Consulting foresters are professionally trained in forestry and natural resource management, and their services are available to the public for a fee or contract basis. Consultants may be either general practitioners or specialists. Consultants generally have a college education in forestry and several years of experience, subscribe to a code of ethics developed by their professional organization, and have no direct business affiliation with a forestry industry firm.
Good consultants have the primary mission of representing landowner interests.
Consultants are in the business of providing forest management and other related services. Their fees vary greatly. Managing a forest property can be complex and time consuming. Foresters can provide advice and assistance to landowners who choose to undertake forest management projects that they do not have the time, or perhaps more importantly, the expertise to accomplish themselves. Public foresters are generally employed by the DCNR Bureau of Forestry, Penn State Cooperative Extension, and others, but typically must respond to broad public demands, and are able to offer only limited services.