The term "fiduciary duty" describes a legal relationship between two or more parties (most commonly a "fiduciary" or "trustee" and a "principal" or "beneficiary") which demands the fiduciary to be extremely loyal to the person to whom they owe a service. They must not put personal interests before the duty, and must not profit from their position as a fiduciary, unless the principal consents as part of their mutual agreement.

Registered foresters have agreed to commit themselves to a professional standard, in essence, agreeing to be a fiduciary either to an organization he works for or to a timber owner that is a client. A professional forester agreeing to become a fiduciary says that he or she can be entrusted with managing the "Principal's" forest which may include selling the timber for a small percentage of the sale. Often, foresters are hired as consultants and considered to be serving only the forest owner.

There are thirteen states that register their foresters. These registered professional foresters are agreeing that they will act in the sole interest of their beneficiary. You need to know who your forester's employer is and if there might be a conflict of interest in managing your property. Hire only a registered forester in these states and ask the forester if he is working exclusively in your behalf.

All states have forestry consultants for hire. They also are aware of their fiduciary responsibilities if they belong to the Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF). For the best approach when hiring a forester, select your candidates from your state's list of registered foresters and/or a practicing forester that is a member of the ACF.

States with Licensing Boards for Foresters
How to Sell Your Timber

Try these online forestry catalogs the next time you need to purchase forestry and arboricultural equipment. I've picked them because of convenience of online ordering, ease of site navigation, and reputation. Note that these businesses are well established and have been supplying foresters, arborists, natural resource managers and timber growers for decades.

Also, buy a tree online at the best sources:

Top Five Online Tree Nursery Picks

The Allegheny chinkapin, also called common chinkapin, may well be our most ignored and undervalued, native North American nut tree. It has been widely hailed as a sweet and edible nut and adds value to it's chestnut cousin and the American chestnut's breeding programs.

I found a chinquapin on my favorite deer hunting property and know it attracts wildlife. Since the chinkapin is adapted to a wide range of soils and site conditions, it should be considered a preferred species for its wildlife value. The nuts are eaten by a number of small mammals such as squirrels, rabbits, deermice, and chipmunks. Humans are fast becoming major consumers.

• An American Chestnut Comeback - What Happened?

Chinkapin Nuts in Bur - Photo by Steve Nix, Licensed to About.com

West Virginia's Beartown State Park is a natural area of 107 acres purchased in 1970 with funds from the Nature Conservancy and a donation from Mrs. Edwin G. Polan. Although it is West Virginia's smallest state park, it is probably their most beautiful one in Autumn.

Beartown State Park is located on the eastern summit of Droop Mountain, seven miles southwest of Hillsboro, West Virginia. It is on the same mountain where the only major battle of the American Civil War was fought in West Virginia in 1863. Pearl S. Buck's birthplace in only minutes away.

Here is a walk-through the most beautiful forested spot in the United States in Autumn - just my opinion.

Beartown State Park - Photo by Steve Nix, Licensed to About.com