Planning Forester

Planning Foresters are responsible for creating operations plans, which are documents that outline how a forestry activity is to be conducted. These plans are created for all major forestry operations, such as harvesting, planting, and chemical spraying. Other foresters, such as Silviculture and Harvesting Foresters, follow operations plans to make sure that they are complying with forest certification, health & safety, and environmental regulations.

In order for a forestry company like OneFortyOne to maintain their sustainable forest certification they need to comply with all the rules outlined by the certifying body. These rules stipulate how forestry activities are to be conducted in a sustainable manner, such as having minimal effect on the environment, health & safety of workers, and ensuring the renewability of a forestry plantation (make sure it can be harvested and replanted, again and again). Planning Foresters make sure that methods of compliance are recorded in the operations plans and that everyone involved in the operation is aware of their duties prior to work.

Hazards are marked by the Planning Forester on a map of the operational area attached to the plan. These include powerlines, sinkholes, and fallen trees. The Planning Forester will communicate to workers methods to work around any hazards present on site. Conservation areas such as wetlands, woodlands, and karst features are no-go-areas during forestry operations. Planning Foresters put buffers in place around conservation areas that prohibit any entry by machinery, chemicals, or anything that could harm the native plants and animals.