Consulting Foresters are professional, independent foresters for hire. They provide a full range of forest management services for a fee to landowners, companies, agencies, and others. Consulting foresters have a minimum education of a four-year Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Resource Management, or similar degree, and are licensed in West Virginia by the State Board of Registration for Foresters. Some of the services they provide are: forest management or forest stewardship plans; timber cruises, appraisals, and timber sales administration; trespass and damage appraisals; growth projections and investment analysis; estate and timber tax assistance; forest prescriptions for tree planting, thinning, invasive species control, forest habitat recommendations for wildlife, crop tree release, grapevine control, and other related silvicultural treatments; and a variety of related land management and natural resource services.
Forestry Technicians are graduates of a two-year community or technical college and can provide technical field services such as timber cruises, measuring and marking of trees for sale, and logging supervision. Licensing of forestry technicians is voluntary, subject to the approval of the State Board of Registration for Foresters. Their services are also for hire.