Choosing the professionals who advise us about the most important personal and financial matters in our lives may seem difficult. We give these choices serious consideration because they may profoundly affect our lives and those of our families. Perhaps we make those choices on the basis of a referral from a trusted friend, family member, or some other advisor. Without such a referral, we may have to do some research, reviewing the work history and credentials of various professionals to choose the one who appears able to best serve us. Choosing a consulting forester to assist you with your woodland management is no different in that regard. The Association of Consulting Foresters of America, Inc. (ACF) makes that choice easier. ACF is the only national organization devoted exclusively to consulting foresters and the landowners they serve.

Whether you choose by referral or research, an ACF forester may be your best choice for a consulting forester. The letters �ACF� listed behind your consulting forester�s name certify that your forester has met the exacting requirements of membership in ACF. Those letters are important to you. They mean that your forester has submitted his or her professional history to a consulting forester credentialing program that is second to none. You may be sure that ACF policies and programs will enhance and govern that forester�s professional future in a manner that will benefit you, the landowner. ACF acts in the best interest of landowners by requiring the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in the practice of consulting forestry.

The �ACF� designation is only for consulting foresters, and no other type of forester. Some of the requirements for candidate and full member certification are:

� A minimum of a BS degree in forestry

� Members must have at least 5 years of practical forestry experience

� Members principle business activity must be private consulting forestry offered to the general public

� Members may not have an economic interest in a timber purchasing or procurement entity

� Members must complete continuing education requirements and periodically report them to ACF

� Applicants for membership must be sponsored by 3 ACF foresters To apply for membership, a forester must have verifiable client and professional references � Applicants for membership must serve a 1 to 3 year candidacy period, during which the forester must take specially designed �Practice of Consulting Forestry� training and meet other requirements for full membership

� Most importantly, applicants for ACF membership must agree that their practice of professional forestry will comply with the ACF Code of Ethics.

These ACF requirements are the most professionally demanding, time consuming, and costly of any organization that certifies consulting foresters for the general practice of forestry. Their ACF membership is important to these foresters. That is to the benefit of the landowners they serve. ACF strives to verify that their member consulting foresters will be among the most qualified to help you formulate your plans and goals for your woodland. The main professional focus of your ACF consulting forester will be on what you want to accomplish. He or she will stand ready to help you achieve the responsible, personally rewarding, and profitable stewardship of woodland resources.