Forest/woodland Manager

• attending meetings of professional bodies;
• keeping up to date with changes to legislation and other developments;
• advising woodland owners on the establishment of the most appropriate tree species (whether by planting or natural regeneration), budgeting, public access, ecological surveys and forest certification;
• working to and maintaining globally recognised forest certification;
• advising clients on good forestry practice and providing a contract service to woodland owners, including those interested in acquiring land for establishment of new forests;
• organising the growing, harvesting, marketing and sale of timber;
• liaising with customers, landowners, timber merchants, the public and local authorities - varies according to the specific post and the nature of the employer but, in general, this is becoming a greater part of the role;
• liaising and working on many projects with other professionals, such as landscape architects, archaeologists, biologists, geologists, chartered surveyors and engineers, and charitable bodies;
• planning and implementing annual work programmes and ensuring the effective use of resources to meet the current objectives of the forest area;
• supervising forest workers and contractors in the field, which may include negotiation with subcontracting companies;
• planning and controlling budgets and preparing costing and financial forecasts;

Forest/woodland managers are also involved in forest protection, which is a wide-ranging part of the role reflecting the government's desire to promote sustainable forest management.

• protecting forests from illegal felling, pests and diseases;
• ensuring that the presence of forests does not detrimentally affect the surrounding environment and wildlife by damaging wildlife habitats, water supplies or soil.
• conducting research in areas such as silviculture, pathology, tree improvement and entomology;
• monitoring existing forestry practices;