Forestry FAQs

Thank you for visiting the Forestry FAQs. Here you will find the answers to many of your profession-specific questions. Please visit OPR’s General FAQs which will answer many of your general licensing questions, including online services access.

• Who must be licensed?
• Do loggers have to be licensed?
• Are there exemptions to licensure?
• When did licensing take effect?
• I am an SAF Certified Forester. Does this make the application process easier?
• I am already licensed as a forester outside Vermont. Does this make the application process easier?
• What are the statutory requirements to obtain a forester’s license?
• Are there grandfathering provisions for experienced foresters who have not taken the Certified Forester examination, or who have not obtained a degree?
• Is continuing education required?

Who must be licensed?

Any person holding himself or herself out to the public as a forester must be licensed.  26 V.S.A. § 5203(a)(4). And regardless of title, any person practicing forestry must be licensed.  Id. § 5203(a)(3). The practice of forestry is defined by statute:

• Forestry means the science, art, and practice of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources to meet desired goals, needs, and values, including timber management, wildlife management, biodiversity management, and watershed management. Forestry science consists of those biological, physical, quantitative, managerial, and social sciences that are applied to forest management. Forestry services include investigations, consultations, timber inventory, and appraisal, development of forest management plans, and responsible supervision of forest management or other forestry activities on public or private lands.
• Forestry does not include services for the physical implementation of cutting, hauling, handling, or processing of forest products or for the physical implementation of silvicultural treatments and practices.--26 V.S.A. § 5202(4).

Do loggers have to be licensed?

No. Loggers are not licensed in Vermont. Loggers, haulers, and others who physically implement forest treatments and practices, but who do not engage in forestry as defined by law, are unaffected by the licensure requirement.

Are there exemptions to licensure?

Yes. See 26 V.S.A. § 5204.

When did licensing take effect?

Forester licensure became required by law on July 1, 2016.

It is in a forester’s interest to become licensed as soon as possible. Among other things, insurers, environmental regulators, and courts will expect licensure; in some cases, they may refuse payment, permits, or enforcement of obligations to an unlicensed forester after July 1. See, e.g., 3 V.S.A. § 127(e).

I am an SAF Certified Forester. Does this make the application process easier?

Yes! An SAF Certified Forester, active and in good standing, is eligible for expedited licensure.

Have your certification details available when you apply.

I am already licensed as a forester outside Vermont. Does this make the application process easier?

Probably, depending on the standards of the jurisdiction that licensed you. You may be eligible for expedited licensure if you can show (1) that you hold a valid license or registration in forestry in another United States jurisdiction, and (2) that the requirements and qualifications upon which it was issued are at least as rigorous as those in Vermont. 26 V.S.A. § 5221(4).

Have your out-of-state license and a citation to the issuing jurisdiction’s laws or rules available when you apply.

What are the statutory requirements to obtain a forester’s license?

For new foresters, any of the following meet 26 V.S.A. § 5221 criteria for licensure:

• A recognized bachelor’s degree or greater in forestry, two years of SAF Certified Forester experience, and passage of the SAF Certified Forester examination;
• A recognized bachelor’s degree or greater in a forestry-related field, three years of SAF Certified Forester experience, and passage of the SAF Certified Forester examination; or
• A recognized associate’s degree in forestry, four years of SAF Certified Forester experience, and passage of the SAF Certified Forester examination.

Are there grandfathering provisions for experienced foresters who have not taken the Certified Forester examination, or who have not obtained a degree?

The grandfather provision expired on January 1, 2019

Is continuing education required?

Yes. The law requires that applicants to renew a license demonstrate completion of 24 hours of continuing forestry education, earned in the two-year licensing period preceding renewal. 26 V.S.A. § 5224.

Foresters Administrative Rule 5-4 outlines continuing education requirements, including approved program sponsors. If you have taken or wish to take a course that is not provided by an approved sponsor, be sure to submit the course to the office well before the license expiration. Take care to retain course syllabi, handouts, and certificates of completion.

For more answers to commonly asked questions, please visit our General FAQ page.

For more information, please contact us.