At CFPA, we are asked periodically to give references for CT Certified Foresters who offer a wide variety of professional forestry services. In the past, we have referred many people to the “Connecticut Certified Forest Practitioner Directory” kept up-to-date by the CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Forestry Division.

DEEP’s Certified Forest Practitioner Directory is comprehensive and contains useful background and definitions of various forestry services, but the list can both be overwhelming for landowners and includes many certified foresters who have professional credentials but don’t offer forestry services.

CFPA reached out to all of the CT Certified Foresters with up-to-date certification in August, 2021, and offered to host a new “CT Forestry Services Directory” online that would focus solely on those professionals who offer forestry services to private forest landowners. The hope is that this pared-down list will help you find the best CT Certified Forester(s) who can meet your individual needs.

All of the CT Certified Foresters organized in a few different ways below provide a variety of forestry services to the public such as developing forest stewardship plans, administering timber sales, and finding or maintaining property boundaries (these services are included in the “other” column on the following lists). Many have also pursued optional, supplementary certifications to provide services associated with the Public Act 490 program and as Technical Service Providers (TSPs) for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS):

Additional Resources for Forest Landowners

CT DEEP Service Foresters

DEEP has 3 outstanding Service Foresters with responsibilities for different regions of Connecticut. They are busy (we wish there were more of them since over 71% of Connecticut’s forests are privately owned), but they are also great resources for forest landowners. Learn more about what DEEP’s Service Foresters do, and visit the map showing the territories for each service forester and their contact info.

Master Woodland Manager Program

CFPA, DEEP, UConn, and partnering organizations such as Audubon CT (which also offers a Forest for Birds program) are collaborating to offer a Master Woodland Manager program with significant educational resources for landowners and managers who value forests and wish to steward them for future generations. Learn more about the Master Woodland Manager program here. CFPA has also put together a more comprehensive resource page for forest landowners with property management and forestry information.

UConn Extension Forestry

The UConn Extension Forestry program works statewide to address forest stewardship issues, and provides terrific information and educational programming such as the Coverts Project for forest landowners and forestry professionals.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Through the Farm Bill, the NRCS offers technical and financial support for private non-industrial forest landowners to address natural resources concerns. NRCS conservation practices and enhancements are available to help you manage your forest land. NRCS financial assistance is available through conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to help you develop a forest management plan and to implement practices and enhancements recommended in that plan. Find a USDA Service Center near you.

*Please note that CFPA is not endorsing particular professional foresters listed in the CT Forestry Services Directory. We encourage landowners to ask for references, check the Connecticut Certified Forest Practitioner Directory to ensure forestry certifications are up-to-date, and find a forester that you believe is best for you. If you have questions about this information, contact CFPA’s Executive Director, Eric Hammerling via ehammerling@ctwoodlands.org.