Legislative Issues

 
Licensing foresters in Pennsylvania

The current principal legislative initiative of the Pennsylvania Council of Professional Foresters is a proposal to establish formal state-sanctioned licensure of foresters in Pennsylvania. If enacted by the General Assembly, foresters would join more that 30 other professions that are licensed by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. More than one million individuals and businesses are associated with those licensed by the Bureau. 

Licensing foresters in Pennsylvania would provide important new protections for forest land owners by ensuring that individuals who represent themselves as foresters have the education and experience to provide scientifically-based forestry services. In addition, licensure through the Bureau would provide landowners and others who have complaints against foresters with a formal resolution process.

Associated with PCPF’s effort to licensure foresters, the organization has develop Standards of Forestry Practice which provide guidelines to foresters as they interact with and provide services to landowners. It is essential to note that these Standards do not impose rigid or prescriptive mandates on foresters. These Standards have been approved by the PCPF members and by Pennsylvania Division of the Society of American Foresters. 

To learn more about the proposal to license foresters in Pennsylvania, please refer to the following information:

The legislation

• Text of the legislative proposal
• Line-by-line analysis of the legislative proposal

Fact sheets about the legislation

• Forester licensure: what is it?
• Forester licensure: the legislative proposal
• Helping forest landowners make smarter decisions: the role of professional forester
• Forester licensure: it’s good for the environment
• Forester licensure: the experience in other states
• Forester licensure: how will it be administered?
• Options to promote responsible forestry
• Forester licensure: what are the concerns?
• Industry Myths

Position Statements

• Timber Theft
• Deer Management
• Loss of Forest Land
• State Programs to Credential Foresters

Standards of Forestry Practice

• Text of the Standards of Forestry Practice
• Questions and answers about the Standards of Forestry Practice

Historical documents.

View background information on the proposal to license foresters in Pennsylvania.

Call or write to your legislator

If you support licensure of foresters in Pennsylvania, please contact your State Senators and State Representatives and tell them of your support.