Certified Forester® Standards of Professional Practice
Every Certified Forester® (CF) and applicant for Certified Forester
status agrees to:
- Make every effort to periodically review and follow all applicable state
and federal regulations governing environmental quality and, specifically,
the stewardship and management of forest resources;
- Make every effort to recognize and inform prospective clients or employers
of the responsibility to conserve forest resources and to maintain environmental
quality in management recommendations;
- Refrain from providing a professional opinion or recommendation for
an area of expertise for which the individual is not qualified by either
academic preparation or experience and to refer clients or employers to
other natural resource professionals when the expertise of such individuals
shall best serve the interests of the public, the forestry profession,
and the client/employer;
- Use only truthful and not misleading statements in any advertising or
statement of qualifications;
- Refrain from misrepresenting CF certification, or one’s individual CF
status, including the misuse of application status, trademark, certificate,
or other related credentials;
- Refrain from any misrepresentation on an application; willful submission
of incorrect information in recertification; or failure to include relevant
information in any communication to the Certification Review Board (CRB)
or SAF National Office; and to
- Pay all required fees, as set forth in Certification Requirements.
Further, every CF and CF applicant agrees that violation of the standards
listed above may be a basis for adverse action, including denial or revocation
of certification or recertification, in accordance with Certification Review
Board (CRB) Administrative Rules, and that:
- Certification may be suspended, and may be revoked pending review by
the CRB, following final action resulting in revocation or suspension
of a CF’s state forestry registration or licensing credential, or related
professional credential or professional membership;
- A conviction of, plea of guilty to, or plea of nolo contendere to a
felony related to forestry practices or to public health or welfare or
misdemeanor that relates directly to forestry practices, is grounds for
denial, revocation, or suspension of certification; and that
- The CF shall report any revocation, suspension, conviction, or plea as
described above to SAF within thirty (30) days of the final action. An individual
convicted of such a felony or misdemeanor may be ineligible to apply for
certification or recertification for a period of three (3) years from the
exhaustion of appeals, probation, parole, or final release from confinement
(if any) whichever is later.
Adopted by the Council of the Society of American Foresters in 1994. Document revised April 2003 and September 2005
Copyright © 2008 - Society of American Foresters
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