amount and location of standing timber within the owner’s property.

• District - This is an individual professionally trained to manage the woodlands. Their main task is to visit privately-owned areas that offer a wildlife habitat, watershed and recreational opportunities. They help many owners make management decisions based on sufficient knowledge to maintain a healthy and sustainable environment. An individual with this job classification implements both state and federal programs to achieve sustainable woodland management.

• Consulting - This is a self-employed professional who is paid on a contractual basis to assist private land owners with management practices. Their task is to supervise the planting and growing of new trees. This person is someone who will prepare the site and select the type, formation and number of trees to be planted. They deal with the legal requirements such as registration and licensing.

• Acquisition - This is an individual whose primary responsibility is to discover the location of land which can be purchased by the company for which they are working. This person would perform any services necessary to take actual possession of any parcel of land that a company has purchased.

• Procurement - This is an individual whose task is to purchase timber for a wood product manufacturer. Their tasks may involve timber cruising as well as conduct appraisals, price negotiations and the formulation of written contracts with regards to the agreed purchasing terms and conditions.

• Conservation - This is an individual who works to protect and conserve natural resources. For private owners, the role here is to develop programs designed to maximize the productive use of land without damaging the environment. They also assist landowners by visiting areas with erosion problems and planning action targeted to manage the cause of the problem.

• Government - This is an individual who works for the State and/or Federal government whose job is to manage parks and public areas. They also work with private landowners to manage woodlands which are outside the boundary of the government.

Roles and Responsibilities in General

In general, the responsibility of a forester is to manage and maintain sustainability of the nation’s woodlands. They control how the woods are being utilized, make sure that they are in optimal condition, oversee harvesting and tree planting, and supervise controlled burning. They may be considered either "professional" or "registered." A "professional" forester is someone who has graduated from a 4-year college with a major in forestry curriculum while a "registered" forester is a person who is not a graduate of that type of formal education but is certified and registered by passing an examination given by United States Department of Labor.

The job of the forester is certainly an important one, not only to the forestry industry in general but to the management and conservation of one of the United States’ most important natural resources – the forests!