Defining Consulting Forestry

A consulting forester is a specialized professional who combines ecological expertise, economic insight, and strategic planning to manage and sustain forested landscapes for optimal long-term value. At Stevens Forestry, LLC, we help landowners, businesses, and communities navigate forest management complexities by combining the latest scientific research with regulatory policies and individual objectives.

Foundation

A quote from Aldo Leopold: “We shall never achieve harmony with the land, any more than we shall achieve absolute justice or liberty for people. In these higher aspirations, the important thing is not to achieve but to strive.”

When Leopold made a name for himself, organized professional forestry in the United States was less than one generation old. Many trace the rise of professional forestry in the United States to 1889 when Gifford Pinchot, a young forester educated in Europe, was hired to manage the forest at the Biltmore Estate. Some say it was the nation’s first professionally managed forest. Later, Pinchot would invite seven of his professional forester colleagues to join him in establishing the Society of American Foresters (SAF).

In Europe, we can go back to the 14th century or slightly earlier, where logging activities were rudimentarily mapped and systematically planned with an eye on regeneration. Before this, the closest activity that we can call forest management was cultural burning. Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians used fire, a simplification of what we would call prescribed burning today, for thousands of years to manage the land for many purposes, including clearing areas for crops and travel, hunting game, and managing the land for specific plant and animal species.

Despite a measurable history of understanding forest management at a basic level, Michigan took a major hit. From about 1860 to 1910, the logging industry in Michigan was like a runaway train. Empires were built, fortunes were made, and a major part of the state’s history was founded on clearcutting old-growth timber. The lumber era had a significant impact at the local, state, and national levels, and many Michigan cities, such as Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Manistee, grew up around sawmills.

If you’re interested in visualizing what the state’s forests may have looked like before this period, you can visit a few old-growth hideouts like Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and Hartwick Pines State Park. Foresters and landowners alike can benefit from understanding forest succession and recognizing the consequences of inadequate forest management practices, as it was only a century ago that the complex silvicultural techniques employed by Stevens Forestry today were nonexistent.

Enter Stevens Forestry, a passionate forester with a burning dedication to the outdoorsy lifestyle that Northern Michigan provides. We are obsessed with forestry and strive to provide our clients with a little slice of the field that we love so strongly.

References

Leopold, A. (1949). A Sand County Almanac, and Sketches Here and There. Oxford University Press.

Pinchot, G. (1947). Breaking New Ground. Harcourt Brace.

Society of American Foresters. (Accessed 2024). History of SAF. Retrieved from https://www.eforester.org

Association of Consulting Foresters. (Accessed 2024). History. Retrieved from https://www.acf-foresters.org