About Us
We are the ACF Foresters of NC
Why Choose Us
Membership
Our Story
The Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF) was founded to advance the professionalism, ethics and interests of professional foresters whose primary work is consulting to the public. ACF is the only national association of consulting foresters. Currently, there are more than 725 members in 35 states. There are currently 47 ACF members in North Carolina.
Members of the Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF) are available to help North Carolina’s private landowners manage their forests. Organized in 1948, the ACF promotes the ethical and professional standards of consulting forestry by requiring members to hold a Bachelor of Science (or higher) degree in forestry and successfully complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years.
ACF members provide landowners technical services that help the environment by increasing the productively of timber, enhancing wildlife habitat, and protecting soil and water quality. On the economic side, ACF consulting foresters assist landowners in receiving fair market prices when they sell their timber. In fact, one university study showed that landowners who had professional consulting forestry assistance prior to a timber sale received 23 percent more income per acre.
WHAT SERVICES DOES AN ACF CONSULTING FORESTER PROVIDE?
If you are a forest landowner, inevitably you will find yourself needing the advice and guidance of professional forester. If you need to sell your timber, of if you need a forest management plan, the advice and guidance of a consulting forester will serve you well.
Most ACF consulting foresters provide all or some of the following services:
TIMBER HARVESTS AND SALES: When tree become merchantable, consulting foresters can secure buyers and supervise the timber sale. The fees charged by a consultant can be based on an hourly or daily rate, forest acreage, or a contract price based on a percentage of gross revenues from the sale of forest products. The cost of service can be repaid by faster tree growth and the higher prices received for timber that is marketed correctly.
A recent research study showed that landowners who received professional forestry assistance before harvesting timber averaged 23% more income per acre, received a 64% higher price per board foot, and had a projected income stream from future sales of 120% more as a result of improved regeneration and stocking.
An ACF member will use his professional judgement to advise you on the type and timing of timber harvests that will help make your woodland as productive as possible. When a harvest is needed, the consultant conducts an inventory, or “timber cruise”, to estimate your timber’s volume and value. This helps you receive a fair market price when you sell.
For a sealed-bid sale, the ACF consulting forester sends out an “invitation to bid” which notifies potential buyers of the sale. At the bid opening, your forester will advise you on whether to accept or reject the bid(s) received. If you accept a bid, your forester will consult with an attorney to arrange for a timber deed with the buyer. After the timber deed is signed and delivered to the buyer, your forester will help make sure all monies received are properly disbursed. When the harvest begins, your ACF consulting forester will check the logging operation periodically to ensure the contract terms are honored.
In cases where economic or tract conditions are unfavorable for a sealed-bid sale, a negotiated sale is used. In these instances, the ACF consulting forester negotiates with individual buyers to receive the best price for your timber. As with a sealed-bid sale, your consulting forester helps you with the contract, monitors the harvests, and accounts for and disburses the monies received from the buyer.
MANAGEMENT PLANS: The information in a management plan usually describes the current conditions of the forest, the species present, and the size, volume, and quality of the timber. It should list for each forest stand a recommended sequence of operations to improve the condition of the forest over a designated period of time. Management plans differ in complexity from short reports based on a brief walk through the woods to detailed financial analysis with computer simulations of forest growth and suggested treatments. The ACF consulting forester always uses his education, experience and judgement to create a management plan that will accommodate your objectives.
APPRAISALS: Before buying or selling timber, you need to know the quantity or value of the timber on the tract. Your ACF consulting forester provides this information by cruising the tract to estimate the timber’s volume and value. The average small forest owner has few occasions to sell timber from his land.
Because of this, he is dealing with a product of unknown value. An ACF consulting forester is familiar with the local markets and current demand for the various forest products. They are capable of measuring and valuing your timber.
REFORESTATION: An ACF consulting forester can advise you on how best to establish a new stand of trees on a given site. This may involve planning for natural regeneration prior to harvest or using site preparation after the harvest to help planted seedlings survive. Landowners should begin planning reforestation well in advance of the harvest cut. Having a good plan will minimize reforestation costs and assure the desired species regenerate on the harvested areas.
COST SHARE ASSISTANCE: Your ACF consulting foresters can help you identify and navigate through the varicose cost share assistance programs. He can help you identify and apply for these programs to help offset the expenses of forest management.
OTHERS IMPORTANT SERVICES: ACF consulting foresters may also offer advice on wildlife habitat management, recreational planning, timber stand improvement, environmental regulations, forest taxation, estate planning, and forest road construction.