Sierra Pacific Industries has approximately 80 Registered Professional Foresters (RPFs) in California in addition to professionals from other natural resource disciplines such as wildlife and plant biologists. RPFs are licensed by the State of California and they are responsible for applying forestry principles and techniques to manage forested landscapes. Although forester licensing is not required by the sate of Washington, SPI employs 16 professional foresters in that state.

Professional Foresters understand forest growth, development, and regeneration. Their education provides a broad background in soils, geology, hydrology, wildlife and fisheries biology, plant physiology, forest entomology, forest pathology, and other forest resources.

Foresters are also trained in fire management. Many have expertise in forest road design and timber harvest methods.

At Sierra Pacific, foresters perform the following duties:

• Prepare forest and land management plans.
• Assess forest health.
• Develop management strategies for protecting the forest from insects, disease, and wildfire.
• Prepare silvicultural prescriptions.
• Manage wildlife habitat.
• Inventory and monitoring of forest resources.
• Measure standing timber volume and appraise its market value.
• Prepare Timber Harvesting Plans (THP). Under California law, a RPF must prepare a THP for review and approval by state agencies.
• Prepare plans to rehabilitate forests damaged by wildfire and other destructive natural forces.
• Provide information to forest landowners and neighbors to increase their knowledge of forest ecology and management.
• Survey and protect archaeological resources.
• Assist in botanical, animal, and aquatic research.
• Prescribe the use of fire in forests.
• Administer logging, replanting, and thinning operations.