Some work regular hours in offices or labs but this is usually the experienced forester or forester with a graduate level degree. The work can be physically demanding. Foresters who work outdoors do so in all kinds of weather, sometimes in isolated areas. Some foresters may need to walk long distances through thick vegetation, through wetlands, and over mountains to carry out their work. Foresters also may work long hours fighting fires and have been known to climb fire towers several times a day.
Foresters manage forested lands for a variety of purposes.
The Industrial Forester Those working in private industry may procure timber from private landowners. To do this, foresters contact local forest owners and gain permission to take inventory of the type, amount, and location of all standing timber on the property, a process known as timber cruising. Foresters then appraise the timber's worth, negotiate the purchase of timber, and draw up a contract for procurement. Next, they subcontract with loggers or pulpwood cutters for tree removal, aid in road layout, and maintain close contact with the subcontractor's workers and the landowner to ensure that the work meets the landowner's requirements, as well as Federal, State, and local environmental specifications. Industrial foresters also manage company lands.