N.C. Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters
The Association of Consulting Foresters of America, Inc.
The Association of Consulting Foresters of America, Inc. (ACF) was founded in 1948 to advance the professionalism, ethics and interests of professional foresters whose primary work is consulting to the public. The ACF is the only national association for consulting foresters. Currently there are 642 members in 37 states and one Canadian province.
The ACF is organized into state or multi-state chapters located in most forested regions of the U.S. There are 22 chapters that hold regular meetings and pursue regional issues. A national office is maintained in the Washington, D.C. area to pursue national-level issues and interact with other organizations involved in forest management.
The N.C. Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters has approximately 50 members. Because there are more than 180 self-described forestry consultants in the state, the ACF designation is your assurance that your forestry consultant has the education, experience and ethical standards to serve your needs and protect your interests.
ACF members operate in corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships with one to more than 100 employees. Many are general foresters while others have professional specialties within forestry. Clients include landowners, forest industries, investment and financial industries, attorneys, government agencies, bankers, trusts, Native American corporations and many others. Many operate within their own locality, while others consult worldwide.
The ACF is active in the areas of most interest to consulting foresters and their clients. These areas include but are not limited to:
- setting the standards for the consulting forestry profession
- educating and assisting landowners in good forest stewardship of their lands
- tracking legislation directly impacting private forestry, including taxation, private property rights, wetlands, clean water issues, endangered species and more
- educating and increasing the awareness of the public, legislators and others on issues sensitive to private landowners and their ability to practice good forest management
- cooperating and working with federal and state agencies to protect private property rights
